"This Is A Love Story..."

We weren’t allowed to love back then. I met David in 1985 at a college party in Ohio. We were 20, both from strict Catholic families. Three months of stolen kisses, mixtapes, dreams of New York. Then my dad found our letters. “You’re moving to California. Tonight.” David’s family shipped him to Texas. No goodbyes. I married a woman at 23, had three kids, taught high school. But his Polaroid stayed in my wallet 40 years. Last year, my grandson posted it on TikTok: “Help find my grandpa’s first love.” 5 million views later — a match. David, never married, flew in. At the airport gate, 70-year-old arms collided. “You’re still beautiful,” he whispered through tears. Families stole 40 years. Love found us anyway. 

Did you notice the title I gave this...? If you've been visiting here for a while you probably noticed that it wasn't titled "This Is A True Love Story" because it's not... It's skillfully crafted to pull at the heartstrings but it's not real, or at least not as presented here. And this is why I despise social media, because people are so easily fooled by it, they think if I can see it with my own eyes, it must be true.

If like me, you take a closer look at this story and the images, all the hallmarks of fiction are staring back at you. First clue: 20 year old's in 1985 would 60 year old's in 2025, not 70.  Second clue: The AI images are incredibly good, they look real. But AI does what you tell it to do, so it did make them look 70, not 60. The AI also did what AI does, it makes mistakes: Were you ever at a college party from the 1970s on where the cups were white.? By 1985 the red Solo party cup was ubiquitous and obligatory at college parties. Another tell in the images are their pants, how many of us are the same size at 60 or 70 that we were at 20? And in the 80's designer jeans were all the rage, anybody remember Jordache jeans? The model of jeans they're wearing in both images are the same... "David's" are darker in the reunion image, but they're clearly the same model and size. And don't get me started on the fragile chemistry of Polaroids and what would happen to one in your wallet for 40 years.

So why did I post this fakery, because at first glance, it did what the attention seeker in Eastern Europe intended it to do, it made me feel good,, it made me want to visit their site hoping for more stories like this. I felt the vicarious happiness that such a story evokes. And then even after I realized it wasn't literally a true story, as I thought about it, it occurred to me that somewhere out there, against all the odds, perhaps someone has lived a similar story and if so, their story deserves to be told even if this isn't really it. Go ahead and admit it, this story made you happy too, even if I did have to burst the bubble of false joy and faked reality this story brought to life. So this is for those who like me dream of an unlikely reunion with a first love whom they've never stopped loving... For those who like me believe that love, even if it's denied at it's birth is nevertheless forever true. This story is for the dreamers.

"Fear Eats the Soul"