How often in today’s culture do we hear or say the infamous phrase, “We don’t love these hoes?” The answer is way too much.

For an abundance of males in today’s society love is an after-thought. For most of our lives we perceive love as a weak emotion, and look down on and belittle people who show love to one another.

I myself have even called a few people derogatory terms for showing love to someone. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that I was jealous of everyone else’s love.

I was jealous because I felt as though I’d never experience true love. The realization of my envy sparked a huge debate within me. Can love truly and purely exist?

My thinking progression has gone from “it doesn’t exist,” to “it exists, but not for me,” to “it can exist for me, I just won’t allow it.”

I have come to recognize the brainwashing we have undergone our entire lives. From media to the radio or even regular people we look up to, everyone twists the perception on what a true man and true love actually is.

The fact of the matter is that true men don’t neglect their emotions, children do.

Love is not only an emotion but also a maturing process. The understanding and accepting of love is a part of growing older and wiser.

I have finally allowed love to enter my life and I am constantly inundated with feelings of bliss and joy. I have abandoned my primitive and ignorant way of thinking.

The first part of my life was an abundance of me losing love. Now there is an abundance of me finding love, and with it finding myself. As men we tend to get lost in our egos and allow are dreams to mesh with what our reality actually is.

The truth is love is everywhere, and love is a beautiful feeling that even the best of poets can’t translate into words.

Love is the world’s greatest and most misunderstood emotion. It has built and destroyed nations, started and ended wars, made rich men poor and made poor men rich.

All humans are born with love, but not all die with it. When the day comes that I take that final breath, my memories precede me, and I am of this world no longer, I want my memories to be memories of love and bliss, not hate and regret.

Rudison is a freshman pre-business major from Chicago. He is currently the music reporter for the Arts & Entertainment section.