by Melinda Bell

Created on: September 04, 2009

Most people can still recall that fluttery feeling, lighter than air, that overtook us when Mr. or Mrs. Right first glanced our way. The shortness of breath and sweaty palms were exhilarating. The pounding of our heart seemed to permeate our being and rightly so. Our hearts are the core of our emotion. Perhaps not scientifically but if you ask any child which organ is responsible for love they will enthusiastically respond "the heart!" Our hearts were designed for feeling stuff... not making rational decisions. In fact I would even go as far to say that if you allow your heart to lead you in life and love, it will get you into trouble every time.

The heart operates on extremes. It can either be head over heals about something or completely crushed and devastated about it. I remember as a 4th grader I had the opportunity to join the orchestra. Three days a week students were pulled from their regular classrooms to have lessons with Mrs. Omen. The damp, dimly lit basement of the school probably didn't have the best acoustics but I just had the feeling I was doing something magical. I wanted to play the viola. Violas have all the charm of a violin and yet a deeper tone almost resembling a cello. I just knew the viola was the instrument for me. I went home and told my parents that if they just paid the $345, I would play this instrument for the rest of my life. I meant it with every ounce of my soul. Then one day while carrying my wonderful viola to school, I had a sudden epiphany. I HATED the viola. It was heavy and squeaky and I always had to explain how it wasn't a violin. My heart went from loving my new instrument to despising it. Hearts tend to do this quite often because there is no middle ground with your heart. This phenomenon tends to set us up for failure. As we dream up that fairy tale ending with our heart, reality is always creeping around the next corner.

The heart is an irrational organ. Logic and emotion are longtime rivals. Fast cars have a way of captivating a man's heart like nothing else in existence. So I was happy to hear of a new policy a local car dealership recently put into practice. I chuckle each time I think of the commercial. A middle aged man stops by a car dealership on his way home from work to price a new family car. He pulls up in station wagon with smoke coming from both ends. A hallelujah chorus begins as light from heaven shines on a brand new two-seater convertible. His heart is screaming for him to get it and he does. The

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>