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Pondering Modern Love

Javie Delgado, Flickr Creative Commons

It's hard to improve on the poet, Rilke, who wrote, "Love consists of this, that two solitudes meet, protect, and greet each other." But did Rilke have to deal with Angry Birds and Snap Chat?

Also, the larvae of two species -- the antlion and the wormlion -- are in the habit of digging little sandpits, flinging the sand up along the sides so that the pit is a perfect cone shape and so that the sand is pitched at the perfect "angle of a repose." There's quite a bit of math and science pertaining to the angle of repose, but for our purposes, it means the angle at which a solid material stops sliding downward.

My friend Peter and I used to discuss the angle of repose in terms of love. There must come a point, we reasoned, when the long rock slide of seeking and wanting and getting and seeking more would stop. And a man would know some peace.

I am pleased to report that we have both achieved that angle, perhaps a little late in life. But the whole point of an antlion's pit is that the tiniest insect can start the whole thing sliding again, with the poor little bug tumbling down to be devoured.

On this show, we'll talk frankly about what modern life has done to love, and vice versa.

***This episode originally aired on February 13, 2014***

GUESTS:

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
Chion Wolf is the host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public.
Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

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