Love is no longer a hot commodity. In fact, I’m sure you can buy it from a vending machine in Japan now.

The four-letter word of affection has become something so mundane that it no longer has its flash or appeal.

Times have drastically changed in terms of how concise speech is.

Years ago, saying “I love you” to someone took a leap of faith and a true assessment of one’s feelings about the other person.

“I love you” meant being okay with the possibility of being hurt and not caring about what they said back because all that mattered was that the emotions were real.

Love was once a bold and daring affliction of the heart, hence the love bug.

That love bug, once a darling little critter, has nested and festered over the head of American culture, stinging people left and right, causing the word “love” to be spewed all over the place.

Love is now more consumerist than pornography.

Just like sex, love can be found everywhere and anywhere. There’s no big mystery as to what it feels like because it has become so easy to access.

I remember, before coming into this college world of bumbling, drunken youth, how ”I love you” was reserved for people one actually loved, like parents, siblings, best friends, family pets or even a couple going steady.

Yes, steady. I don’t care how old school it sounds. Steadiness, defined as not easily disturbed or upset, is where all love should come from.

Love should stem from a solid, never-fickle place in someone’s heart.

I don’t know how many people I’ve met at parties and thought, “Wow, I think this person is awesome.” Then they confront me, forgetting my personal boundaries, and yell, “Oh my gosh, I love you!”

That’s scary; think about it.

Someone who has known me for less than three hours has decided that they love me. How did they conclude that? Can I use this magic of almost instantaneous love to find a man?

What’s scarier than this? How quickly the adverse of love can be used.

Since my mother died, I never use the word “hate.”

There are very few things I hate.

Cancer is an exception. It’s a sickness that took my mother away from me and changed my whole family dynamic, right as I was going away to college.

But I don’t think I could actually hate someone, unless this person has single-handedly broken my heart, murdered my puppy or somehow persuaded my family to never speak to me again.

Hate is such a strong word with so much venom. It makes me itch when I hear people use it for such minute situations.

Emotions are fluid, but love isn’t really an emotion — it’s a feeling.

Yes, I know that sounds like somewhat of an oxymoronic thing to say, but when you have love for someone, you feel it.

Being in love or loving someone means more than the human psyche can fathom, which is why there are no fixed definitions for the word.

Having general love for the human race is fine and dandy. I implore people to do so. The world is in desperate need of loving people who know no bounds.

It may be human nature to be emotionally immersed in feeling the moment, but be prepared for the silence that can and often does occur after a hasty “I love you.”

Prin Mayowa can be reached at [email protected] or @PrinSupreme on Twitter.com.