I know what you’re thinking… and the answer is no, I do not believe in male superiority (because that the piece is written by a guy is not why I chose it... get the first sentence now?). This piece actually spoke to me the most because, despite what many women feel, men actually are intelligent life forms as well with the ability to conjure up these emotions. Believe me, I have had a somewhat similar experience concerning a friend this last summer. I had met a girl about a year and a half ago at some social gathering near my home in Cincinnati. She was friendly and I really did enjoy her company and attention, even though she was from xxx (location undefined for security purpose). True it wasn’t the same “deep” relationship that the novelist describes with the melodramatic, mushy love scene on the practice football field tower, but it was genuine attraction and friendship. After many months in which we kept regular contact, she was able to go on a “date” (if your definition of date is the interaction in the narrative) with me. Basically it was a walk around the BYU campus at eight in the morning… romantic. We talked normally and nothing terribly embarrassing happened, but it just felt wooden, fake. I kept trying to steer the date towards my predetermined vision, but I might as well have been directing a movie and trying to coax out emotion from the world’s most monotone actors. The narrator was just as unpleased and disillusioned with his “friend” in the story and what was, seemed like just that, was. There are differences in our stories however; his friend seems to have lost the spark that once existed and moved on to the preverbal “green pastures” while my friend and I never had that awkward past and spark in the first place. In my estimation, the guy is doomed and should scrap his “first draft” of life after a mission… clearly things have changed. There still is hope to salvage my friendship (knock on wood) as we both have not emotionally invested much into our long distance friendship, hopefully allowing it to survive long stretches of time without the awkwardness displayed in the story.
In my opinion, this narrative is essentially further evidence towards my thinking on long distance relationships and the principle of "out of sight, out of mind." Personally, I do not have hope for this unfortunate missionary who fell into the traps that our mischievous female counterparts continually set in order to exert their wrath, but can only hope him the best in life. (This last part does not necessarily reflect the view of Jake Nelson... it is purely meant to be humorous.)
Actually, I don't know what I'm apparently supposed to be thinking, but not understanding something is nothing new to someone who has lived under a box for the past four years. While lost as I was in the first sentence, your story of similar characteristics spoke to me. as I also have had a friend who lived a mere twenty-four hour drive away. EFY was great, (which was where I met her), but the distance acts quickly on the relationship. It erodes the great connection that once existed, slicing the tenuous fibers of similarity(or differences) that hold people together. The two people will try to meet together one day, but as they reach for the old connections, that were so deeply attached to their old selves, they are often found slack, broken by the corrosive power of distance and time. I hope that your relationship with your friend from xxx will work out. I thought that your comment on weak relationships mystical power to be unchanged by the sinister antisocial powers of distance and time, to be mostly true, en mon avis. As I have had several relationships that somehow, confusing as it may be, grew stronger through the separation that occurred when I moved to a ward in a different area in my stake. Bon chance avec votre ami!
ReplyDeleteBeing a girl, I have to respectfully disagree with your statement that girls set traps simply to make guys feel uncomfortable. I personally hate those kind of conversations just as much as anyone else does. But that point aside, Is see your point, but from the girl's side. And you've confirmed my suspiscions that long distance relationships don't work for guys either. And I'm slightly confused by your first sentance. I didn't see the story as male superiority, just a young man desperate to get back to a relationship he used to have. There's nothing wrong with that. Good luck with your friend. Try starting over as if you just met, after all, you live closer now and you can become friends without the awkwardness of long-distance relationships.
ReplyDeleteHaha... The other two stories were written by girls and I was saying that I didn't pick this story for the male voice only. And the last part was half joking but obviously that was lost to you guys. I must have forgotten to add jk at the end of that one. whoops.
ReplyDeleteOh, and regarding the first sentence... my last english class was taught by a hard core feminist and would jokingly (I use that word lightly because it didn't seem to me to be a joke) comment whenever some guy read a male-oriented book (war books) during free reading time how that unforunate guy probably believed in male superiority... how funny. It was a lame joke and that was my way of getting back at her for those lame jokes... but obviously my first sentence was a bad joke because no one reading my blogs understood the inside story. Oh and once again the last part was a jk... lol. I'm looking at you Mary.
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