A great Valentine’s Day piece by William Raspberry in the Washington Post today. Sadly, what Raspberry describes is largely how ‘dating’ (or something vaguely analogous to it) happens today. This informal ‘hooking up’ in lieu of ‘courting’ is why people like me—who value real relationships—have so much trouble finding romantic fulfillment in High School or College (you’ll see my expansive commentary on this in verse form when my poetry section returns).
With rare exception, my pre-Melissa relationships fizzled out (or, in a few cases, imploded spectacularly) as soon as the girl-in-question realized that I was interested in more than an occasional informal date. While both terms imply more than what I mean by them in this context, I was interested in ‘courting’ them and they—if they were interested in anything—merely wanted to ‘hook up.’
- Love’s Dying Ritual (Washington Post, free registration may be required).