Expiration Dating

Sitting in my living room in my skivvies watching Sex and the City, tossing back craisins when Carrie brings up a really interesting point. What's the point in dating someone when you know it will only be temporary? Rather it be the hot guy you met in college who will return to his home 4,000 miles away when the semester ends or the girl you know will never truly be what you need her to be. Why do we tend to waste our time on things that won't last?

There are two kinds of expiration dates. The first is the "bridge date". Bridge dates are flings akin to the dollar menu or the bag of chips that holds you over until you go out for a really indulgent dinner later on in the night. You have something that won't really fill you up mentally or spiritually but just holds you over a little longer until you find someone who fully satiates your needs and desires. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these kinds of relationships. They help to teach you about yourself and what you need in others. However, I do think it is very important to be careful with these relationships. Be sure that both people involved are aware that it is simply a here and now kind of situation. Don't let your temporary partner begin to feel like it is more than what you truly intend to make it.

The second expiration date is the kind of relationship that romantic comedies thrive on. It is the relationship that you want to work but the cosmic gods of love will never see it through. In the midst of all of your feelings of love something just does not click. It may be that you're both super busy all the time, or that you just don't have enough in common to make it work, but you both know that eventually it will end. Even though you may really love this person. It WILL end. These are the worst. Nothing good comes from these. EVER. More optimistic people would say "At least you learned something". Some lessons should NEVER be learned. Example, I never want to learn the consequences of accidentally throwing away my cell mates toilet paper shrine to Cher. Most people never want to learn what it feels like to find out that love does not conquer all.

So what do you do? Do you avoid these relationships at all costs? Or do we just let life happen? I have come to find that the best bridge date for me is myself. I prefer not to waste time expiration dating when I can be using this time to learn to love myself. And when I am fully ready to love someone else, it will be a relationship that I hope will never expire.