Imagination or Memory: Love is Love — JosephBruceBustillos.com

Some things are better left to imagination. A chance encounter, a sly smile, a brief scent of perfume, why ruin the moment with more than that? It rarely ends well and tends to consume all the energy in a futile attempt to continue to foster that first magical and possibly completely imaginary moment.

While the magical moment could fuel a lifetime of wistful smiles, sadly it’s never enough and if there’s the least possible chance, we push through and try to make the unreal real. I should know, I’ve been fortunate enough to have countless wonderful moments, sadly followed by decades of what-the-fuck. Damn. The line between trying and not trying is curious. And, now being in my sixties, I’ve lived long enough that some whom I’ve shared that knowing smile are no longer with us.

I wish I could see them one more time. Alas, I would venture, them seeing me one more time might be one time too many for them. I’ll grant them that. At the same time, I am glad that I still remember them the way they were when we briefly confessed our love and surprised ourselves that we both felt that way. Sometimes that moment lasted for years and other times it was over much too soon. And some moments never got past the beautiful smile and shining eyes. It might not seem like it to some, but I know I’ve been lucky that way.

Sources:

• image: Redhead Across the Bar at Red Dwarf by Joe Bustillos (2025–05–09), https://i0.wp.com/josephbrucebustillos.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-05-09-Redhead-Across-the-Bar-at-Red-Dwarf.png?resize=1280%2C640&ssl=1

Tags: girlfriends, love, meditations on, sex and the single brain cell, sly smile

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Originally published at https://josephbrucebustillos.com on July 7, 2025.