(no subject)
When I grasped my acceptance letter in my hands, I felt as if I was holding the key to my blissful future life. Keys are magical; they are inherently designed to open doors, but don’t forget that they often lock them as well. As I unlocked my door in Wise for the first time, I could feel my door back home being locked. As I started forming relationships with people on campus, I could feel my old friends drifting away. That’s when it hit me: the same person who gave me the confidence to come to move-in day with a smile and an open personality was starting to slip from the forefront of my life and into the back seat of my mind.
Like so many others, I was caught in the middle of a dispute. My body was alive and well in Wise, but my heart was still back home. What is a person to do when they would prefer to envision every atom in someone’s body rather than enjoy the freedom all around them? I was being bombarded from every direction with resistance from others about my long distance relationship, along with temptations from vixens previously seen only in Greek tragedies.
From others I had observed two major ways to deal with this dilemma. The first is to belittle your own emotions, so they have less value to you while on campus. After that, you may freely frolic with the opposite sex and enjoy life. This option looks extremely promising; it appears to be all the fun with half the calories. However, once you make a phone call or get a caring message, you maybe remember just how strong your old emotions really are. At that point you’re caught between guilt and lust: do you continue halfheartedly, cut all ties, or take the time to reaffirm your emotions? I’m not here to tell you how to think even if this is the “Opinions” section - if you’re unhappy with a relationship, end it. However, if you see hope, or a future that you want to pursue, I can say it’s possible to find a medium to live and love in.
Having already crashed and burned with the first route, I took a glance down the second. Unfortunately, option number two is equally unimpressive. It consists of sitting in your dorm room being far too somber for my liking and planning your day around when you will hear from your significant other next. Yes, this means you are the kid that doesn’t go to the party on Friday night just because your boyfriend or girlfriend might - just might - call you. Neither existence gave me what I wanted from my campus life or my personal life. I began wondering to myself: ‘Is it really this difficult to keep a relationship alive when half is at college, and the other is back at home or somewhere else?”
The answer is “no”. It is not complicated to make a relationship work with such restrictions. It only takes a few minutes to make a phone call to remind someone how much you care. With e-mail, instant messaging and the traditional postal service, there are so many ways to stay in contact and stay in love. Time apart can sometimes even strengthen a relationship, reminding both parties why they cared so much in the first place. The hardest part about a long-distance relationship is perseverance. For most people, the convenience of dating that girl in Philosophy 235 is just too much temptation. Why fight with the distance, the loneliness and all the pain that comes along when you can be with someone you see every day? I’m not sure why myself, but I’m starting to figure it out.
So, do you have to say goodbye before you ever say hello? I’ll leave that up to you - you’re holding the keys.
Like so many others, I was caught in the middle of a dispute. My body was alive and well in Wise, but my heart was still back home. What is a person to do when they would prefer to envision every atom in someone’s body rather than enjoy the freedom all around them? I was being bombarded from every direction with resistance from others about my long distance relationship, along with temptations from vixens previously seen only in Greek tragedies.
From others I had observed two major ways to deal with this dilemma. The first is to belittle your own emotions, so they have less value to you while on campus. After that, you may freely frolic with the opposite sex and enjoy life. This option looks extremely promising; it appears to be all the fun with half the calories. However, once you make a phone call or get a caring message, you maybe remember just how strong your old emotions really are. At that point you’re caught between guilt and lust: do you continue halfheartedly, cut all ties, or take the time to reaffirm your emotions? I’m not here to tell you how to think even if this is the “Opinions” section - if you’re unhappy with a relationship, end it. However, if you see hope, or a future that you want to pursue, I can say it’s possible to find a medium to live and love in.
Having already crashed and burned with the first route, I took a glance down the second. Unfortunately, option number two is equally unimpressive. It consists of sitting in your dorm room being far too somber for my liking and planning your day around when you will hear from your significant other next. Yes, this means you are the kid that doesn’t go to the party on Friday night just because your boyfriend or girlfriend might - just might - call you. Neither existence gave me what I wanted from my campus life or my personal life. I began wondering to myself: ‘Is it really this difficult to keep a relationship alive when half is at college, and the other is back at home or somewhere else?”
The answer is “no”. It is not complicated to make a relationship work with such restrictions. It only takes a few minutes to make a phone call to remind someone how much you care. With e-mail, instant messaging and the traditional postal service, there are so many ways to stay in contact and stay in love. Time apart can sometimes even strengthen a relationship, reminding both parties why they cared so much in the first place. The hardest part about a long-distance relationship is perseverance. For most people, the convenience of dating that girl in Philosophy 235 is just too much temptation. Why fight with the distance, the loneliness and all the pain that comes along when you can be with someone you see every day? I’m not sure why myself, but I’m starting to figure it out.
So, do you have to say goodbye before you ever say hello? I’ll leave that up to you - you’re holding the keys.