Relationships

I recently had a male friend come to me and ask "Why do girls you ignore ‘love ya’ and the ones you show attention to, take it for granted?"  With his encouragement, I thought this was a great blog topic!!!  How many times do we wish we could understand the other sex?  I'm going to go ahead and say at least once a day.  Whether it is regarding relationships, fashion, sports, food selections, sense of humor, etc., we all wonder why the other sex does the things they do.

Am I an expert on relationships and the differences between the two sexes?  HECK NO!  My degree is in business!  I do have a complete and utter fascination with the differences and similarities between the two sexes.  Because of this, I have done plenty of my own research.  Books that I have read include (but are not listed in any particular order): 

1. Become Your Own Matchmaker: 8 Easy Steps for Attracting Your Perfect Mate by Patti Stranger (You may know this author from the show Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo.) 
2. Wild At Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul by John Eldredge
3. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge
4. Women are from Mars, Men are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex by John Gray
5. He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt (There was a movie based on this book.)
6. Men, Love & Sex: The Complete Users Guide for Women by David Zinczenko

Not to mention excerpts from other books, countless articles found in print and web magazines, nights spent journaling, on the phone w/ girlfriends and even guy friends analyzing what happened, what I did wrong or what they did wrong.  Plenty of relationships to reference...  I'm not saying that every relationship is the exact same but relationships have certain aspects that will occur regardless of who is in it.  PS - I will not air out dirty laundry from my past relationships.  I don’t think that would help anyone at all.  I will say that when it comes to male/female relationships, I was a late bloomer.  I didn’t get any guidance from family which can be considered a blessing and a curse.  At least I can say that I have figured this one out on my own and at my own pace.  I dated two guys in high school, a couple serious relationships throughout college and several “relationships” that took place out of boredom.  I was and still can be a terrible flirt.  I’ve messed with guys’ heads and broke a few hearts.  I’ve dated a few good guys and quite a few duds.  Every step of the process has led me to where I am today.  Everything has happened for a reason.  I have gained knowledge and experience from it all.

Please do not misinterpret, I’m not bragging at all!  I’m merely trying to explain that I feel justified in writing about relationships because I have experienced almost the full spectrum with exception of engagement, marriage, and divorce.  Everyone develops and matures at their own speed.  I again, have chosen to take the longer road.  Had you told me in high school that I would still be single at 25, I would have laughed.  My plan was to go to college, meet some guy, fall in love and then we would marry once we were both finished.  HA!  After 5.5 years of higher education and working for about 2.5 years, I’m not close to marriage.  Yes, I am currently dating someone and everything is chugging along.  No wedding bells chiming though.  Enough said.

Before I start spewing my opinions, if you choose to disagree, that is your prerogative.  Please be respectful of my writings.  I have already claimed to be no authority on the subject.  I am merely giving opinions based on research and observation.

Now you'll have to come back for some of my sage advice in "Relationships 2." :)


“In your life, you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some, you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do.”