By Alyssa Velazquez
Elm Staff Writer
It appears as quickly as the first wind of spring. Suddenly the earth is defrosted, flowers and trees begin to redress themselves, and the grass draws from springs of stored energy, their blades embodying a renewed vitality. The sun shines a little brighter and all those who flew south slowly migrate back to where they belong. There is hope: hope for warmer days, and a hope for life–hope for love.
Perhaps it’s all the photosynthesis circulating or some other unexplainable occurrence that we are not meant to understand that causes acquaintances to become friends and friends to become lovers. Whatever the cause the result is universal. Emotions and feelings that were immobile, solid in frost-bitten ground suddenly warm up, springing up, searching for sun, air, and love. It’s that time of month of that time of year, yet what of these emotions? Can they be trusted? Just because a relationship is formed under the backdrop of a clear blue sky and blossoming field does it make it natural or real? Or is it merely a picturesque setting? With more and more relationships forming on a day-to-day basis, can our senses be trusted to rule our hearts?
I will admit it; I go on Facebook at least once a day. In my defense, it is usually because I have been poked, tagged, friend requested, posted, notified, mentioned, or been subjected to some other form of electronic harassing that Facebook has made available to its one billion users. After completing the initial task of either accepting a friend request or de-tagging myself from an extremely unflattering photo, I will peruse the news feed. It was on one of these days of mindless perusing that I began to notice a common profile update. Not one, not two, but numerous individuals were changing their relationship status from “single” to “in a relationship,” and they were naming their partners. When I looked at both of the names I realized that not only were they both on campus, but their relationship had formed within the span of a month. Could they all be a stream of April Fool’s jokes or could they in fact be real? As Lily Shooji would say in her Fem-a-Lites column during the 1940s, “romance is blossoming with the emotion and urgency of war.” And that’s what it felt like; all of a sudden those who were in love were falling out of it, those who were once single now found themselves with a date on Saturday nights, and the unfortunate souls stuck in the in-between could only stand and stare at the drastically changing relationship landscape.
I found one such sprung love on Tuesday’s news feed; I was shocked and did a little digging. Apparently, I was the only friend who never saw it coming. I logged off Facebook perplexed but wishing them the best.
Then, earlier in the week, just as I was preparing to sit down and write this article, I checked my email and behold, Facebook notification. So I took the temporary social network detour, gave the site a quick look over and realized that the couple that had been formed on Tuesday was no longer together. They had gone from “single” to “in a relationship” to “single” in less than a week. Was this because of the weather? Had their relationship been in response to the migrating masses? What is it about the spring and summer that causes individuals to enter into a relationship that in other weather they would have had more trepidation about entering into? Or in fact, does the weather, season, or time period have no impact on relationships?
There are four seasons to a year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. With one month left to go, and the sun awakening all the wildlife around us, it appears that relationships are bound to come and go. And even though the spring environment may have spurred their potential, it’s the individuals involved who ultimately decide if they want a year-round relationship or a more seasonal kind of love.