Schuetz

Have you ever heard the song "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochran? You know, it's the one with the chorus that goes: "Life is a highway / I wanna ride it all night long / If you're going my way / I wanna drive it all night long." I heard that the other day while driving, and it occurred to me that the song suggests a lot about romance.

Life's like a road that you travel on,
When there's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend and sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your head to the wind

In this song, obviously life is a highway. What then is love? Is it the car you drive, the signs you see, the passenger next to you, or something else? Love affects the quality of your journey down the road of life. People of interest could be the cars going the same way and same speed as you. Love could be the people you "let in" to your vehicle.

There's a world outside ev'ry darkened door
Where blues won't haunt you anymore
Where brave are free and lovers soar
Come ride with me to the distant shore

The passengers taking the journey with you can keep your spirits up when you get tired. Their conversation takes away from the tedium of traffic. A partner can even take a turn driving in times when you just can't handle it.

Knock me down get back up again
You're in my blood
I'm not a lonely man
There's no load I can't hold
Road so rough, this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors

Romantic relationships take unexpected twists and turns just like highways, and you sometimes can't see where the road leads or ends. Even if you feel low on gas, you can keep trucking ahead because of how fabulous being in love can feel.

Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

If this relates to relationships in general, then it's obvious that you can connect the lyrical metaphor for marriage as well. When you're engaged things can still be in a blissful period, and you may think that this is the way it will always be after you say the words, "I do." We should remember what the song suggests; the road of love is never going to stay straight. There will be times when you have to turn right or left without proper notice. When this happens, it doesn't mean we should stop loving someone. Prepare yourself for the speed bumps and the possibility of having to use your high beams.