The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a federal agency whose main goal is to protect the health and safety of the US population. One way that the CDC manages to protect public health is to monitor the population for trends or epidemics, and notify the public of anything that has been deemed unsafe and that seems to be spreading rapidly throughout the population. Well today, I’m the CDC and you’re the public, and I’m here to warn you of an epidemic.
Recently, I have noticed a growing epidemic of women making questionable decisions involving men that they barely know. Notice I said women. I’m talking about grown folks; people who are supposed to know better. Since it seems like they may have missed this piece of advice, I figured I’d try to hurry up and tell you so that you’ll be ahead of the curve. If you barely know a guy, TREAT HIM LIKE YOU BARELY KNOW HIM. I’m not saying be rude or distant. You should always be cordial and respectful. I’m just saying use your common sense and protect yourself from emotional and/or physical dangers.
When I was a teenager, I remember my relationships with guys developing fairly quickly. If I talked on the phone with a guy for a couple of weeks and kicked it with him a few times, that usually meant we were in the teenage version of a pretty serious relationship. If it lasted for more than a few months, folks thought you were going to get married. I remember and respect how the teenage game goes. But just because you may be moving at a somewhat accelerated pace doesn’t mean that you have to throw wisdom out of the window.
If you have literally just met a guy – I’m talking just learned his last name and don’t yet know his middle name – met a guy. He doesn’t have to be your boyfriend immediately. You don’t even know dude like that! I understand that you both like each other and want to lock it down, but take a little time to make sure he is really someone you want to be tied down to.
Also, it’s a very good possibility that dude…the one you just met…will be trying to get in your pants. He’s a guy. It’s kinda just what they do. Some are more patient and subtle than others, but it’s still part of the equation. That’s something that will never change, so you might as well prepare for it now. If he’s putting a little pressure on you to take things to the next level, tell him to calm down. If you’re considering it, stop. Not at this point. You don’t even know dude like that. Take your time. There’s no need to be in a rush.
If you have a boyfriend, but you’ve only been together a little while (maybe a few months or less), and he’s been spending a majority of that time trying to convince you to have sex, take your time. You don’t even know dude like that! Sex is serious, and a lot of responsibility comes with it (that’s another blog for another day), so it’s not something that you should jump into lightly.
One last thing: If you’ve met someone on the internet and are considering meeting them face to face, please do not go to their house or some other private place. Don’t invite them to your house, either. You do not know them like that. You could be putting yourself in a dangerous situation. If anything, meet them at a crowded public place and make sure you tell someone what’s going on.
I’m sure that there are a lot of people in your life who care for you and try protect you, but the ultimate responsibility of your safety and well-being lies with you. Learn from the mistakes of others, and try not to make those same mistakes yourself. Make wise decisions that will help you avoid some of the emotional and physical pain that so many others experience. There are a lot of factors that are out of your control, but one that is in your control is the amount of time you spend getting to know someone before giving them access to every part of you. Take the time to learn enough about them to make sure they’re deserving of everything you have to offer.
