3 Things: Thing 3

AJ Teaters

3 Things: Thing 3

I remember a time, not too long ago when boys and girls were allowed to talk to each other without fear of being labeled "a couple".

I have a dream where this is a possibility again. I have a dream where teenage boys and teenage girls will not be pressured into an unnecessary relationship. I have a dream where relationship status updates will have a "dating" option. I have a dream where peer pressure, perception and society will not rule the relationships of our Tweens and Teens. I have a dream that this fine nation will one day see the abolishment of co-dependent, no-dependent alliances between boys and girls. I have a dream that "dating" will one day resurface as a time where people get to know each other and not a time where others define their relationship for them. I HAVE A DREAM!

Where did this come from? Recently I have noticed that like-minded teens are throwing around a very 19th century term, "courting". First let me preface this with the fact that I'm not that old, regardless of what the teenagers say. I remember when (yeah that made me sound old, but is there a better way to produce a flashback in writing) I was in high school I "dated" girls, (I also walked to school uphill... both ways... in the snow... without shoes... while rabid neighborhood dogs chewed off my toes... carrying a huge metal pole during a lightning storm... yes it can lightning during a snow storm... then I had to cross a bed of hot coals to enter all my classrooms... my teachers would scald us with hot tar if we answered a question wrong... whilst sticking rocks in our mouths to help us with our pronunciation...) nevertheless I "dated" girls. My whole concept of dating was to get to know girls that I found attractive for whatever reason I did (physical, intellectual, personality, etc.) What I was looking for were things that I found desireable, not necessarily looking for someone I was going to marry, but looking for characteristics that I would want in someone that I would marry.


This is the major difference I see in courtship and dating:

Courtship:

If you're going to court you might as well dress the part

1. strictly supervised by a parent or approved chaperone at all times
2. speaking is limited to correspondence
3. high collars and long dresses
4. positioning a your fan the right way (Funny Post for further fan flirting reading)
5. lacking trust

Dating:

1. unsupervised time to get to know the 'real' person
2. speaking can be done in person, text, phone, facebook, twitter, tumblr (not MySpace, that's where all the whores are!)
3. normal clothes
4. no fans
5. parental trust

I can see why there is such a giant swing back to courtship, a few too many teenage pregnancies will sour anybody's punch bowl, but if kids nowadays actually "dated" they would be better off. All I know is that the common perception associated with dating is this conversation:

Moron teenager 1: "Hey did you hear Xander and Bella are dating?"

Moron teenager 2: "Really?! I knew they liked each other, but now they're together?"

Moron teenager 1: "Yep, totally and exclusively each others. They're both off the market."

Moron teenager 2: "Huh... Wonder what they're gonna name their kids?"

Teenagers are already under the impression that they are in a committed "adult" relationship because they used the word dating, therefore they can handle everything that goes along with that type of relationship. Obviously the only thing that comes to mind is  

 SEX

So what we need is a better value associated with dating. It's not meant to be an orgy of sex, drugs and rock n' roll. From my understanding it's supposed to be a time where 2 people can get to know each other without the piano of marriage hanging over their heads.

  
STOP HATING ON DATING.