Care Bear Cares: Using the FriendZone
Dear Care Bear,
I know this guy who I am somewhat friendly with. We have classes together and we see each other a lot. Recently, he asked me out on a date and I said yes—I never thought of him in that way but I had no reason not to give him a chance. We went out for lunch and I’ll spare you the details but he’s not the guy for me. The problem is that he texted me the next day saying what a great time he had and how he’d love to do it again soon. That was last week, and since then, he’s been nonstop chatting me up when we see each other and has proposed a second lunch date two different times (both of which I claimed I was busy). He’s a nice guy and I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but I really can’t avoid him. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Too Nice
Dear TN,
If he’s not taking the hint, then unfortunately, you’ll have to tell him you’re not interested. You can phrase it nicely and say “You’re a great guy, but I’m not looking to date right now” or “I’m still on and off with my high school boyfriend so I don’t think this is a good idea.” White lies are okay in this context. It’s not fun being mean to someone, but you can’t marry the guy just so you won’t have to face hurting his feelings.
Sincerely,
Care Bear
If you’re dealing with a problem with classes, friends or anything else on campus, odds are someone else at Gettysburg is having a similar problem. So rather than confide in your parents or reliable best friend, why not publish your personal problems for all the world to see!? It’s like when you go up to your professor with a question, and he or she insists that you ask so the entire class can hear in case other students have the same question. My name is Caroline, and, hey!—I care! If you have a problem relating to school, friends, relationships, etc., go ahead and over-share. I will keep your identity a secret, and I might even be able to help! Email me your questions at rubica01@gettysburg.edu and I will answer a different question every Monday! Help me to help you. Let’s start over-sharing.
