Dating and "Hooking Up"

The world would not exist without dating. Yes, the sun would keep shining, plants would keep growing, babies would be made but not out of love for one's partner. Dating allows us to practice for a long term relationship. It enables us to learn the amount of work needed to keep a relationship strong and loving. It teaches us what we like and dislike in a potential mate and lets us know what to do in a future relationship to prevent repeating mistakes. Without practice, how can we improve? If we never dated, how could we find the one we love and then keep them? We need dating otherwise the relationships with the people we love would crumble and marriages would break apart. I believe that many people feel the way that I do as I know people who date and have no intention of marrying their boyfriend/girlfriend. In my opinion, hooking up does not accomplish the same things as dating. Hook ups are often a once or twice thing and very rarely result in a relationship. Hooking up may teach us a little about ourselves, but it doesn't necessarily teach us what we look for in an ideal spouse.

Love Story Response

This relationship has shown me that every relationship should be filled with reciprocity, love, trust, and honesty. I have learned that even if something does not work the first time around does not mean that it could never work. I love "chick flicks" and "chick lits"and love stories but my parent's is definitely my favorite. I often get secondhand embarrassment from movies and books but there is no embarrassment from my parent's story. On screen, many relationships need some dramatic event to bring the couple together. Many celebrity couples get divorced- look at Kim Kardashian. Even celebrity couples who have been together for years are not immune to the divorce bug.

The love song I chose that connects with the love story I have shared is True Companion by Mark Cohn. This is the song my parents danced to at their wedding. The lines "don't you dare and try to walk away I've got my heart set on our wedding day. I've got this vision of a girl in white, made my decision that its you, alright" make me laugh because it took my dad three tries to finally get my mom. I believe that the song is more than finding a romantic/sexual relationship, it is about finding a friend that you can spend forever with.

Love Songs

Some of my favorite songs are about love even though the genre tends to vary greatly.

1. Arabella by the Arctic Monkeys- this song is one of my all time favorites. I just love the lyrics
 "My days end best when the sunset gets itself behind that little lady sitting on the passenger side. It's much less picturesque without her catching the light. The horizon tries but it's just not as kind on the eyes as Arabella". I can't really explain why I love it so much. It's relatable and Alex Turner (the lead singer) is an amazing singer.

2. Girls by The 1975- This song speaks directly to the stereotypical teenage relationship where someone is looking for another person to save him or her from the boring life he or she is living. The lyrics "I know you're looking for salvation in the secular age but girl I'm not your savior" speaks to the inability of a teenager to be an entire support system for another teenager- it is difficult to do on one's own.

3. Wherever You Are by 5 Seconds of Summer- (I get to see this band in concert next April!!!) This song is about having to leave someone you love but it does not have to be taken romantically. The song can be related to any separation between people who love each other- friends who live far away, family members at home while you are away at college. The lyrics "Torn in two and I know I shouldn't tell you but I just can't stop thinking of you, wherever you are" relates to the pain felt from a large separation between two people.

4. Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones- this song is about loving someone no matter what. "Wild horses couldn't drag me away" is saying that no matter what, this person will always love you.

5. Laughter Lines by Bastille- This song speaks about growing apart and coming back together in a few years time. To me, it seemed especially relevant as many of us will be going to college next year and meeting new people. Despite this separation, "I'll see you in the future when we're older and we are full of stories to be told. Cross my heart and hope to die, I'll see you with your laughter lines."

In my own dating life, I seek trust, honesty, respect, laughter, and commitment. In music, I see all these aspects in the emotions evoked and the meaning behind the lyrics. I believe that the quest for a soul mate isn't so much a quest as it is serendipitously found. I have this belief because of the books I have read, the movies I've seen, and the relationships I have witnessed all around me.