PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

Sometimes, socializing can be a sort of double-edged sword – especially if you're not naturally outgoing. You have to meet people in order to find a relationship…but you have to socialize outside your circle in order to meet new people. And we all know what "socializing outside your circle" looks like: too often, it looks like you standing on your own in a room full of chattering people, pretending to be fascinated by your gin and tonic. It looks a lot like being stranded.
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All of us have times in our lives when we're feeling a bit blue. And because situational depression is such a common thing, many people don't even realize that they suffer from chronic depression – or know how to recognize it in the ones they love. If you're in a relationship with somebody with chronic depression, that relationship can suffer and even end as a result of the disorder…without either party really understanding what went wrong.
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Metrosexual is one of those funny new words that you probably feel rather silly saying aloud. But how else can you describe this type of pretty, well-kept heterosexual man that you see everywhere? After all, the word "dandy" isn't much nicer, is it?
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You meet somebody who seems like just what you want. They're good-looking, funny, intelligent, and share a lot of your interests. The only problem is…they don't feel the same way about you. Or if they do, it doesn't translate into the physical attraction you feel for them. Having strong feelings for somebody who doesn't share them is painful – and it happens to all of us.
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We've all dated "totally inappropriate" people who Mom was convinced were just "not good enough" for us. And while we, of course, will always love Mom and respect her views on our relationships, sometimes she can be wildly unfair. Mom will always see us as a baby – her baby – and it may take a lot to get her to feel enthusiastic about the people we date.
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The Rebounder. Catching lots of rebounds in basketball is a great thing. In life, however, it's another story – rebounders can really get you hurt. A rebounder is a person who is looking for a light relationship after a difficult break up, but doesn't necessarily know it. They get attached quickly, intensify the relationship, then realize that a) they're single now and want to date around, or b) you're not really what they want. And you're left out in the cold wondering what happened.
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When couples break up, there's always one person who says "but let's try to be friends, okay?" And while that's a nice sentiment, nobody really expects it to happen. Ex-couples have a hard time staying friends after the relationship ends – generally there's just too much baggage to start a friendship anew. Every couple knows this and usually expects it to happen…which is why it's so strange and surprising when somebody you're dating is good friends with their ex.
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In a perfect world, your partner would have plenty of time to spend with you, and would always make time when you asked for it. Your schedules would mesh, and making time wouldn't be the effort that it is now. Unfortunately, though, things don't work that way. Because even when couples want to spend a ton of time together, they generally can't. Life and responsibilities get in the way, forcing both of you to compromise the amount of quality time you get.
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Sometimes, dating feels a bit like playing a child's board game. With every roll of the dice, you take a chance on a new relationship or a new person – and get a chance to create a future with somebody. Unfortunately, though, when those dice roll across the board, they almost never take you to that "happily ever after" square at the end of the game – heck, you're lucky if you roll doubles and get an extra turn every once in awhile.
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You think you know how your boyfriend or girlfriend really feels about you. And you're absolutely sure that you know how you feel about them. So…why is saying those three little words so nerve-wrackingly hard? If you love somebody, saying "I love you" should be natural and painless, right?
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