"He ate my heart and then he ate my brain..."

So a friend and I were sitting around over dinner and drinks, getting to know one another when he asked me one of the basic "getting to know you" questions...

Dun dun dun dun...

"So what do you like to eat?"

Now anyone who knows me, knows that there are only three ways to answer this question. For me, seafood, sushi, and artichokes...

And I'm talking real artichokes...not that weak spinach artichoke dip sh-t!

But anyways that's beside the point. What blew my mind was the fact that he said that he didn't like artichokes because...

And I loosely quote, "I like the way they taste and all but, but when I tried it the leaves keep pricking me, and there wasn't much "meat" on the leaves. It's just too much damn work to get to the good part"

Now I will admit that is the truth. The heart is in fact the best part, point blank. Hands down. Period. And for the inexperienced rookie types yeah you are liable to get pricked a few times. But what really got me thinking was...is this what I love about the artichoke? Have they found a way to master what I have been trying to accomplish my whole life? Have they made it so someone would have to carefully pull back several layers of the exterior, while risking a little pain, before ever reaching the heart? Have they found a way to protect their hearts for the truly deserving?

When I meet someone that I like I have been known to let my guard down and let them in. And when I do, I go all in. Unlike the artichoke and forcing them to pull back layer upon layer and get to know me before getting my heart. NO!! Instead I wear my heart on my sleeve and let them in right away, only to be left wondering, when all is said and done, why is my heart destroyed?

How, no better yet, when did I become the inexperienced rookie type...

I can't say "when" for sure, but as far as "how" that's a little easier to distinguish. Bottom line is that I still believe in the idea of love. There I said it. Call me old fashion, call me crazy, call me just plain dumb (hell you can call me all three) but hands down I believe that regardless of my past experiences, my relationships, my fakelationships, and all the hoopla in between, I still believe that true love exist. I still believe and will continue to believe that, because I don't want to give up a good fight all because I have had a couple of rounds in the ring with amateurs. And even though I have yet to find the one who truly deserves my heart I have also decided to not yet throw in the towel. And it will only be that once I find the one who is willing and able to pull back the layers and get through all the nitty gritty will I then find someone who is truly worth "the good part"

But until then, all the rest is just butter...baby!