It's such a shame that love has evolved into an overly beautiful, romantic, passionate andhonestlysterile version of itself with the help of pop culture. Moonlit nights, dinner by candlelight, sweeping people off their feet ... this is as much a part of love as anything else.
But it is not the ONLY part.
Underneath doctored, fancy love is a layer of pure silliness, or at least there should be.
If the goofy love is still buried in your marriage, fear not; bringing it to the surface is simple:
Don't be afraid of what others think
Goofy love takes in everything we think anyone else would raise an eyebrow at, the very best of best-friend weirdness. Tickle fights, gaming nights, dressing up in thrift store clothes and hitting the town ... you name it. If it sounds crazy, chances are it is, and that's exactly what you should be looking for.
Be a kid again
Goofy love finds an enemy in adulting. We're told from our teen years forward to act our age or grow up; and yes, yes, we do need maturity to get much of anything done when we're in charge of providing our own food and keeping the lights on.
Just don't forget to leave a little room for your kid self. Feel free to go back to a favorite childhood restaurant, swing on the swings at the park, and even dust off some of your old toys. You'll be amazed by what being a kid again can do.
Embrace your inner geek
I wasn't technically looking for it, but my wife turned out to be as big of a geek as I am. We've spent hours on Super Mario Bros. together. We love the same TV shows and the same foods. We binge on YouTube together and would love to hit Comic-Con sometime. If anything, we need more serious love, but goofiness has been way too much fun.
If you have a passion for Star Trek, share it with your husband. Buy the entire Harry Potter series with your wife and read the books over and over. It turns out pretty much everyone is a geek about something, and that should be celebrated.
Find inspiration from other goofballs
Finding a good example of successful goofy love can be like finding a golden needle in a bucket of needles, but I stumbled upon a YouTube couple pulling it off beautifully. Dustin and Genevieve Ahkuoi are spot on parody singers best known for their workout spoof of Adele's "Hello." And singing to the tune of Meghan Trainor and John Legend's "Like I'm Gonna Lose You," they tell the world what's it's like sharing a bed with the goofball you love. I couldn't help but notice how genuine they are. I could see in their eyes how awesome their marriage is and how completely weird they love to be.
Another fun-loving YouTube couple are Sam and Nia, whose videos have had their viral moments for good reason. The inner geek and inner child in them are alive and well as they lip-sync to the Frozen soundtrack while taking their daughter for a drive. Take a page from their book and jump into something goofy together.
If you have yet to embrace the inner goof of your marriage, I suggest you give it a whirl; you'll be adding years to your marriage and your life.
But it is not the ONLY part.
Underneath doctored, fancy love is a layer of pure silliness, or at least there should be.
If the goofy love is still buried in your marriage, fear not; bringing it to the surface is simple:
Don't be afraid of what others think
Goofy love takes in everything we think anyone else would raise an eyebrow at, the very best of best-friend weirdness. Tickle fights, gaming nights, dressing up in thrift store clothes and hitting the town ... you name it. If it sounds crazy, chances are it is, and that's exactly what you should be looking for.
Be a kid again
Goofy love finds an enemy in adulting. We're told from our teen years forward to act our age or grow up; and yes, yes, we do need maturity to get much of anything done when we're in charge of providing our own food and keeping the lights on.
Just don't forget to leave a little room for your kid self. Feel free to go back to a favorite childhood restaurant, swing on the swings at the park, and even dust off some of your old toys. You'll be amazed by what being a kid again can do.
Embrace your inner geek
I wasn't technically looking for it, but my wife turned out to be as big of a geek as I am. We've spent hours on Super Mario Bros. together. We love the same TV shows and the same foods. We binge on YouTube together and would love to hit Comic-Con sometime. If anything, we need more serious love, but goofiness has been way too much fun.
If you have a passion for Star Trek, share it with your husband. Buy the entire Harry Potter series with your wife and read the books over and over. It turns out pretty much everyone is a geek about something, and that should be celebrated.
Find inspiration from other goofballs
Finding a good example of successful goofy love can be like finding a golden needle in a bucket of needles, but I stumbled upon a YouTube couple pulling it off beautifully. Dustin and Genevieve Ahkuoi are spot on parody singers best known for their workout spoof of Adele's "Hello." And singing to the tune of Meghan Trainor and John Legend's "Like I'm Gonna Lose You," they tell the world what's it's like sharing a bed with the goofball you love. I couldn't help but notice how genuine they are. I could see in their eyes how awesome their marriage is and how completely weird they love to be.
Another fun-loving YouTube couple are Sam and Nia, whose videos have had their viral moments for good reason. The inner geek and inner child in them are alive and well as they lip-sync to the Frozen soundtrack while taking their daughter for a drive. Take a page from their book and jump into something goofy together.
If you have yet to embrace the inner goof of your marriage, I suggest you give it a whirl; you'll be adding years to your marriage and your life.
