Ethan
and Harper.
On
his eventual date with Harper, Ethan doesn’t talk excessively about
the mechanics of dating. To him it is not like crossing deepest
darkest Africa, in a Toyota Land Cruiser; every mud-hole is not an
invitation to hold forth on the various philosophies of “digging
out,” with a discourse on the pros and cons of each method. That
is for tea-time in Tipperary, and he can regale his children with the
stories of his exploits later, when time comes.
To
have a good date, you need to talk about matters of substance. If
you can't talk about matters of substance, take a moment and consider
what that means. If there is nothing in the brain box, what are you
selling? You need to have a character to be investigated, and your
opinions are a reflection of that character, but not the substance of
it. Read the news. Ask questions about the opinions of your date.
If you have nothing to say, READ A BOOK. That's why we learn to do
so, in grade school. If you date has nothing to say, they are at
another step in the road to maturity. Be kind, and move on. If all
else fails, and you just can't abide the whole mess, but you are
convinced that you have something useful and valid to offer, WRITE A
BOOK and try to change the system. I know I did.
Harper,
of course, is delighted with Ethan’s high school frog breeding
experiment, and he is fascinated in return, with the idea of spending
weekend dates at the Zoo, feeding the animals. Harper finds that
Ethan didn't know that the sex of alligators is determined by their
hatching temperature, and they begin to have a wonderful discussion
with each other. True they will need to know where each other stand
on budgeting, and geographical locations (remember Komodo Island?
Harper doesn’t necessarily want to go there!) But these things
will come up naturally, given time. They will start in small matters
(where do you want to go to the movie?) and as Ethan and Harper get
to know each other, they will decide that their love is written in
the stars.
Cameron and Emma.
Cameron
and Emma hook up after a successful high school game, and she
continues to cheer him on, to a winning season. Cameron’s had
migrated north from her middle thigh, and Emma told him he was going
nowhere without a condom. He stopped, thereby gaining her respect.
This
is not a book on marriage. It is a book on how to date. I wish you
all the best… go get ‘em.
