Only One Thing On Everyone's Mind

MARRIAGE.

Yes.

This is the word on everyon's lips at Brigham Young.

Here, we don't date for fun.

After freshman year when all the pre-mi's are gone and the cute young gals are left to fend for themselves in off-campus housing and single's ward, dating is a game of elimination. DUN DUN DUN!

First date = I want to see if I'm going to marry this girl

Second date = Yeah, I'm pretty sure I want to marry her.

Third date = Okay, so let's talk about ring shopping

Fourth date = What's your favorite temple?

Fifth date = Engaged

That's basically how it goes around here.

Right now, it feels like dating isn't just for fun anymore. You can't just "hang out" anymore. If you hang out, even just to study!, one of you usually gets hungry and then you go somewhere to eat and the guy pays because he's with a girl and that's only the right thing to do but then it ends up being a date because he's paying for you and then you really feel like you're on a date because you are and then comes the door holding and door opening and then talking about life and pretty soon you realize that you REALLY like this guy and so on the next couple hangouts (which are really dates) all you can think about it is "Am I going to marry this dude?"

Because that's what you're supposed to think about at BYU.

And then comes that awkward feeling when you realize that you've been on like seven dates and then he stops talking to you so are you really doing something wrong or is it just him because you REALLY like this guy now that you've spent a ton of time with him and thought about how great it would be to steady date him but really you're not sure if he's into you so then comes the spiral of should I text him should I not should I text him should I not but then you do and he never texts you back and you realize that he might actually NOT be interested in you like all the other guys that you're really NOT interested in.

(breathe)

That's the way it usually is though, right ladies?

And you think of all the girls who are getting engaged (there's a girl in my spanish class who got engaged yesterday) and all the new Facebok statuses ♥ "_____ is engaged to _____" (seriously, people, there's a new one everyday) and all the giddy couples runnin around amuk the campus, and sometimes it's hard not to feel sorry for yourself if you ain't got no one.

And so you try to forget about that one guy you really really like so you try to look cute everyday so other guys will notice you more.

(More poof, more ruffles, more foundation, more accessories, more more more!!)

And then you see a homely-looking girl walking around and you look at her hand (cause that's what we all do here in college) to see if she's married and she's got this BIG FAT DIAMOND on her finger and you realize that someone loves her more than anything in the world and you look at the ground and almost run into a really cute guy ("is HE gonna be my husband??") and you keep walking and stare solemnly at the emptiness of your left ring finger.

And then comes a thought.

I'm single right now for a reason.

It's okay.

(breathe)

I'm one great dealio package of fantastic-ness but you know what? I'm single right now because I have other things to be doing. I'm at college, not a bachelor house. I have things to learn and things to do and people to meet (not just boys). I have people to serve and opportunities I would miss out if I were in a relationship.

I am single, and that is okay.

And just for laughs ...