today's gems class was interesting: we were told to come up with challenges that men and women face in relationships, and commitment sprang immediately into my mind, which surprisingly wasn't mentioned, so maybe it's just me.
but to me, the commitment of time, resources, energy in a relationship is just enormous and almost scary.
once attached, a guy is - but of course - no longer single, and no longer free to swing as he pleases and many decisions now have to made with considerations to one's partner.
then there're the "expected" activities like spending time together (normally spells s, h, o, p, p, i, n, g), celebrating velatine's day, the remembering of anniversaries, or worse, a relatively new word to me - monthsaries (as if one day a year isn't quite taxing enough, there're now, horrors, 12 days.).
i understand where several of my friends are coming from, choosing to remain single, or a few of the younger ones, to remain as friends and not take the leap into hitherto uncharted and unfamiliar territory.
because really, the freedom of being single contrasts sharply against those married or in serious relationships.
singles can blow their money on our transformers toys, on our computer games, on our hobbies without someone constantly reminding us of our finances (yet that very financial adviser can somehow reason the purchase of the 300th pair of shoes that she doesn't need).
i've friends who, at a moment's notice, can pack up and head to malaysia for the weekend with their friends for either golf, or go-karting, or paintball, or apply for leave in the middle of april (beacuse got less people he says) and go skiing in korea, or head to batam for cable-skiing with no concerns.
yet you have to be lucky to be able to get friends who are married out to play football, or for that matter, a meal, a month in advance.
so hell, girls, appreciate your guy for it really is a huge thing for him to commit, akin to being in ns (almost), seriously, and try and cut him some slack, even as you eye (and subsequently buy) your 301st pair of shoes not needed.