My Fellow Women, Please Don’t Give Up On Love

I know that it is difficult to navigate the pitfalls of hook-up culture. It feels like this exciting world of low consequence — physical relationships have it out for us. We’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t.

It is our enemy and our friend. It is the thing that allows us to bring a guy home, and not talk about it the next morning. But, it’s also the thing that makes us not want to look this person in the eyes the next day when we see him. And this is not from fear of judgment from others, it is from fear of connecting.

It’s the thing that makes us terrified of the word dating, and scoff at the concept of relationships.

We overthink it all. The texts, the glances, the time we spend with someone is all carefully calculated using some algorithm that figures out just the right amount of interest to show. God forbid we show too much interest, it’s akin to a death sentence for the casual nature of “hanging out.” And it is never a “date,” but always “hanging out.”

Well girls, I too, am guilty of this. I am scared of commitment. I am scared of being let down by the realities of a relationship, and the preconceived notions I have of it all being proven untrue. I have an idyllic fantasy of dating, one that tells me I should be head over heels for a person before making any type of commitment.

But in reality, it is not as earth-shattering as it seems. I mean, yes, you are creating an attachment to this person, but it’s just a concept, a title. That is why the word boyfriend ends in “friend,” because first and foremost, he is just your friend.

Many of us share these same frustrations, and most of us just accept them at face value. We think that it just has to be the way that it is. Well, maybe we should stop shying away from commitment, especially if it is something that you find yourself craving. Maybe we need to give it a shot.

Yes, I do realize that dating is not a reality for everyone, given jobs, school, and all of the rest. But if you can, and want to, you should do it. If you meet someone that you relate to in a romantic sense, and the opportunity is there, you should take it.

Maybe all of us should dive headfirst into feeling for others, even considering the risk of being hurt that it poses to us.

Because at the core of vulnerability for another human being is potential. Potential for feelings and connections that would otherwise never have been found. And that’s what our college years are centered around: potential.