When two people meet and romantic interest begins to bud, the natural instinct is to get to know one another better, right?
The irony is, this instinct is wrong.
My roommate is dating a nice gal he met on the interweb and they are enamored with each other. I gazed with a twinkle in my eye as each told me privately how great the other was, and how cool, how cute. I waited.
Now, don’t get me wrong. They are both lovely people. But I couldn’t help but wonder, how much time would it take for them to become old cynical, perpetually annoyed crones like me and my boyfriend?
I love my boyfriend dearly. But after knowing him intimately for about six years now, we are, to a large extent, on autopilot. I know how he likes his in-n-out burger (animal style, whole grilled onion) and he knows how many basketball games in a row he can watch before I yell at him. Synergy. Harmony.
When two people first start dating, they don’t know the limits of the other person yet. Their patience, their annoying habits, and their breaking points, and this is what makes things exciting. Who knows how she will react when you don’t want to pay for dinner? Let’s find out!
Once these limitations become clear, the mystery is evaporates, and all we are left with is another imperfect, confused human who thought we had all the answers.
Is there a way to prolong this initial stage of euphoria and unconditional interest? It’s possible that only Madonna and those with multiple personality disorder have it all figured out: reinvention.
So when my boyfriend comes home, I’ll suggest we get haircuts and try somewhere new for dinner. That’s the best I can do.
