Like-Minded Souls

I've been pondering lately about life, attraction, and the concept of soul-mates. What is it that attracts, connects, attaches us to the people around us? What is it that makes you think "aha!" with certain individuals, and struggle to find a shred of commonality with others? What are we looking for, why is it so important, and in all the craziness of modern daily life, is it even realistic to think we can find it, or having found it, hold on to it? We all crave the company of a like-minded soul - someone who understands and accepts us, celebrates our individuality, allows us to be more, do more, think more, create more than we would by ourselves. So why are we apparently so bad at finding that companionship?



I observe my friends, my co-workers, my neighbors, seemingly my entire generation -- all of them in some form or another are struggling with the significant relationship in their lives. Myself included. For the vast majority, we are not people who married for money or bowed to the family pressure of an arranged marriage; we are individuals who believed we had found "the one" (or "the next one") and chose our spouse or partner for love. Now we're being pulled apart by conflict over finances, raising children, not being able to have children, lack of sex, sex with other people, unemployment, too much time spent at work -- the pendulum seems to swing in either direction and the writing in the sand reveals emotional exhaustion. And these are not long-term relationships: 3, 5, 10 years - has modern life become so complex that it's only a matter of time (and not that much of it) before forces beyond our control break us apart? A cheery thought. Or is it us? Do we need to reconsider what we demand from life? How would that affect the choices we make about how to live and who we want to surround ourselves with and commit ourselves to?

More on this later...I think I need a glass of wine.