Hey, now. Don't read that title and get your undies in a wad. No one said that high school love isn't real love, but it's nowhere near the same thing as real world love. According to me, anyways, since this blog is just full of my opinions.
I think it's safe to say that at some point in high school, we all thought we were dating the one. He was so cute or so smart or so athletic; he hung out at your locker waiting for you after class, carried your books, invited you to sit with him at the next basketball game.. or whatever you thought was just so romantic back in the day. I thought it was just pure perfection when I didn't have to carry my own books, and not just because those suckers were heavy, but because when people saw me and my "boyfriend" walking together, they saw him carrying my books. That was a claim laid down, people. He was mine! After all, he was carrying my books! Then again, I also thought that slicking back all of my curly fly-aways was cute too, so we've all been wrong at some point in our lives.
High school seems to be all about finding out who you are, who you want to be. While doing so, it makes sense to want to find someone to be with you. I know tons of couples who dated in high school and got married. One of my best friends got married 5 months after high school and they're going so, so strong. Others were in high school and dated a guy a couple of years older; that works too. Point is, you find out more about yourself after high school than you'd ever think, so how exactly do you know that Mr. Perfect in high school is Mr. Perfect in real life? (That's kind of a trick question, considering they're never all that perfect all the time. You can thank me for the heads up later). Sure, you might know that you were prom queen, a nerd, hilarious, most athletic or flirtiest.. you know these things because the yearbook said it- duh. Oh, and speaking of the yearbook, you were clearly the most popular because way more people signed your yearbook than anyone else's, but back to the point. Who are you after high school? Are you still most athletic or most popular? Who really cares outside of those walls? You have to define yourself in other ways now. Are you hard working? Do you make the best out of stinky situations? Do you go to work on days that you would've skipped school because you don't feel so great? Are you independent?
High school boyfriends can turn into real world husbands. As a romantic, I'm the biggest fan of high school romance turning into wedding bells, trust me. But the truth is, that doesn't happen for a lot of us. For those couples that it did happen for, I am sincerely happy for you! There are so many people outside of the bubble of high school. Cory said something the other day that really made me think; something to the effect of just picking the best of what you've got available to you. See, high school limits your choices. I didn't know Cory in high school. I knew of him, but I didn't know him. I tease him all the time that he was too cocky for me to talk to back then ;) Really, high school can give you the chance to have a relationship that teaches you all kinds of life lessons. Lessons that were learned and you remember them and you would never want to have to repeat that lesson again.
Real world love, on the other hand, isn't about books being carried and going to Homecoming together. Real world love is about helping one another pay the bills, making sure your husband gets fed, washing clothes, buying groceries.. man, sounds boring, huh? But seriously, who hates grocery shopping alone? I do. And I hate having to load the car up and unload it by myself. I love when Cory gets to do that part! That's what it's really about, the little things that make you realize that life is so much more fun with the right person by your side. Real world love is about understanding that you don't have to do things on your own; you have a person. Your person helps you, loves you, calms you, listens to you. I'm independent to the max; I don't like to rely on anyone else to help me, but you know what? It's nice to know that I have someone who is always there, whether I think I need him or not.
High school was about the little things; real life is about the big things. Trust me, your car payment not being paid is a big thing and it's a real life thing. If you're a wife, think about those things that your husband does to make you feel better when you're down, whether it be a foot rub or a get out of cooking dinner card.. small things that you feel are the biggest things at the right time. Aren't you thankful for him? Make sure he knows it!
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