Jawdrop

While waiting for her turn in the dentist's chair this morning, slightly dreading the :::scrape scrape::: of the pointy metallic instruments and the accompanying faint taste of blood, Herself picked up a dogeared issue of Cosmopolitan to peruse.  She is always vaguely amused by such magazines; she cannot imagine living in the world of designer labels, giant purses, and intricate makeup that is shown, page after page.

One article in particular caught her attention.  Though she did not write down the title, the gist of it was:  How to tell whether the guy you are sleeping with should be considered your boyfriend.

Sweet Fanciful Moses. 

Perhaps Herself is old-fashioned. Perhaps she has unrealistic expectations. Perhaps she's just silly.  For all she can think is:

SURELY one should be dating a man with mutual exclusivity, and have established a relationship that is sufficiently serious to be considered 'boyfriend-girlfriend,' BEFORE having sex with him?

She wonders what dating is like in this day and age. (And she feels like an aged crone even using the term, "in this day and age" - is it really so very long ago that she was dating?)  Are the women who read these magazines really so very comfortable and willing to let men whom they hardly know plow their lady-gardens, so to speak?  Is it expected that boot-knocking will take place merely because two people have consumed dinner and watched a movie together? She cannot even begin to imagine. 

If (Heaven Forfend) Beloved Husband were to meet an untimely demise, Herself is fairly certain that dating would never again be on her agenda.  It would be far too fraught.  She would just acquire a BOB and call it a day.