I Reject the Talking Stage
Saturday Night Two-Step by Connie Chadwell Dating has become overcomplicated. Throughout history, the process has increasingly expanded. Single, then married. Single, engaged, and then married. Single, dating, engaged, married. Single, talking, situationship, friendzoned, talking again, dating, promise ring, engaged, married. How did we wander so far from clarity? The "talking stage" is a common phenomenon now, though no one over the age of twenty-five understands what it means. You're not just friends, but you're not dating. You like each other, but you can't say that out loud. You might kiss, but you're not dating; you're just talking. It's like a test of whether you want to date, without actually calling it dating. The talking stage can go on for months. Some of my friends, when asked how long they've been dating their boyfriend or girlfriend, begin by counting three to four months of "talking." Three to four months of dancing ar...
