2008 Woodie Awards
Living Sideways
Claire Cohen
Issue date: 11/6/06 Section: Life and Style
- Page 1 of 1
When teenagers enter the crazy, oh-so-critical world of dating, their lives suddenly become a mess of clothes, makeup, insecurities, and wishful thinking around the assumed thoughts of the opposite sex. But this "necessary" world is not as easy as just dressing up, getting noticed, and getting married.
It's more like playing the original Super Mario Brothers video game on the original Nintendo for the first time, sitting in a dark room on a wood floor. It's new, it's uncomfortable, and each level gets harder and harder to figure out.
As the years go by, playing "games" becomes a predominant aspect of the dating/mating process. Whether you're a guy or a girl, gay or straight, young or old, you still play games. The only difference is that the game, in terms of experience and expertise, changes from Super Mario to chess.
There's a guy that I've been hooking up with on and off since this past April; let's call him Columbus. In the beginning, he knew I liked him and I knew he was interested. Then, of course, the exciting High Interest stage turned into the annoying Not Talking stage.
We've all heard, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," but when it comes to a hook-up, especially one that you like, absence is the worst thing for your confidence-and your libido.
However, being the optimist that I am, I couldn't resist his sly charm and witty one-liners, even if it was usually alcohol-induced on both ends. The captivation is what led me to continue answering his calls over the summer, even though he lived hundreds of miles away.
That's not to say I'm not guilty of making a few calls myself.
After returning to school, I found his ambivalent tactics and refusal to show emotion way too confusing and stressful to continue with, despite his minimal efforts to convince me that he meant well. Even so, I never officially ended anything with him. It was more like it was my turn to successfully hit one of his battleships.
Columbus never did get to discover anything when it came to me. He played one too many games and lost.
With guys and girls in college, when it comes to playing games, it's all one big game of chess.
The question is: When should we slide into checkmate, or just move a pawn?
It's more like playing the original Super Mario Brothers video game on the original Nintendo for the first time, sitting in a dark room on a wood floor. It's new, it's uncomfortable, and each level gets harder and harder to figure out.
As the years go by, playing "games" becomes a predominant aspect of the dating/mating process. Whether you're a guy or a girl, gay or straight, young or old, you still play games. The only difference is that the game, in terms of experience and expertise, changes from Super Mario to chess.
There's a guy that I've been hooking up with on and off since this past April; let's call him Columbus. In the beginning, he knew I liked him and I knew he was interested. Then, of course, the exciting High Interest stage turned into the annoying Not Talking stage.
We've all heard, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," but when it comes to a hook-up, especially one that you like, absence is the worst thing for your confidence-and your libido.
However, being the optimist that I am, I couldn't resist his sly charm and witty one-liners, even if it was usually alcohol-induced on both ends. The captivation is what led me to continue answering his calls over the summer, even though he lived hundreds of miles away.
That's not to say I'm not guilty of making a few calls myself.
After returning to school, I found his ambivalent tactics and refusal to show emotion way too confusing and stressful to continue with, despite his minimal efforts to convince me that he meant well. Even so, I never officially ended anything with him. It was more like it was my turn to successfully hit one of his battleships.
Columbus never did get to discover anything when it came to me. He played one too many games and lost.
With guys and girls in college, when it comes to playing games, it's all one big game of chess.
The question is: When should we slide into checkmate, or just move a pawn?
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