Crazy Complicated Current Courtship

I have a memory from when I was about thirteen. I was at the Marshall County Fair. I stood next to her in line, she was so friendly and pretty with her green eyes and blonde curly hair. She smiled and laughed as we talked. It was simple attraction. Her name was Michelle. I asked her to ride with me, and we whirled through the air screaming and laughing and being alive. If you liked someone, you smiled, you looked into her eyes, you held hands maybe.

Today it's like a train wreck combined with a natural disaster along with a volatile hostage negotiation involving evil flying baboons. (Why yes, I did just see Oz.)

Photoshopped in 4 minutes. I even timed myself.

What the hell is going on?

This is what I imagine should happen. I meet someone, we feel comfortable together. We feel an attraction. We laugh, we talk, we spend more time together. It feels natural and joyful. I can see it right there in my mind -- so why doesn't it ever happen? Why instead is everything so complicated? It's a mess of what "phase" people are in life. "I'm just not looking for a relationship right now." "I just broke up with someone." "I'm focusing on my career." "I'm too toxic for you." Why do we restrict when love can happen? You could miss the love of your life just because you were worried about a job for a few months.

Not only that, these days you have to prove you're not a stalker/rapist/player/jerk. I understand there should be a degree of caution. However I don't feel like I should start in the category of "serial killer" and have to move my way up the continuum.

Sometimes I make it up to the Evil Creep stage!

Teen Steve

People are just so suspicious now. I feel like everything I say is scrutinized to see if it in some way could be interpreted as "homicidal tendencies." Everyone is so suspicious and scared -- to the point where a girl will stay with a terrible guy because she is afraid the next one will be even worse. I know some people who have just given up on dating because it's so difficult and painful. Heck, I even stepped back after that bad experience with Lady Gray. Without rambling on too much more, there's about a thousand other complications and troubles and difficulties that come up. I never thought I'd say that I miss being thirteen. If anyone just wants to laugh and smile and love without all these complications, let me know, I'll be here next to the Ferris wheel.