Having thrown myself back into the online dating circus, I’m starting to believe I agree with what has been written on dating applications and how they influence today’s view on relationships. … I’m telling you, there is not a single soul out there! Well, there are plenty of souls out there, just none of them appears to be actually single. I am rather a ‘freedom for all & to each his own’ kind of guy and although it’s none of my business how other people like their eggs, when it affects my chances at romance, I do start to mind.
Sure, I understand there are couples out there that like to swing, that are just looking to add a little extra fun to the existing mix or that are simply trying to establish their individual market value. All of which is fine by me, but whereas having an open relationship used to be more of a random occurrence, it now seems to have become the new normal. And though I fully understand couples in long-term relationships wanting to spice it up, diverge from the menu and stepping out for a bite every once in a while, it confuses me to see 24-year olds that find themselves in an open relationship after dating only a few months. To me, that’s just silly….
Some people say it’s the way the world works nowadays, some say it’s a natural development or some even call it a trend. But it’s not a trend, is it? Trends pass… or at least they’re supposed to. This, however, is starting to become more like a phenomenon. A phenomenon that for reasons nobody truly understand seems to keep gaining popularity and is apparently impossible to get rid of…. Like Uggs.
As time passes, the ocean that was once full of eligible men is rapidly getting smaller and smaller and has now reached proverbial proportions: it really is the pond we fish in. And a rather dried up one at that. Why would you throw your rod – pun intended – back into the pond when you already have a seemingly perfect fish hooked on it? That’s hardly fair on the fish and it certainly isn’t fair on the other fishermen.
In a way it reminds me of the job market. Before, we only had to worry about other lone predators, hunting for a piece of the action. Now, the whole world is our competition! Even people with permanent positions are gunning for those very few job openings that are left. Maybe that’s just it: people are so afraid to get rid of the old before they have something new in their professional lives, that this fear transcends into their personal lives. Just like they hold on to their fixed contracts, most people seem unwilling to let go of their set relationships until something new opens up. The scary part is they might be on to something, as apparently being taken and unavailable seems to dramatically increase your appeal. On future employers and prospect lovers alike.
Though I am looking for a job, I don’t feel I am looking for the love of my life.. per se. Maybe it’s just the holiday season that is making me more susceptible to romance and new relationships, maybe I’m simply bored of the darkness and the cold nights or who knows, maybe I actually do want a boyfriend…
All I know for sure is that I would prefer it if it wasn’t already someone else’s!
The World of Mathiz 