Issue 2: "Relationship Responsibility"
Picture of Peter and Ben Parker provided by http://www.decal.org/start-a-course/uc-policies/
“With great power
comes great responsibility,” said Ben Parker, uncle to the one and only Peter
Parker.
That infamous
quote echoes in my mind for various reasons as I sit at my usual booth at
Panera Bread. Ben Parker’s words relate not only to life as we know it, but can
be specifically applied to relationships and the responsibilities that come
with them.
Peter Parker is
your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, capable of capturing the heart of any
woman in New York City, or the world for that matter. That kind of womanizing
power comes with a responsibility and an obligation of respect.
“In all honesty,”
said Bryan Muñoz, a soon to be rat at the Virginia Military Institute,
“Now-a-days, [relationships] are either taken too seriously or not seriously
enough.”
When a man gains
a woman’s affection, he gains a womanizing power similar to that of Peter
Parker’s. A boyfriend has a persuasive charm over the girl who admires him, and
this power can be abused and used to convince the girl to do something she
otherwise never would have considered.
When I was in my sophomore year of high school, I fell head
over heels for a cute senior. Not thinking I would ever have a chance with him,
we just became really good friends. He became one of my best friends, actually.
I could talk to him about anything, and I began to wonder how I even functioned
prior to having him to go to.
After a while of
our laid-back, fun friendship, said boy found out that I liked him and decided
to tell me that it was mutual. He had me wrapped around his finger from day
one, and the next two weeks of my life consisted of being on cloud 9 and using
any excuse to talk to him. I thought for sure I had hit some impossible stroke
of luck and gotten this faultless guy. Every time I saw or thought about him,
trying to contain the butterflies that overwhelmed me felt like trying to cram
1,000 monarch butterflies into the smallest jar you can imagine. The day he
asked me on a date was unquestionably the most elated I’d ever been. Our date
was scheduled for that Friday, and no connotation of excited could compare to
how I felt the week leading up to it. I had a constant overwhelming lightness
and happiness that, I couldn’t deny, revolved around him and his existence in
my life.
The Wednesday
before we were supposed to go out, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed
when I saw a picture that completely crushed me and any morsel of self esteem I
may have had. On the glowing screen in my hand was a picture of him and his
ex-girlfriend, who was now apparently his girlfriend again, staring at me.
I was crushed.
More than that, I was destroyed. Every single butterfly in that tiny jar caught
fire as my anger welled up inside of me. I became so mad that my eyes got foggy
and my face literally radiated heat. I could feel my heart pumping faster,
sending blood rushing through my veins faster than race cars on a track. I
couldn't comprehend the situation as the irritation and hurt in my stomach
built up. What had happened to Friday night? Was I just supposed to see that
picture and assume that it was cancelled? I’d gotten charmed and disillusioned,
but the worst part was that, despite my anger, I still couldn’t help hoping
that they would break up and he would return to being mine.
It’s safe to say
that said boy had not come to terms with the responsibility that comes with
winning a girl over. While having feelings for her may be important, sometimes
hormones and ego can counteract a boy’s mind.
“Some teenage
boys have a good head on their shoulders,” said Muñoz. “Unfortunately, all
teenage boys have a more influential head between their legs.”
Most boys will
grow out of their immature dating patterns and eventually comprehend the
responsibility that comes with a relationship, but until then it is best to
evade them and their insanely high level of testosterone altogether. This has
been my Daily Bagel.
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