spring in provo

Springtime in Provo. Love is in the air.
Birds are chirping and the sun is shining, right?
I'm sorry to admit that I don't mind the surprise snow too much, because at least that means I don't have to see the couples cuddling on their little blankets in all the nice, grassy areas. People can't seem to keep their hands to themselves in the library, and don't even get me started on the WILK. I find this environment rather exhausting at times. I feel, like Rihanna, that "the lovers need to clear the road."

I am a junior and approaching age 21, with no prospects in the marriage department.
I should be concerned, right?

I should be spending lots of time dating and looking for my eternal companion, right?

Well . . . 

What if I would prefer to hang out with my friends?

What if I would prefer staying home alone and reading to going out?

Heavens, what if I would prefer to study?

I'm not concerned about my lack of dating. At all. In fact, right now I think it's kind of awesome. I can do whatever I want! To quote the Dixie Chicks {I know, I know} I feel "ready to run; all I'm ready to do is have some fun. What's all this talk about love?" I just feel that, at age 20, I don't want to be concerned about dating and marriage. When I meet people I would like them to perhaps ask about my plans after graduation, rather than whether or not I'm dating anyone. I am very much uniterested in any involvement with the male species in the dating capacity. Maybe I will encounter someone who makes me change my mind about that, but it's not looking probable.

I recognize that I have had minimal contact with the strange and alien world that is dating. I understand that dating is an experience, one that I could potentially benefit from. I'm supposed to go out and try on lots of different shoes, or hats {wait, I think that is a career metaphor}, or lids, or flavors, or whichever metaphor you choose. Trying all of these is supposed to help me find out which I like best. Going on lots of dates with lots of different people is supposed to be a good thing, an opportunity for learning and growth.

I'm just not interested. I'm thinking about instituting a new policy. It's called "Just Say NO . . . To Dating." Here's the thing . . .

I don't want to waste a bunch of time with a bunch of frogs. When I look around, most of the guys I see are wicked lame. I'm sure there are good ones out there somewhere; I just wonder where they are hiding. Sure, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and you should give everyone a shot. However, if I'm just really uninterested in ever dating you, why should I waste your money and our time? I have gone on pointless dates in the past simply because I felt I was strangely obligated to go. I used to say, "Well, it could be a good story."

Some of you will remember Duck Boy, the wildlife TA. For those of you who never heard about him, the first day I met him he was wearing a camo hat, a Ducks Unlimited shirt, cargo pants, and camo Crocs. He even has a camo cell phone cover and camo seat covers in his car. {I'm sure those come in very handy while hunting} He's a very nice person, but I could have told you from my first five minutes talking to him that this wasn't going anywhere. So I went out with him one time. It was short, no harm done, decent story. But still, pretty much just a waste.

I guess this is how it often goes. We date some major frogs, we date some nice, charming young men that just aren't the ones for us, and then someday that prince charming, Mr. Right, comes along.

Is it bad that I am just so not interested in dealing with all that? I would prefer for my wonderful man with Patrick Dempsey's hair and Taylor Lautner's muscles, who likes art and music and literature and has a passion for traveling but is still okay with watching lame TV shows and eating McDonald's, who likes yearbooks and ice cream and Thai food, who doesn't expect me to be a fabulous cook, and who shares my dreams to just come along when I am ready for him. I will meet him and say, "Oh, here you are!" and I will avoid negative dating experiences until then. Too bad life doesn't work that way, huh?

Now, as a disclaimer: I'm not really as bitter or cynical as this may sound. I have a lot of things I want to do before I get involved in dating. I'm not very interested right now, but I do have a hope of finding a good man someday. It's not that I don't believe in love or marriage. Of course I do. I love weddings and happy couples {as long as they can stop touching each other for a few minutes} and wedding blogs. I like seeing my married friends and their sweet husbands.

Love is a many-splendored thing and I hope I will someday find my love and live happily ever after . . .

I just don't want to deal with it right now.

I want to get through my killer semesters 

of Spanish and Chemistry,

and get into PA school.