Courtships

Romantic love is an incredible thing: the lighting is perfect, the music incredibly poignant, and everybody's lips are perfectly moisturized.

But eventually the lighting shifts, the music skips, and somebody's breath could be a bit fresher.

Courting is the negotiation of plausible mates, the formation of a potential partnership. The process of coming to any sort of agreement requires that eventually everything ends up on the table, and the most consistent rule of that process is the complete lack of rules. Expectations are dashed, bars lowered, and a great many rationalizations are necessary during the dance.

In the end, the only thing that really matters is choice. If both parties elect to try-- and to keep trying-- the relationship continues. It seems so simple in concept; the couple just chooses to wake up another day to continue gleefully poking and prodding in each other’s lives. Yet if that choice isn’t made with equal effort from both parties, the dance of courtship becomes a chase and people end up hurt in such pursuits.

Better to avoid these things entirely, yes?

--Stubber of Toes, Model of Lip Moisture