The leaves know when to fall, the rain knows when to pour, and the sun knows when to rise. So why don’t people naturally understand the difference between ‘Mr./Ms. Right’ and ‘Mr./Ms. Right Now?’
When speaking with students who are close to graduation, they all seem to have begun to take a serious stance concerning relationships; starting to feel that relationship itch. As I began to contemplate this issue of choosing to be in a relationship I couldn’t help but wonder, “are we looking for Mr./Ms. Right Now or Mr./Ms. Right?”
With freshmen and sophomores, most of the population is either single – trying to experience everything the social college life has to offer – or were in a long-distance relationship that ultimately sent them a one-way ticket to singles’ town anyway. But by the time students enter their junior and senior years it is assumed that it is time to stop running the streets and find somebody, although it seems the people found are just to pass the time.
“They know the person they are currently with is nowhere near marriage or long-term relationship material,” my friend said. “It seems as though people are just in relationships in an effort to not feel so lonely, so they stay with someone just for the sake of being able to say they are in a relationship.”
Actions such as these can be detrimental to the person on the end who is not “marriage material.” What are they supposed to do once their significant other graduates, or finally finds the “one” they really want to be with?
As a student heading into my senior year in the fall, I have seen countless men and women semi-dedicate themselves to relationships they all knew had no real foundation. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard students preferring Mr./Ms. Right Now because the “right one” requires too much time and hard work.
“We are a microwave generation, we want everything fast and when we want it,” a junior nursing student said. “People get upset when relationships don’t work out, but if we had taken the time to get to know them we would have known they were not for us to begin with.”
She said participating in relationships like this will result in someone’s feelings being hurt in the long run.
Here is a tip: If you are in a relationship you know holds no real merit for long-term status, please re-evaluate your decision. It is just wrong to string people along just so you can fill a void in your life.
Though at times it can garner laughs from friends when telling or hearing stories about stringing people along, it is not the honorable thing to do.
Just be patient. As the famous cliché goes, “there is someone for everybody.”
Katrelle Simmons is a junior English education student from Orlando. She can be reached at simmons_katrelle@yahoo.com.