Are you dating the last boy you talked to?
No. :(

Who last made you cry?
that answer above should tell you.

When is the last time you took a nap?
Today, and it was muy necessary.

What are you listening to right now?
The Back-Up Plan is on tv right now...so I'm listening to Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Laughlin be all in love and stuff.

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
Mama

What was on your mind most today?
See the answer to the first two questions.

Something that happened today that made you angry?
Yes. I cried at a text message.

Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
Depends. Sometimes I talk, sometimes I write, but I always process.

Do you wear makeup?
yes. Although the last two months I've not worn any mascara. It's pointless.

Are you missing someone?
Terribly.

Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
Yes...and more than that usually.

What are you doing tonight?
I'm doing it. :) Watching TV, relaxing, reading, txting friends...

Do you have any siblings?
Two older brothers

Do you get along?
yes.

What is the last letter of your middle name?
E. It's an awesome middle name.

Is the last person you kissed older than you?
I've never been kissed.

Yes, Radically Single is making an appearance. I'm not in a fury to write every single Radically Single blog that comes to mind, although there are plenty brewing. ;) For now, this seems to be a bit appropriate for me right now. Enjoy!
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Over the last week, I found myself in a Hallmark store twice. Looking for cards, as you might suspect. I found a card similar to one my ex-boyfriend gave me about two weeks into our relationship. It had a smiley face, and basically said "this is how you make me feel." Smiley, apparently is what new love felt like to him. Maybe my ex had the emotional capacity of a M&M - and I'm not talking about the cute talking M&M's in the commercials...I digress. While there, I saw a lot of cards to Lovers and the kind that say stuff like "you make me burn with desire" or "I can't live without you another day right beside me". All the rather serious kind of love that you find yourself in once you're fully settled into a fully developed relationship where those three terrifying words are fair game.

What I noticed is that there aren't any cards for people in a relationship that might just be starting...or even one that has been going but is maybe a bit terrified of the significant other type stuff.... I mean, you can hardly give a card to a new fella in your life that says "I love you" right? They'd run away faster than the lead horse in the Kentucky Derby.

I decided that what Hallmark needs new sections of relationship cards. First is a set of cards for "more than friends but less than something" and a set of cards for "just friends" (i.e....a bit more serious than a real friend, but still in denial about what is really going on). They might also need a section of cards specifically for "Pre-The 'L' Word Relationships." Heck, while they're at it, let's go ahead and give a section of cards for "Too old or highfaluting for boyfriend/girlfriend terms"....or "Cards for your Lady friend." Wait, how about cards for the "I don't know what the heck is going on but something's brewing"? Oh, I'm  missing the "We're not dating" cards for people who refuse to realize that what they're doing is really dating by the amount of time they spend together. Or how about the "We're just meeting for coffee - I don't know if I want to get much deeper" cards....and of course, the "I don't want to commit" card section - that would include cards of apology for screwing up major holidays with no engagement ring. Yup, I think that about covers it. And it might take over the whole Hallmark store.....hmmm...

I've noticed a trend in recent years, as a single person among single people that labels and definitions are supremely important. Being "friends" is a stage in a relationship...and there is of course my most loathed phrase "just friends" which diminishes every single bit of the relationship by saying it's "JUST" something. But that's a whole other post.... There's also a whole realm of undefined relational goo going on too. People who are technically dating but not calling it that and in fact are calling it nothing at all. Avoiding a label like it'll cause the two involved to spontaneously combust and the entire universe to end. There's also a whole set of singletons who are over 30 and think the terms boy-friend and girl-friend are childish/teenagery and refuse to utilize the term for their ...well whatever they call them.

Personally I don't have a problem with those terms. I find though that people just don't want to label dating, relationships or the people in their life. It's weird. Single people will pull all the stops to get creative in calling someone just a "friend" so as to not chase off better options but also keep that "friend" on hold just in case. In a society obsessed with labels, categories and nice clean politically correct terms...Relationship terminology and relationships in general have become nebulous and unclear.  So much so, that as a single person, you often feel like you're driving in a heavy fog where you cannot see more than a few feet in front of you. And even then...you might drive right off a cliff. Eesh...

Labels are stupid, yes. But sometimes, you gotta call a spade a spade. If you're dating someone, you're dating someone. If you like them and you are hanging out - it's dating. If you hold their hand, it's dating. If you spend time investing in their life to further the relationship, it's dating. Grow up, and put a label on the dang thing. It's ok. You will not explode in a consuming fire if you call what you're doing dating. You will, however, risk losing everything if you leave anyone hanging for too long. Just sayin'....