Monogamy?

What's that?

I have a pretty good feeling that not-so-distant future generations will be asking that question. Monogamy is something that's been an issue my entire life. My parents divorced when I was nine months old due to my father's inability to maintain it, and over the years I watch various friends of mine fail to practice it. But now more than ever, thanks to Tiger, Jesse, and plenty of other dbags, my mind has been racing over the idea of exclusivity- and I've come to a pretty good understanding of how I feel about it and why.

Today's society is obsessed with instant gratification. The DMV is about the only process left that's expected to take a considerable amount of time, and people never shut the fuck up about it. Almost verything from music (I'm guilty of listening to leaked albums and staying up to 12:01AM to buy an album on iTunes) to test grades is instant. Waiting is practically obsolete- I'm not saying it's bad, I just think it's partly to blame for the rise in unfaithfulness, and why it's becoming less of an evil than it once was.

We're so used to getting what we want when we want it, and sex is no exception. The sex addiction b.s. and "it was only sex" excuses blossom from this point. No one wants to wait anymore, not even long enough to get home to your parter/spouse/whatever. I know everyone has needs and all that shit, but if you haven't had sex with your spouse for over 5 years, then why are you still married? Acknowledge when shit's not working, either try to fix it or cut your losses and leave.

Here's the thing, if you want to sleep around with tons of women and/or men, go right ahead. No judgment. Just be responsible about it and practice safe sex. I guess what I'm saying is be honest with yourself. If you know you're the kind of person who gets bored much too easily, that's fine, but make sure to be clear about what you're looking for and your intentions. Don't go making promises you can't/have absolutely no intention of keeping.

If you do decide to enter a serious relationship, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. I think a very important part of love is the ability to put someone before yourself. If you really do love and care about someone, you will put them before your own desires. Cheating is just a downright selfish act- you KNOW what you're doing will hurt the person you "love" and you continue to do it anyway. Why? For an awesome feeling that lasts about a minute.

Love is something you can't plan or force... obviously. If someone I was in a serious relationship with had legitimately fallen in love with someone else, I wouldn't shackle them to me. Although it'd probably hurt a lot, I'd let them go- because if I really loved him, I'd want him to be happy. Feelings do change, and to be honest and open about it is about as close as you can get to ending a relationship "the right way."

I guess this is just a plea for the world to remember what love is, what it's not, and for people to be honest with themselves.

MK