It Could All Be So Simple....

I remember when things were simple. Life was all about what I would wear to school, which sneakers would match what outfit, and if my parents were going to buy me that cross-colors outfit. (Hey, stop laughing….I’m an 80s baby who grew up in the 90s! LOL). Back then, if a boy liked you, you could tell because they either tormented you at recess (pulling your hair, pushing you down, etc), or they flat out said it. I remember the first time I got my first “Do you like me?” note…..I was SO EXCITED. Now, it didn’t matter that I was only in the 2nd grade, and the note was from a boy who had been held back a lot…all that mattered was that somebody liked me! Of course, I circled the “YES” option, and sent the note back. Of course, because we were so young (at least I was), we really didn’t know what else to do besides smile at each other in class, and sit next to each other at lunch time. Things were so simple then. The complexity was non-existent. There was no “drama”….it was just simple expressions of “like”.

Fast forward to 6th grade…middle school! I’m so excited because I’m at the “big kid’s school”, I have on the fresh jeans and t-shirt, and the fresh shoes! Even better, is that the selection of boys at John Quincy Adams Middle School is quite impressive! It wasn’t long before I got my first “Do you like me?” note. But this time, it meant so much more….because there was an In-School Dance coming up! I could not believe that of all people, Whitney (yes, his name was Whitney, and YES, he was super cute!) wanted me to go to the dance with him. Now this was easy to pull off…the dance was in-school, so I didn’t have to worry about the parental units! (I wasn’t allowed to talk to boys on the phone yet, but of course, I got around that!). Whitney and I were a couple…a real live couple. He bought my ticket to the dance, and he bought my soda. I don’t remember if we actually danced or not, but I was in HEAVEN! Our relationship didn’t last much longer than that dance, because of course, it was 6th grade. But looking back on it now, I really want to find Whitney! LOL. He was such a gentlemen, and very concerned with my well-being. At this point in my life, I don’t get that treatment very often. I’m the person most concerned about my well-being. So needless to say, the search for Whitney is ON. Maybe we can re-kindle our 6th Grade romance and live happily ever after….if anybody knows Whitney, and he’s SINGLE, tell him to holla at me! :)

I guess the real point is that I miss simplicity. I miss the days when it was “ok” for a boy to tell you he liked you, and it was “ok” for you to say “I like you too”. As an adult, I see how much we complicate the process. We have all the steps….and not to actually dating the person; these steps are just to COMMUNICATE with them. Who should call who first, and who should ask who out first, and should I call him right back, or will that look desperate, and should I call her the night she gives me the number, or should I wait so I don’t seem THIRSTY? I’m worn out just typing all that! Can we please just go back to those days when it was as simple as passing a note? When writing each other letters in class about your night (because you couldn’t talk to them on the phone) was the highlight of your day. When adding his name to your name on your notebook let the whole SCHOOL know that ya’ll were a couple. I miss that! I want that back! I don’t want to wonder if he’s going to call, or wonder if I should call him. I just want us to act on how we feel. Far too many times, we get caught up in what society thinks we should do, and we forget about how we feel, and what we WANT to do. If you want to call me and say “I just wanted to hear your voice”, that should be OK. We allow our pride to intercede our good judgment. No one wants to be vulnerable, or get “played”. But such is life. Everybody plays the fool; there is no exception to the rule! So my new philosophy on it all is to go for it….we only life once, and life is TOO SHORT to be caught up in the details.

Lauryn Hill penned a masterpiece when she said “It could all be so simple/but you’d rather make it hard”……….well Lauryn, I’m making it simple!