171. What's the biggest mistake you've ever made in a relationship?
There’s a well-known quote in A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy where Woody Allen says, “Sex alleviates tension. Love causes it.”
Of course, us neurotic Jews aren’t exactly the best people to get relationship or sex advice from, but Woody does make a good point here. I like sex. I’m willing to go as far as to say that I love it. But I miss it. I don’t have a lot of time for relationships, and as much as I like sex, I’m not a fan of casual sex. While the appeal is there, the instant gratification, it becomes stale after a while and I’m getting to the point in my life where meaningless, no-strings-attached sex just isn’t going to cut it, no matter how good the sex might be.
When you get to my age---43, turning 44 in May---and you’ve no children, have never been married and haven’t held down a serious relationship for over eight years, it’s hard not to wonder where you’re going wrong. I know my job, the amount of hours I put into my work, doesn’t cater for the kind of relationship that a lot of men my age would be willing to have with a woman like me. It’s why I turned to internet dating---I can only try, right? Thing is, I can’t even get that part right, either.
It doesn’t help that I constantly have House on my tail. I can’t count the number of times he’s interrupted phone calls and meetings, even interrupted my time at home in order to get attention---usually for a case he’s working on. If not a case, then it’s purely to be an annoying jackass, because he obsesses over every facet of my life, just like he obsesses over Wilson’s life. He’s even gone to the trouble of interrupting my dates. The jealousy is cute from a distance, but nothing is ever at a distance when it comes to House. So it ends up being nothing but a burden.
I won’t lie: I’ve considered trying my luck with Wilson, even if it was only for sperm donor reasons. He’s handsome, he’s successful, he’s smart, he’s a nice guy. But he’s also House’s best friend, and it seems my entire relationship with Wilson completely revolves around House; every path leads back to House when it comes to Wilson and myself. I've no doubt this fact would stroke House's ego if he ever knew this. Getting involved with Wilson would only mean inevitably getting involved with House, because I know he would insinuate himself into the fold---and I’m sure the whole threesome idea would tickle House pink. But this would be Doomed for failure with a capital D before it even started.
The problem with relationships is that they’re never simple and they’re never easy. There’s the relationship part and the sex part, and if I happen to get one part right I can never seem to get the other right and it quickly falls in on itself. I think it’s a little sad that the only ‘relationship’ I’ve managed to maintain is my one with House---and I can assure you, it’s hardly romantic. I had one night of sex with him two years ago, and he’s still hanging around and always in my face. I’m really not sure whether to be at least somewhat grateful about that, or depressed that my relationship with House is the most successful one I’ve had. It's hard to say whether our one night was a mistake or not: on one hand, he's the only guy that hasn't left. On the other, he's House.
If my relationship with House is the only successful relationship I can put to my name to in eight years, then… that’s just sad.
Dr. Lisa Cuddy; House MD; 635 words.
Of course, us neurotic Jews aren’t exactly the best people to get relationship or sex advice from, but Woody does make a good point here. I like sex. I’m willing to go as far as to say that I love it. But I miss it. I don’t have a lot of time for relationships, and as much as I like sex, I’m not a fan of casual sex. While the appeal is there, the instant gratification, it becomes stale after a while and I’m getting to the point in my life where meaningless, no-strings-attached sex just isn’t going to cut it, no matter how good the sex might be.
When you get to my age---43, turning 44 in May---and you’ve no children, have never been married and haven’t held down a serious relationship for over eight years, it’s hard not to wonder where you’re going wrong. I know my job, the amount of hours I put into my work, doesn’t cater for the kind of relationship that a lot of men my age would be willing to have with a woman like me. It’s why I turned to internet dating---I can only try, right? Thing is, I can’t even get that part right, either.
It doesn’t help that I constantly have House on my tail. I can’t count the number of times he’s interrupted phone calls and meetings, even interrupted my time at home in order to get attention---usually for a case he’s working on. If not a case, then it’s purely to be an annoying jackass, because he obsesses over every facet of my life, just like he obsesses over Wilson’s life. He’s even gone to the trouble of interrupting my dates. The jealousy is cute from a distance, but nothing is ever at a distance when it comes to House. So it ends up being nothing but a burden.
I won’t lie: I’ve considered trying my luck with Wilson, even if it was only for sperm donor reasons. He’s handsome, he’s successful, he’s smart, he’s a nice guy. But he’s also House’s best friend, and it seems my entire relationship with Wilson completely revolves around House; every path leads back to House when it comes to Wilson and myself. I've no doubt this fact would stroke House's ego if he ever knew this. Getting involved with Wilson would only mean inevitably getting involved with House, because I know he would insinuate himself into the fold---and I’m sure the whole threesome idea would tickle House pink. But this would be Doomed for failure with a capital D before it even started.
The problem with relationships is that they’re never simple and they’re never easy. There’s the relationship part and the sex part, and if I happen to get one part right I can never seem to get the other right and it quickly falls in on itself. I think it’s a little sad that the only ‘relationship’ I’ve managed to maintain is my one with House---and I can assure you, it’s hardly romantic. I had one night of sex with him two years ago, and he’s still hanging around and always in my face. I’m really not sure whether to be at least somewhat grateful about that, or depressed that my relationship with House is the most successful one I’ve had. It's hard to say whether our one night was a mistake or not: on one hand, he's the only guy that hasn't left. On the other, he's House.
If my relationship with House is the only successful relationship I can put to my name to in eight years, then… that’s just sad.
Dr. Lisa Cuddy; House MD; 635 words.