How to Become "Something More": Six Secrets of Love from Beanworld

This is Beanish.

He's an artist.

He's in love with the sun.

...and that's pretty much all you need to know about him.

As I've said before, I love Larry Marder's Beanworld. In a medium that seems to attract primarily overblown superhero drama or self-important autobiographies, Beanworld stands out as a delightful, imaginative world filled with stories that are as wholesome as the seeds it's named after.

Beanish's courtship with Dreamishness is one of the central plot points of the series, and the lessons he learns as their relationship progresses feel like genuine life-lessons that can readily be applied to real-world romances.

Now, I know I'm late for Valentine's Day, but let's just say that if you keep the following points in mind, you might not spend Valentine's night watching reruns of Lost on DVD.



1 - Love at First Sight Exists

I think we've all experienced this - you see him or her from across the room, and BAM! You're obsessed. Now, this doesn't mean that you're going to stay together forever - as we'll see, love takes a lot of work.



2 - Games are Inevitable

In every relationship, trust has to be EARNED. To that end, sometimes you'll have to prove that you're worthy of that trust. Unfortunately, that means that you'll have to jump through some hoops before your crush is willing to let you be a part of his or her life.



3 - Your Relationship is a Secret

Once you earn your loved one's trust, you have to keep it. Now that's not to say that you can't let anyone know that you're IN love. Rather, you should know that there are many, many aspects of your relationship that don't need to be shared with everyone.

Your significant other will thank you (as will your single friends).




4 - Real Love Grows Slowly

Easily my favorite quote from the series.

As you spend time with a person, they will come to feel more and more strongly for you. This depth of feeling takes time to cultivate, so LET IT. There's no need to rush things.



5 - Love Inspires Growth

When someone does fall in love with you, hopefully they have fallen in love with who you ARE. The best way to thank them for that love then is to make sure that they're still in love with who you'll BECOME.

You don't change to make the other person happy; however, the good you see in the other person - those aspects of their character that make them attractive to you - make you WANT to be better.

And finally...



6 - Some Days are Just Bad Days

I think that one stands on it's own.