The Cuddling Conundrum

Happy Sunday (or whatever day of the week you are reading this on) to you, dear reader. I woke up this morning from dream in which it was Monday. I was incredibly excited as I am eager to hear if I got the job I interviewed for on Friday, which I will hopefully find out tomorrow (did that make sense?). Needless to say, I was disappointed it was Sunday and I chuckled; that was the first, and probably the last, time I wished it was the workweek.

Moving on, this blog post is dedicated to cuddling. Or spooning. Or laying there holding your significant other in a way that is not comfortable for either party while growing increasingly hot. Whatever you like to call it. I was thinking about this act the other day as I was laying on the couch holding my dog. What is it about cuddling that we enjoy so much? And why is it females prefer it so much more than males? To address the first question, I started thinking scientifically (maybe?) and going back to the time when we were all the same (sort of). Yes, back when we were fetuses nesting in our mother's womb. I thought, surely this is why we enjoy spooning so much. We are essentially in the fetal position, with the warmth of another person's body combined with the placement of their arms cocooning us.

But this answer only increased my curiosity to the second question - why do women like it so much more than men? I'm not saying guys don't enjoy holding that special someone in their arms, but let's be real. Guys can have one session of cuddling and be good for the month. Women (not all, grant you but a lot of us) want to cuddle every night before bed. A friend said it's because women want to be protected, that they want to feel safe but let me tell you, I feel pretty darn safe on my bed with the front door locked. And when I'm in a situation that threatens my safety, my immediate thought isn't going to be 'Quick! Hold me!' but exactly how I'm going to kick ass and take names.

I've thought long and hard (not really, that's a lie) about this and could not come up with an answer. Sure I could have googled it to see what scientists and researchers say about this (surely they want to know too) but that's no fun. What I do know is this: I like to cuddle less than the "typical woman" but more than the "typical man" and I like to cuddle because it's freezing in my apartment, I'm too cheap to turn the heat on and I want to steal your warmth. What I don't know is: why is it human nature to cuddle? Why do guys dislike cuddling so much?

Soon to be added to the "things I don't know list" with its own blog post, why do we enjoy kissing so much? It's just two people swapping spit, which, when you think about it, is really disgusting...

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Here's the thing...I can't (with regards to the above picture). I have a very steady, back and forth relationship with texting. I like it, then I get really annoyed with it, then we fall in love, have a huge fight and break up, only to get back together again because everyone else in this world won't phone, they'll text.

Keep in mind, this is the girl who didn't have text messaging until spring semester of her freshman year. At college. I never really saw the point - I could call you on the same phone, get all of my questions answered and go back to my business in less than a minute. With texting, there is/was all that 'hey' 'hey' 'what's up' 'not much you?'. Come on, this isn't AIM for your phones (and don't get me started on the 'what's up' question...what kind of question is that, anyways? Is there even a real response besides 'not much'? I don't think so). Plus, texting has this unwritten rule that when you say something saracastic or slightly mean, you have to add 'haha' or 'lol' because without it, you just look like an ass. Then, after a conversation you look like an idiot because every single one of your texts has one, or both, of those (or is that just me and my very sarcastic nature?).

Regardless, texting has this insane ability to annoy me more than most people, so to all those people who have texted me and not gotten a timely, or any, response, now you know why. And frankly, if it was really important, you would have called me.

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Great.

Rainbow road was always the hardest.

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"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience." --Henry Miller

I officially think the decade between 18 and 28 is the most challenging one in a person's life, filled with so many changes and new experiences it's terrifying. Then again, considering I'm over the middle hump of said decade, I'm a little biased and have no experience to state otherwise. But think about it - you graduate high school and move on to higher learning, and if you don't pursue a college degree you enter the real world. You are given the right to vote, to purchase and consume alcohol and defend your country. You graduate college and are suddenly thrust into the working world of 8-5 jobs and living for the weekend, thinking about long term leases and even marriage. It's a turbulent decade, filled with more firsts than I can count, which makes it incredibly daunting.

I found the quote from Henry Miller after searching for 'leap of faith' and chose his because it really rang true to me. We all have those moments when we know the decision will have a huge, and I mean huge, affect on life as you know it and you become paralyzed, terrified of making the wrong choice. I just went through this and made a life altering decision, and the more I think about it, the more I know I made the right choice. I think those leap of faith moments are the best ones. They make you think and come to grips with who you are and what's important to you. Those are the moments when the most growth occurs, when you don't know what's going to happen and you have to throw caution to the wind.

I've realized that the only way to step over the edge and take that leap is to go with your gut. Your head will always over think but your heart will tell you what is best for you, and in those situations, I can guarantee your heart will be sitting in the pit of your stomach, surrounded by anxiety and fear. But go for it. You'll be happier and a lot better off than you were before.

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"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell."
--Aldous Huxley

Let me start this post by saying, I don't find the above quote to be true (all the time), I just find it entertaining. Wouldn't it be interesting, though, if Earth really was another planet's hell? Wrap your mind around that one.

I found the above quote after searching for 'funny quotes about working' and found that there essentially was no such thing. I suppose philosophers and savants are similar to myself in that there is no funny way to describe working. It's either "Work hard and you'll prosper" or "Find a job that makes you happy." Trust me, I get that - it's the getting part of the equation that's proving to be the most difficult.

And yes, I understand that it's a terrible economy right now and unemployment is at its highest. But I hear reports all the time about how many thousand more jobs are being created daily or how this and that is going to boost the job market (clearly I pay attention). So why is it that the unemployed are remaining unemployed? The infamous Catch 22. We've all heard the phrase and I'm sure most of my fellow college graduates have used it multiple times in this same context. Apparently, companies don't want to hire someone with zero experience. And how does one get said experience? Bazinga! By getting a job (or an internship). It stings a little, doesn't it?

It appears to me that those being hired are the ones who have already have a job or who have been unemployed for a brief period of time, while the true unemployed just sink deeper and deeper into the hiring pool. Will this trend only continue as more and more people pursue higher degrees of education? Will a PHD become the new norm? I loved college but I sincerely hope that isn't the case...

Let me end this post by saying I had no means for this to get so preachy, it just seems that, without the right connections doing everything they can to get you a job, the odds of getting into most companies are slim to none. And if you did so on your own, job well done! Tell me all about your job search and hiring experience so I can take notes. Otherwise, have a cookie for getting through this and have a wonderful weekend.

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