The Relationship Countdown

So here's a plight: the unceasing heartache brought on by the all-too-frequent lop-sided relationship.

My very first relationship of any serious proportions occurred when I was 18 and lasted until I was 20. This was Charlie. I went into this relationship with tremendous faith, completely ignorant of a certain pattern that was to emerge within all my subsequent relationships (present one excluded). I think it happens to a lot of people and will never stop.

About one month into our relationship, I couldn't have been more positive that this was the man I was going to marry. Modern relationship wisdom kept me from expressing this until much further in, but it was nevertheless there. I still remember the first time he made me cry. We were lying in bed, and I can't remember what I said, but it was something pointing us in the direction of the future. He said something completely without hesitation, and seemingly without any clue as to its weight on my heart. "What, do you really think we're going to grow old together?" It was said in a sarcastic manner as to say such a notion was ridiculous. I told him that when you were in that mentality, your relationship becomes a countdown of just waiting for it to end. If I had known then what I know now, I would have ended that relationship right then. I would have been able to recognize that thoughts of a long term commitment would be fruitless within this union.

Other people in my history, however, came to this conclusion at some point during the relationship, but failed to clue me in. They came to this realization (or maybe knew all along), but stayed in the relationship. I, on the other hand, saw no signs of deterioration and kept on progressing my feelings. In a perfect world, when one person was in a relationship and realized that this was not the person they were meant to be with, they would end it, then and there. It is completely cowardly to keep that information to yourself when you can tell that the other person's feelings are only getting stronger.