Every time I hear the phrase “Summer Love” I instantly think of the movie “Grease”. (And of course the song of the same name is cycling through my head as I write this.) It begs the question, “Is ‘summer love’ really something to be romanticized about? What happens AFTER summer?
Back in June of 1999, I met a guy. It was summer and I was home, staying with my parents before heading back to college 3 hours away. We went on a few dates and I realized that it might just turn into something… but I had registered for Fall classes already. We dated over the summer, and when it came time to decide what to do in the Fall, I decided – well, WE decided – it was more than just “summer love”. I canceled my classes and stayed in my hometown, registering late there instead for Fall semester. What happened? We ended up getting married and having two kids. We’re divorced now, (sorry to ruin the fairy tale) but that “summer love” turned into more than summer love.
I’m not someone who really believes in flings and one-night-stands, so the whole concept of a short-term, seasonal romance doesn’t appeal to me. BUT – from personal experience – I know that it can turn into something more. My fear with any kind of non-committal, shorter-term relationship is that both people don’t feel the same – one person wants it to continue, and the other feels the “fling” has served it’s purpose and they’re ready to move on. In closing, I guess if you can take the outcome, whatever it may be, and you’re OK with potential seasonal love, give it a go! If lines aren’t clear and you don’t think you can take the outcome if it’s not what you want, either have “the talk” earlier rather than later or just walk away before you become too heavily invested.
