A lot of relationships now seem to be played out like rides in an amusement park or carnival. A carnival is a great place to go and have fun.  Your mind plays tricks on you, sometimes you do not know up from down.  That is fun for a time, but what if you had to live your whole life this way?  What if you never know what was truly going on? Some relationships can do this to a person.  They start to second guess who they are and everything they are doing.  They do not know what is right and wrong but seem to live in the gray area all the time.

A fast-paced relationship in the beginning is full of anticipation and excitement with ups and downs that make you scream or jump, that amazing rush of fear like bumper cars bumping and crashing into one another as quickly as possible, careening off one car to crash into another.

This kind of dating is far removed from anything remotely resembling love. In this dimension of involvement or lack thereof, the result is pretty much skin deep. How in the world can a person find a clear perception of self when lost in a series of wavy mirror images of moving partners? The best mirror image of yourself (in any relationship) is given by someone that really knows who you are and sees you clearly and loves you anyway.

Riding on the tilt-a-whirl of dating going around and around in circles, participants tend to stumble and fall all over each other. For a while it is dizzying; later the motion of the rides tends to make people sick. Beyond the fact of the diseases one can get in this unhealthy environment, it is not healthy or meaningful; just a repetitious activity and you get to do it all, but essentially alone.

After all the random rush of events and people throughout the night, the next day comes with all of the litter, detritus of the evening, and some pain.  It leaves fragments of memories, and often in the clear light of day, humiliation like a sticky remnant of the cotton candy muddied and dirtied.  Fear of disease, an unexpected pregnancy, and rejection come with the light.

For those searching for more, for experiences beyond the misguided one-night sexual bliss, there is a world of beauty out there where people are valued for more than their sexuality, their looks, and their accessibility.

Are you riding a roller coaster of love right now, struggling after a carnival ride of a relationship? At the Resource Center, we can help.  We have free advising for you to talk about your relationship (for both men and women).  We have free pregnancy tests and free STD testing and treatment.  We do not turn anyone away, but rather try to give answers for today, and hope for a lifetime. Please call us at 970-353-2673 or schedule an appointment online.  We are here to listen and support you.  All of our services are free and completely confidential.