Girl: “Are we, like exclusive?”
Boy: “I don’t know…why put a label on us?
G: “Well, what do I introduce you as?”
B: “Your friend. What? We don’t need to complicate things with labels”
G:
B: “What we have is good.” (puts hands on girl’s thigh)
G:
Sigh. There should be a statistic as to how often this conversation happens across the country per hour. Not that long ago the title between single and married was boyfriend/girlfriend. For a short time preceding that title it was said that so and so were “seeing each other”. Not anymore. Exclusivity is no longer assumed after having 5-7 solid dates. Broaching this delicate topic becomes even more troubling for the girl as she logs onto her dating profile to place it in sleep mode only to find that he was active 25 minutes ago. These blurred lines lead to insecurity and potential infidelity if one of the pair doesn’t know how the other views them. It’s confusing and a romance buzzkill. The amount of stress to bring up the label topic is monumental as it puts you in a vulnerable position. If he is not there yet, his interpretation may be that you are needy and unnecessarily rushing the progression. The hesitation on the girl’s part can lead her to not be honest with him on how she feels about the status of the relationship, making the guy assume that she is ok with not labeling where they are at.
This trend has become exasperating as it further complicates the whole committment process in a relationship. The days of falling in love and being wooed have been tossed away. Back in the day, whereabouts and statuses weren’t public, we had the gift of oblivion. Whereas nowadays there is a geo-locator on every move we make. With all this being said, we still believe in honesty in a relationship. But more so than that, it’s important to be honest and true to yourself. Have the conversation, as difficult as it may be. Regardless of the outcome, you will be okay.
