Canadian Border Patrol

Ummm... just watch it...



Exactly...

And Now For Something Manly...

I've had this stuck in my head for a few days. Nothing more rugged and manly than a lumberjack...



Oh sigh...

Dating Woes and Frustrations...

Lets be honest, I want to be married! This past weekend I went to California to witness the sealing of Courtney Kennedy (my mission trainer) to Scott Toone. They were married in the Oakland Temple and are going to be living in Manteca California. This weekend, in addition to the many other recent weddings, announced engagements, married siblings, married friends, and romantic comedies, has made me seriously reflect on my dating woes and frustrations!

For starters, I have been on some very choice dates that have included: being voted off of the date by the other couples, being accused of stealing my dates "viagra" pen, paying for the rest of the groups and my own scalped tickets to the play/musical because my date didn't have any money, attending the very painful "Book of Mormon Opera", being ditched at a dance by my date, having to drive my dates borrowed stick shift car because he didn't know how to drive it, being groped in a movie that we snuck into and attacked by a college freshman boy when I was still in high school, being whispered sung to the most cheesy boy band songs you can possibly imagine, seeing two boys I have liked a lot get instantly engaged after one date with me, talking about baseball the entire date (a sport I care nothing about!), watching my date text who knows who the entire date because he so clearly did not want to be there with me, and the list could go on and on and on... The point is, I've had some experiences that are memorable but no where near satisfying.
So as I said before, I've been reflecting on these experiences and thinking about the future. I have some questions...
#1 What do you have to do to get that 2nd date?
#2 Why don't men my age pursue relationships?
#3 Why does dating have to suck so much?!
#4 Why are all of the amazing girls I know still single? (Okay clearly not all of the amazing girls I know because all of my friends are married and I think they're amazing too!)
#5 Why do married people always tell single people to enjoy their freedom when we all know no one wants to be alone?!
Again my list of questions could also go on for a while, but I'll spare you. I believe that there is a great misconception going around that if you commit to someone, someone better might come along. My sisters have used the term "FOMO" to describe a fear of missing out on social events/activities. I believe that my generation is suffering from an even worse kind of FOMO, a fear of missing out on the right person, a better person, a fear of missing the freedom that is gone once you are in a commited relationship, a fear of commiting too fast. Whatever the reasons, there is something severly wrong here.
When two people get along really well, and are attracted to each other and enjoy being around each other wouldn't that imply that a 2nd date would be appropirate? Isn't that insentive enough to pursue something? To see if it could go somewhere? What are these brainless boys waiting for?
I want to be married mainly so I won't have to stay suspended in this hellish time of life, dating or not dating, wondering if something will ever happen while trying to tell myself I'm fine with being single.
Perhaps the bitter overtones of this post have been off putting to you or perhaps you don't have anything to say about my thoughts. If anyone has any comments to add to this I will be happy to read them. In the mean time, I hope that this wedding hunger will subside and I will be able to return to my normal state of focus on school and car problems.