“Love is blind. This love needs to stop!” The delegate from Iowa held up the amendment that further advanced the freedom of love in the nation. “My son can’t go to school without fearing for his freedom. Why must we be forced to express compassion when we aren’t allowed to express all of our emotions? It infringes on our freedom!”

The TV blared with the wrinkled faces of Congress. How could love be mandated? This wasn’t right. It was cruelty. It made people weak. Cowards. James reflected on all the negative news stories that dealt with the new mandate. Of course they weren’t treated in a negative light but he sure took it that way. Couples were starting to seek the same job position so they didn’t have to be a part. Gun violence, and therefore the sale of guns, lost prominence. Firearms conventions started disappearing. James took a swig of beer to calm his nerves. It was harder and harder to sell guns. No one wanted them. Times were tough for a gun seller living alone and barely making it by. Where was his love?

He looked out his window thinking he heard sirens. Everyone had to be accountable for their actions, including lack of love. He wondered if they would come for him next. It wasn’t fair. People started to rely too heavily on it. They needed more and more love. A husband dotes on his wife and she feels suffocated. Couples expect too much from each other. Ugh, it was getting repulsive, repressive. If someone constantly forgives someone for their faults then that gives them the right to walk all over them. Society needed boundaries or else they would become spoiled brats. Society needed to be punished. Weaklings.

A message appeared on his TV. It ran across the top like a banner. “It’s time for your daily dose of internal reflection. Have you hurt someone today? Do you need to apologize? Do you have dark thoughts and need someone to turn to? Does someone need to turn to you? Find someone who needs help and give them your compassion and kindness. This is a message brought to you by your government.”

Bah! He wasn’t having dark thoughts. He was having just the right kind of thoughts. The beer was empty. Sighing he grabbed another one from the fridge. This whole thing was making his head hurt. The darkness of love surrounded him, reminding him that he did not have anyone to turn to. Love was hard. Making love was hard. Tiring. There was no one he deemed worthy enough to be with him. Women his age were just as spoiled as most kids, nagging, whining, and always complaining that their needs weren’t being met. What about his needs to be left alone and openly criticize people who he didn’t like?!

A man dives off a cliff to save his falling wife, or perhaps because he couldn’t live without her. A woman takes the lives of her children because she believes she’s growing a part from them. A gunman causes panic by killing a few loving bystanders because none of them wanted to love him…

Had the world gone mad with love! Was he the only sane one left? In the future he imagined everyone greeting each other with kisses. A sense of revulsion overcame him.

The handle of the front door peered at James. Outside there was commotion and compulsion. He couldn’t stand for the cheer and sunny dispositions. The TV was still on. His only hope was people who felt the way he did. A social collective with the same opinions as him. The revulsion was replaced by a sense of belonging and understanding, a social empathy.

He sat down and flicked through the channels until he found a newscaster speaking about this new obsession of love. “The world can never have too much but it is what you do with love that can turn a positive situation into a negative one. It starts with self-reflection.” Ah! Here we go again. More of this government BS, telling people what to do. “Obsession and jealousy, in a romantic sense, are not true love. They are selfish and often lead to those around you feeling trapped. You must be open and honest with yourself along with the other person. Are you one of those who thinks this way, living your life in denial? Then you might be suffering from depression, anxiety, dissociation from your friends and family, or another mental illness. If you feel this might describe yourself then you may need help. You may be struggling with self-hate.”

James threw the remote at the TV and rubbed his head in frustration. It wasn’t true! None of it was true! In that peak moment of loss at what to think the door suddenly opened, followed by a quick patter of feet. That would be Janice. It was his time to spend the day with their son from a relationship that ended poorly. Henry came bounding over the couch and landed on his chest with a big smile. He couldn’t bring himself to reject the love of his own flesh and blood. He held him close and for a moment lost track of the thoughts in his head, finding hope. Everything washed away, the pain, the idiots on the TV, the people outside, his divorced wife standing in the hall, the world. His love, this was his love. He forgot everything and allowed himself to simply live. He smiled and let out a sigh of relief.