my careless contagion

Perfect by Ed Sheeran is a romantic fairytale of a song. It is beautiful. It is lyrical perfection. I imagine this song has been played thousands of times at weddings and high school dances across the world (and not just because it's a waltz). And the video — which has over 2 billion views, well — there's even a kitten in it!  I hesitate to use the word "perfect" because there is no such thing as perfection in this world. But I've used that word to describe the woman I love. I don't know if love simply blinds us to imperfections or what, but some people really do seem perfect.  During my recent visit to Nebraska, I got to hang out with the woman I am head over heels in love with. The last day, she told me I should see her as she really is without any makeup, with her hair up, and in her jammies. What did she expect me to see? I still saw the beautiful woman I'm in love with. Nothing changed for me. I'd love to wake up next to that every day. Tr...

I was a boy and she was becoming a woman. She was a couple of years older (I'm guessing)  than me. Our conversation has stayed with me for 30 years. The scene was the Cosmo (short for cosmopolitans) swim team picnic, which signaled the end of the season and the last time I'd see these people until school began again. I don't recall my exact age, but it was 10, 11, or 12. Her name was Nicole, and her words still echo in my soul. I was busy running around, having fun, eating candy and being a boy. She grabbed me (literally) and took me aside. She said she knew I didn't want to hear it right now, but someday I would need to know this. She told me to be kind to girls' hearts, to not be like the other boys; don't play games with girls because that's how people get hurt. Here was a barely-a-woman telling this I-just-want-to-be-a-boy- forever how to be a man. I should have heard this from my brothers, should have seen it in my father, anyone but her. But I liste...