Friends and Lovers

For a long time I never understood the fine line that many people drew between friendships and relationships. They always believe that the two complete and separate things. But why the name boyfriend/girlfriend ? The word friend at the end of the word has already made a certain definition. A friend can be defined as somebody emotionally close, somebody who trusts and is fond of another or somebody that you know well and enjoy spending time with. If a boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't fall under this category I don't know who does.

Sometimes you notice a strong friendship between a guy and a girl.To you everyone that knows them, it is obvious that they have feelings for each other. When you tell either one of them that they might should take their relationship to the next level, the response usually is “we are too close”, I've told him her too much, it will spoil our friendship. Does anyone see where I'm going with this.

You say you can't date a friend because they know too much about you. Exactly who then do want to date!, Someone that doesn't know jack about "you! The irony of it is that when one actually decides to date someone else that wasn"t previously a friend they complain, “he doesn't understand me”, “we don't seem connect”, now whose fault is that?

I don't know about the ladies but guys are usually advised by their friends not too get too close with a chick they are interested in, because she would take you as a friend and you would be stuck in the friendship zone forever. As defined earlier what exactly is a boyfriend or girlfriend if they aren't someone that knows you well and you enjoy spending time with.

I have always been of the belief and practice that if I really like a girl, I'd prefer to have a close friendship which would develop into a dating relationship by by the time we both realise those feelings.

My point is , do you get intimate with a person before you actually get to know them as a person? Who else would be able to get along with than a friend. Once again , don't get this twisted, I'm not saying you should only date people that are already your friends, but why not develop a friendship before opening your heart to them, and then later on start whining and sobbing about how the bastard or b***h used,abused, then threw you away like an orange peel.

I think the problem with many people is that we fail to see what is right in front of us until it's too late. I hate to use this analogy but I will anyway. From the hit show Dawson's Creek, take Dawson and Joey(note Joey is a girl played by Mrs Cruise: Katie Holmes),they're best buds that close than close, both attractive , they know each other inside out and talk about everything. Dawson didn't realise what he had all this time until some else came and swept her off her feet, that's when he started pining for her.

We too many times give in to the raw attraction we have to someone . As a guy I would probably too wrapped up in the girls looks to think of anything else initially. Personally for me, the next thing that comes is character, If she fails that test she could have Eva Longoria's sex appeal, Janet Jackson's smile ,Angelina Jolie's lips and Beyonce's body and I wouldn't have a further thought.(Yes I know you find that hard to believe).But some other dude's would brush that aside simply cause she's hot,and i really can't blame them, discipline over genetic engineering rarely wins. They may have nothing whatsoever in common, but the “I'm cute I think your cute, let's get together” is enough for the first date. The next few dates will probably consist of making out(lots of snogging), this will go on for a while and by the time they go all the way(home plate: fourth base) they get bored and break up,(may take between weeks or years) one party or both suffering heart break. It's a vicious cycle that a lot of people needlessly put themselves through.

Every relationship is about foundation, whether it be your normal friendship, or family relationship or that with your boyfriend/girlfriend, it's all about foundations. Kate Nash put it this way, my finger tips are holding unto the cracks of our foundation. Like any building that is built on a faulty foundation, it is all a matter of time before it comes caving in on you.

The reason why many relationships fail is that they have faulty foundations. Foundations built solely on physical attraction and the way you feel around them can never last.

I ain't no sucka,as far as I'm concerned love is a neuro-chemical con job

Dare “Dre” Lawal III

Those “feelings” you have are just neuro chemical reactions that would wear away with time, then what! After all the making out and “making love” , the question is "What else do you have that brings you together? According to scientific research the maximum the neuro chemical reaction lasts is seven years,7 YEARS, and not in Tibet. The only thing that can keep a relationship going after that is the foundation it was built on , which comes back to the friendship I've been talking about.

I guess I can understand the concept, in my case as a man, meeting a hot new girl , and going though the process of "pulling" , there's a lot of excitement in that. After all there's nothing like being the one with the new hottie in town. But just because my body is saying yes, do I do so? If you have diabetes and that pack of Haribos is calling out, do you answer? Whatever I discover along the line I have myself to blame cause I jumped into this relationship head first (or otherwise) with my eyes closed.

Taking another analogy from the movies this time being Brown Sugar, the two life long friends eventually fell in love with each other, because no one knew them the way they knew each other. The people that pure physical attraction brought them to didn't work out, because those couldn't see beyond what they could see and “feel”. life doesn't always work out that way, or have a Hollywood ending, but why bother with all the heart break.

Take a look at any successful marriage relationship and you would find out that they'd reveal that they are each other's best friend.(When I say successful ,just still being together is not in that definition, that, is called being flatmates) Which is why it makes no sense for a husband or wife to have a best friend that is a confidant outside, but that is a topic for another day.