I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself

1 Do you believe love takes work? 

    of course, it does. 

    I love a friend, who lives in another time zone, works an Important Job, and has an especially complicated life that does not allow frequent interactions. That means making extra allowances for the differences and being extra grateful for the times together. 

    I love my family, which requires me to be available at different times of day than I might prefer, and to be ready to resolve almost innumerable tech issues, or to compare notes and debate plans.

    I love my job, even though it makes me get up early and prioritize it and sometimes work longer hours (even weekends). 

    Love—of people, things, ideas, whatever—isn't easy, but it's always worth it. 

 

2 Share a favorite memory of your current/most recent partner.

    when we were past the first-blush phase and our interactions had grown in real affection but maybe dimmed in excitement, he ramped it back up by striding up to my big wall of windows (at work, the financial place), and then continuing on his way. It wasn't dramatic or noticeable for anyone else, and most people would probably think nothing of it. However, to me it was as momentous as if he'd held up a big sign, sharing the feelings in his heart. 

   

3 What quality of your most recent partner are/were you most attracted to? 

    curiosity, about countless topics and things and scenarios. He was creative and interested and willing to ask questions. 

 

4 Would you rather stay in or go out for a date? 

    I love to stay in, and choose it ahead of almost anything else. However, dates require some extra effort. If a couple can stay in and enjoy something more than the average day, then it's a date. If they do the same ol' stuff as ever, though, then it's not a date. Does this answer the question?  

 

5 Are there any habits you have that are negative for a romantic relationship? 

     I do. 

 

6 Do you feel able to respect a partner's opinion when it's different from yours? 

    that depends whether they are wrong or not. 

    To answer seriously: I can usually respect the partner, if not the opinion. This requires that the expression of the opinion be respectful, too—when it is discourse and not a tennis match using a flaming ball. 

7 Were you nervous during your most recent "first kiss"? 

     very nervous, though I need not have been concerned

 

[taken from here and adapted; the title quotation is by Charlotte Brontë, from Jane Eyre]