Let me just say...

I am not bitter. I am actually in a very healthy, non-committed, open and honest dating situation. Okay, so I'm indecisive but I am not bitter. I am cautiously optimistic. I love LOVE. I think it's great. Most of the people I love, are in love with someone. In fact, every female I'm friends with is either married or in a relationship and I think that it's great. I was not condemning LOVE in my prior blog but rather deciphering the real from the fake. In my very healthy, non-committed, open and honest dating situation I feel completely comfortable. He treats me like a lady and I respect him for the MAN that he is. There is no pressure and therefore, no expectations. He tells it to me straight and vice-versa. None of this, 'I can't breathe without you' crap. Of course he can breathe without me. He functioned just fine before I came along and I expect he'll do just fine whether I stay or go. No expectations..no drama...no problem. (It helps that we have a connection and find each other extremely attractive.)
I say this now in the throngs of the "beginning". The "beginning" is the stage in all relationships when you're floating on adrenaline and that uncontrollable human desire to be close to someone. That's the stage where, if you're not careful, you can make promises you never intend to keep. Happens all the time. People are together for a few weeks and they believe the sun rises and sets with the object of their affection. The "middle" is when the fire starts to sputter and the masks all come down. Shoes start dropping all over the place. Baggage gets brought out into the living room and thrown open for the unpacking. Pet-peeves start to frustrate and before you know it you're at "the end". Now, "the end" can go one of two ways. Either the "middle" was difficult but worth it and you get married [this is a broad term including those who share health insurance], living happily ever after. (Not factoring in those who marry and then divorce...that falls under category two as far as I'm concerned.) Or the "middle" was just enough of an eye opener to teach you what you don't want in a relationship and you cut and run.
There are few exceptions to this "cycle". One is, what I like to call, the SUCKER PUNCH. This is when something comes out of left-field and hits you square between the eyes. This can happen at any of the aforementioned stages. The test of a true relationship is surviving the SUCKER PUNCH. If you have ever been hit with this, you know what I mean. However, there is a chance that there were signs an SP was coming and we, as hopeful humans, ignore them. The character of a person can be assessed in his/her ability to get back up from one of these knock outs.

That is my two cents on relationships.

I believe in LOVE but only the love that stands through the tests of life...and, sorry John Mayer, if you're gonna feed me a bunch of whiny crap you are not the man for me. Years ago you would have been but that's what these "cycles" teach us.

Keep movin' on up!