Mike "the Situation" from Jersey Shore
Let me start off by saying that I am not, nor have I ever been, a Jersey Shore fan. In fact, this post has nothing to do with Jersey Shore. There is something to be said about its train wreck factor though. I was bored one Sunday, turned to MTV, and a Jersey Shore marathon was on. Each episode left me saying, "This is stupid. I should be doing something better with my time." Then they showed a clip of the next show where someone was fighting and I couldn't turn away. I swear I haven't recovered all of my brain cells since...but I digress.
What is a "situation"?
Sit-u-a-tion: (a) relative position or combination of circumstances at a certain moment
(b) a critical, trying, or unusual state of affairs
Recently I've seen a number of relationships become "the situation". It seems that people find solace in staying in relationships while disregarding their own happiness and quality of life. Sound familiar? It does for me. One of my "situations" ended in divorce!
Relationships require time, energy, patience and compassion among other things. Even when they aren't working we think of every reason in the book why it shouldn't end, but is that healthy? Well, that's for you to decide. Need a little help? You're in luck. I've put together a handy dandy list of symptoms to help you determine if your relationship has turned into a "situation". It's up to you whether you want to treat the diagnosis.
- You no longer have the same chemistry that made you fall in love with that person.
- A dark cloud descends upon you when you speak/think about this person.
- You think of breaking up with said person more than you think of being with them.
- You refer to your relationship as your "situation" when talking to other people. For example, "Well, I have a little situation going on, but that won't prevent us from getting to know each other better." (FYI ladies and gents, this is a horrible idea).
- You weigh the pros and cons of your relationship and find that there are more cons than pros
- Your primary reason(s) for staying with this person consist of tenure, children, guilt, others' opinions, comfort level or fear of being alone.
I am sure there are a few items missing here. Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section.
