Teach a man to fish....teach a man to love?

It was a few days ago. I was walking down 5th avenue and I was contemplating love and relationships. I myself am a 24 year young adult, living here in this big city, surrounded by love and relationships. Encountering it. Seeking it. Fascinated and intrigued by it. But, largely intimidated by the concept as a whole. I was thinking about these things, as well as the relationships of my close friends and family, when I chanced upon a little stone in a garden. The garden was situated out in front of one of these massive high rise apartment buildings right above Washington Square. I just barely noticed the stone in passing. Someone had taken yellow paint and written a little phrase or quote on it. It said,

"Love is like an ocean. Swim in it. But, don't drown."

How serendipitous, I thought. I continued my stoll down 5th avenue and began thinking about this statement. I repeated it in my head a few times. Tried to make sense of it. Tried to understand it. But, the only thing I could think was, what if you don't know how to swim? Who's going to teach you? Everybody has to learn to swim at some point. I would imagine most people have someone to teach them....I certainly did. So, do you need someone to teach you how to love? Can you teach yourself? I suppose some people teach themselves to swim. Maybe you can teach yourself to love. Although, I think falling in love is more of an interactive process. You, and another person....falling in love with each other. I get so overwhelmed by the prospect. Yet, I'm so impatient for it. I start to over think it as soon as I even start hanging out with someone. Who's going to teach me to calm down? Who's going to teach me to love? Who's going to teach me not to drown for that matter? What does that even mean, really? Don't drown yourself in love??? Does that mean too much love is a bad thing? Or, you can lose your sense of self in love? I don't get it. I think I'll know love when it happens, but I wonder if I'll need a little help along the way.

And here I am. Analyzing. I'm a nut.

Any thoughts?