It's springtime, and love is in the air.
There was a time, a couple of springtimes ago, when people seemed to be finding their soulmates everywhere. Love bloomed on the Internet, in bars, at bus stops, at church, at the grocery store, at sports events...just about anywhere you can think of.
And then there were the ones who couldn't even find anyone to date, let alone fall in love with.
One of the lonely ones was an acquaintance of mine, a winsome but complicated female. I noticed her moping on a bench in Mears Park as I shuffled my bones to the gym.
"Hi," I said to her. "How are you?"
"I've been better," she said.
"Why? What's up?"
She stared at me gloomily. "Two people I know just got engaged."
"What's wrong with that?"
She rolled her eyes. "They've only been dating a couple of months, but they said they knew immediately knew they were soulmates and they should spend the rest of their lives together."
"Cool."
Her voice cracked with emotion."Everyone's finding their soulmates except me." She looked at the ground. "I'm so depressed."
"Maybe you're just hungry," I said. "Let's grab a burger somewhere."
"I don't have any money."
"I'll treat. I just sold a painting." I gestured in the direction of a nearby eatery. "Come on."
She pulled herself to her feet.
We both ordered burgers with caramelized onions. As she wolfed down her last bite, she smiled.
I smiled back at her. "Feeling better?"
"I guess so. But still, how come so many people are finding their soulmates so easily, everywhere they go, and I'm still alone?"
"Some people are common as lawn daisies," I said. "They have many soulmates to choose from. But you, you're mysterious and rare."
"Me?"
"Yes. If you were a flower, you'd be a ghost orchid."
She furrowed her brow. "What's a ghost orchid?"
I nodded wisely. "See what I mean?"