Romances

Romances

A romance is a love affair between two people. But this doesn’t specify what kind of love affair: it could be sexual love, but it need not be. It could be an intellectual romance; then it connotes shared passions and interests of an intellectual nature. The idea is of a cooperative, committed, passionate relationship between two people. I want to extend this idea to include what I will call athletic romance: two people sharing their common interest in athletic activity. This too should be cooperative, committed, and passionate—like a sexual romance. It is also bodily and may involve touching. It should be intense and consuming. It should form a higher unity consisting of the two persons—a kind of team or companionship. It may involve problems of infidelity, insecurity, jealousy, illness, separation, time, and rivalry. It is intimate and emotional, involving a type of love. It may not last forever. Learning will be a big part of it, as will respect. I see it as having a therapeutic component, as producing feelings of well-being and transcendence of the ordinary. It has a religious dimension. Overcoming obstacles is part of it. An athletic romance must be romantic.