On Coupled Profiles

Hi all-

Here's some writing...

"I love looking at the online profiles that members of a couple keep. The little notes they leave for each other, the inside jokes, the goofy widgets couples always seem to find.

I saw the profile of a man I went on a date once. He's coupled now, and his profile gives you the whiff of it from ten miles off. I'm so happy for him. Really... these guys are so cute together. It's one of those blonde/brunette couples, where you can tell them apart by hair color but thy are otherwise generally similar. Those are the best couples, really. Very egalitarian.

It's very cute. Little anonymous gifts... doodles... photo comments where they are both in every photo anyway... the whole nine. I wonder if 4x6, 5x7, and similar aspect ratios of photo are specifically built to catch two smiling faces side by side. Or one half in front of the other, both about to drink from their beers. Under a tree. In front of a lake. The frame of a photo is just enough to lay out flat the room for two we already see the world in. Photos don't make a new frame for anything; we are already framed. None the less, they are perfect in photos together, like every couple.

So I'm happy for him. Happy for his cute, filled up profile. It was only one date anyway, what do I care? He's doing all right, the photos tell me so. I'm happy for him. I'm so happy, I can't stop crying."

-A