Infatuation vs. Affection

Funny how after so many years of dating experience and you still find yourself asking the inevitable question - is it just an infatuation or do you see yourself falling in love? Perhaps the very fact that you asked is a sign that it isnt anything more than a mere crush. Should one then, dismiss the notion of it ever happening or actually do something about it? What are the tell-tale signs of liking someone? And how do you know when you've crossed the line from infatuation to true affection? Since we're at it, here's a list of parameters that i find helpful, although i'm pretty sure by the time i'm done, i'll be as stumped as i was before. Here goes -

1. Time - infatuations hardly last, although i once had a crush on a senior for 3 years.

2. Anxiety levels - do you feel more excited than petrified at the prospects of letting your feelings be known? The latter could be an indication that you feel more.

3. Scope of fantasy - are all your fantasies with the person in question primarily sexual in nature or do they go beyond the physical?

4. Heart leaping index - Does a text from the person in question send your heart leaping to your throat?

5. Comfort level - Yes, i actually find this the most accurate of all. Let's be honest here, if you are going to spend an awful lot of time with this person, you better feel a certain level of comfort. Enough to speak your mind and be yourself level.

6. Music - happy music is a better barometer of measuring love than sad old bastard music, at least in the beginning. For instance, the song playing in your head when you see that person better be I Can Hear Music by the Beach Boys than Eponine's On My Own.

7. Finally, when you start making a mental list of the person's likes and dislikes, birthdays and pet peeves, thats when you see a warning sign flashing in red that says - THIN ICE AHEAD.