Lloyd and Duckie told me years ago

I was listening to the radio in the kitchen while I folded laundry (ah, yes, my glamourous life!) and it was a repeat of a Valentine's Day interview with some anthropologist.

Now, I love anthropology. I could just eat Desmond Morris books with a spoon. So, I grabbed my tea, stopped playing sock lotto for a bit and sat down.

It was a neat interview. They were talking about the physicality of falling in love: what happens to your body. In short, you get elevated levels of dopamine, which is a neurological thingie that transmits messages and bombards your brain. It makes you feel giddy and, I guess, gives you that blind high you get when you first fall for someone.

The anthropologist, Helen Fisher is her name, went on from there, giving examples of how one would use this knowledge to win someone's heart. They were all a little out-of-the-ordinary; stuff like take him for a swim after dark or go explore an unfamiliar place. Different, unexpected, exciting and somewhat dangerous actions changes the baseline levels of dopamine.

So as they're talking about her book, I got to thinking about Pretty in Pink again. When did I think Andie was dumb not to have chosen Duckie? The dance at the record shop! And then I thought of Say Anything. Man, my heart still burns for John Cusack because of that movie. And what do I remember most? When he stood outside her house holding the boombox while Peter Gabriel sang In Your Eyes.

All these movies I've watched, all these books I've read, and not to mention experiences I've been fortunate enough to have (only one with Husband, but it was pretty good), it's all been there. I just wasn't really watching.

And then I went back to folding my true love's socks.