By: Gabriela Yareliz
Love is a lot of things. We can go down a list that resembles 1 Corinthians 13 or a wedding vow.
Love is powerful, sacrificial and one of the greatest, if not the greatest, force in the world. And while it’s all those things and more, it’s interesting to think of how it arrives.
Sometimes, it hits us like exhaustion after a four hour exam. One minute, you are rejoicing for the mental stamina that sustained you through the morning misery, and the next moment, you are crying on your comforter, smearing mascara on it while wondering if you have quarters to wash the makeup stained bedding. Flooding with the non-waterproof makeup is the energy drain of hours you spent studying for that instrument of torture. So it hits you, which can be traumatic, and then, you feel better.
Sometimes, love is like a garden you stumble upon, on accident. You didn’t know it was there, and then you take a glance. You are surprised; you are pleased; everything is blooming. It’s like your very own secret garden in your heart. It’s like a flower that you are waiting to see open. It’s slow, and you often notice after it’s already partially open, teasing the world with its inevitable beauty. You find it on accident, and then, you marvel.
Love can be a subtle enthrallment.
Speaking of subtle…there is a love campaign around NYC that has been quite subtle. Allow me to explain. You see, on my birthday, I went for a lovely walk. I was waiting to cross at a crosswalk (again–not jaywalking; I am so good, I know). I was at the cross of Mott and something else (just after crossing Houston). I looked down at my little Converse on the edge of the grimy sidewalk corner. My foot was close to a sticker. I stepped back and noticed it said, “Love is Telepathic.”
How cute, I thought. What is telepathic? I questioned, as I crossed the street. It’s about a silent communication. No words. No gesture. Perhaps, “something” perceived as nothing at all. It’s when something is clear as day, despite no word or explanation.
I didn’t know it then, but Mark Samsonovich is behind this message. The sticker made me think of all that we don’t communicate, yet know, somehow.
I walked south, closer to the Brooklyn Bridge. This time, on a post, at eye level, was the same sticker. I thought, My! The theme of the day. Love is telepathic.
Finally, walking up through SoHo, I was waiting to cross the street; when I looked up, I saw at a distance the side of a building which said, Love is Telepathic.
So apparently, looking down, at eyelevel and looking up–the message was: Love is Telepathic.
What does this mean? Perhaps, it’s a testament to all that has been left unspoken. Maybe, it’s an ode to the gardens blooming in us. Or maybe, it’s a confirmation of all that we deny, but already know.
The thing is, even when we are subtle, we know what’s going on. It’s telepathic, after all.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 