Short Stories for Romantics
by
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Love Defined
As a highly intelligent species, humans are endowed with a sense of self that no other mammal possess. Naturally, mother’s love plays an important role in all species. But as we mature, we find the desire to be loved by the opposite sex is not only essential, but an integral part of our psyche. This fact has been proved by the many matchmaking firms that have sprung up all over America.
The famous lyricist, Cole Porter says it quite well in his song, Night and Day, a hungry yearning inside of me. His best however, may be the line that forces us ask the question, What Is This Thing Called Love? Is the phenomenon physical, spiritual or as some cynics might describe, a temporary madness of the heart?
Biologist would have us believe that our pulse-quickening spells, the swooning, even the miss-wired cranium, are merely nature's way to getting us to procreate. Interestingly, medical researchers, using MRI brain-scans of people romantically involved, showed increased activity in the Ventral Tegumental area, where dopamine (happiness substance) is produced. Some believe that, people in love not only experience a feeling of well-being, but sleep better, are blessed with enhanced creativity, and see themselves victorious in all of their undertaking.
Other studies show that a loving relationship not only promotes good health, but makes us immune to illness, slows the aging process, even increases life-spans.
This is not to say that those of us passed over by Love are less happy or live shorter lives. At first, the aftermath of lost Love, with its vivid flashbacks can be painful. After a while however, human pride kicks in, causing some of us to reach the pinnacle of success in our careers. In a strange twist of fate, we find that Love did play a role in improved self-awareness and positive changes which helped us achieve our goals.
Romantic Love does not condone class-discrimination. Royalty is hardly spared, since kingdoms have been won or lost over Love. Example: Napoleon and Josephine. Edward VIII, and Wallis Simpson. Neither does one have to be a creative genius to be smitten by Love. From the hardworking janitor, to the modern-day rocket scientist, Romantic Love knows no bounds.
Time we turn to spiritual counsel: From the Corinthians, 13;7, Love knows no limits to its endurance. No end to its trust. No fading of its Hope. It can outlast anything. Our esteemed clergy tell us that Love is the single unifying force that separates humans from our mammalian cousins.
Another profound truism that makes us humans different: We are the only species who face each other in the act of procreation. If that isn’t astounding enough, should death separates us from the one we love, we continue loving them until we die--actually, forever if we believe in afterlife. The clincher on the Power of Love: How often do we read about couples who die within weeks of each other, after having enjoyed a lifetime of togetherness?
And lastly, what do the modern-day spiritual gurus say about Love? They define Love as a metaphysical occurrence that unites souls on a higher evolutionary plane. They too maintain that its power can make mind and body immune to sickness, cure disease, and even prevent death. Love, they say, is the single stabilizing human phenomenon in our universe.
Those of us who have been beguiled by Love choose to lean toward the poets and romantics of our world. We believe that Love is a mystic spell, cast by troublesome Angels, who enjoy watching our torment.
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About the Book
The famous songwriter Cole Porter once asked, “What Is This Thing Called Love?” His question caused author Andrew J. Salat to wonder: is the condition physical, spiritual, or, as some cynics might describe, “a temporary madness of the heart”?
Salat believes Mr. Porter’s question is answered quite well in Short Stories for Romantics. The story “High Heels” is a haunting tale of love found and lost, told to him by an interesting airline passenger. “Adrienne’s Room” takes the reader on an unforgettable roller-coaster ride. For a more spiritual journey, “High Level Meeting” seeks to bring on second thoughts about the way we live our lives.
These sixteen stories take the reader on an imaginary sojourn we all must take in order to experience true love in our lives.
“Mr. Salat is a gifted storyteller with imagination and eloquent style. His stories had me turning pages to the very last.” —Beverly DeGeorge, literary consultant
About the Author
Andrew Salat was born in the tiny country of Slovakia. At age eleven, his vagabond father had his family join him in Western Pennsylvania. For young Andrew, life in America seemed a continuous festival. If educated on both sides of the Atlantic was a plus, growing up amongst the diverse cultures of a small steel town helped him become a better American.World War II put his American dream on hold. Wounded, he was sent home, and married his fiancée, Anne Kendrick. Like many veterans, their smoky steel town however, forced them to fulfill their post-war dreams in Southern California.Two years at the prestigious Los Angeles Art Center helped Andrew to broaden his perspective. The coming of their firstborn, however, forced him to seek a more secure position with the Postal Service. Evening classes in real estate investment taught him to take advantage of a booming economy. With his full-time job, plus managing properties, Andrew’s never-ending search for fascinating hobbies kept him busy: art collecting, astronomy and electronics, to name a few. To house their classic art collection, the couple chose to build a Mediterranean-style mini-villa on a California mountaintop. Their ballroom-sized living room delighted the fun-loving Anne, while Andrew’s dream of an observatory with a research-grade telescope became a reality.Tragedy struck when Anne was diagnosed with cancer. Forced to rethink the very meaning of life, Andrew retired early so they could tour Europe. On their return, they found others dwelling under the same ominous cloud. Frequent parties at their spacious home became a way to compress a lifetime into the years remaining.Anne’s passing did not go unnoticed on their enchanted knoll of pink granite boulders, accented by rare Manzanita trees. The irises and daffodils Anne had planted on the pathways missed her girlish voice, as she had once coddled them. The towering cedar, put in as a seedling, reaffirmed her courage in facing those last poignant years. The weeping willow by the colonnaded porch has a different message: its languid branches wave in the gentle breeze, as if in a prayer for a gracious lady’s brief but exemplary life. Alone at his mountaintop retreat, Andrew worked through his grief by writing. Though war and personal tragedy may have tempered his philosophy, his writing reflects an easy pace, with light touches of humor.Asked by a friend why at age ninety-three he still writes, he replied, “I strongly believe, at the moment of our creation, God wants us to lead happy lives. We can achieve happiness by mixing a little fantasy into a sometimes stark reality.”When asked about his exemplary life, he replied, “To me, human emotions are a paradox. As a soldier, I once ran through ankle-grazing machine-gun fire while sidestepping fallen buddies. More than twenty men were lost that morning, and yet none of us shed a tear. Sixty years later, I see a young mother usher her three children into a van, and reminded of my young family, I found myself holding back tears.”The next has to do with being a romance novelist: “Humans’ need for love is essential. I was heartbroken to learn that Emily Bronte, who wrote the love story of the century, died at age thirty without ever experiencing true love.”The author has since remarried. Due to their need to be closer to health-care facilities, Andrew and Ruth have left their dream home, and now live in the north San Diego County.