And we're back! With posts on RELATIONSHIPS

We apologize for the brief hiatus we went on. But we’re back and better than ever!

Len’s comment on my last post posed this very good question:

What should a “relationship” be?

Duncan and I both thought this was a really intriguing question. What is a relationship? Especially for high schoolers. Is it just like being friends plus a little more or is it beyond that?

Of course, the person you are in a relationship with is a good friend, or else they wouldn’t be your boyfriend/girlfriend. I think being in a relationship is like having a best friend of the opposite sex (or the same sex, if you prefer). But at the same time, he/she has to be more of a friend.

I have to say before I state any more opinions that I am usually single, so I have little knowledge of how relationships really are. Most of my experience/insight into this will have to come from media and people I’ve talked to.

I think that the person you are in a relationship with should be someone you love spending time with and who loves spending time with you. There has to be emotional and physical attraction, good conversation, laughter, and fun. I think if you seriously lack any of those, your relationship is seriously lacking. But really, this person is just a friend that you’re attracted to. You can’t have a relationship with someone you’re not attracted to, even if they are a friend, and you can’t have a relationship with someone you’re attracted to if they are not a friend.

But, between being just friends and bf/gf, there has to be a difference somewhere. I don’t think just slapping on the title of boyfriend or girlfriend constitutes a relationship. And here I can segue into another topic that bothers me so much. I hate the way high school and especially middle school dating usually works. And that is: boy likes girl, girl likes boy, boy asks girl, “will you go out with me,” meaning “be my girlfriend,” girl says yes, boy is boyfriend, girl is girlfriend. When really, it should be dating, getting closer, being inexclusive at first, and then easing into a relationship.

Relationships that aren’t too serious are probably more fun. Because honestly, how many relationships last out of high school? The chances of getting married and staying together forever, or even past graduation, college, etc, are very slim, so I think relationships are about having fun. But also creating a really strong bond, stronger than friendship.

Len said that he doesn’t think relationships are about having someone there for you, that that’s what friends are for. While I agree with this, I just like the romantic idea that the person you love is the person that’s always there. If this is the person who you chose to be your boyfriend or girlfriend, you know they care about you enough to cheer you up, offer advice, support you and all that jazz. I think they should appreciate you more and therefore be more apt to help you. I think friends take friends for granted more than boyfriends and girlfriends take for granted eachother.

One more thing. Like I said, relationships should be fun, especially for our age. They shouldn’t be more important than other people and things you love in your life, but they should be an important part. If you put your relationship as number one to the extreme and disregard other things, I would say you are taking it way to seriously and you’re only going to screw yourself over in the end. Have a good time.

Oh and, Duncan probably mentioned this already, but if you would like to contribute, email your Guest Contribution Post to me if you’re a girl and to Duncan if you’re a guy, and we’ll post it for you with the proper heading. Also include the name you’d like us to identify you as, and possibly your age and/or location.