It’s winter break. Which means that despite the jobs I was going to apply for and the working out I was going to do, I’ve spent a total of 47 hours watching the hit British Reality TV show “The Only Way is Essex” on Hulu Plus. If you’re like the other 300 million Americans then you’ve never seen or heard of this show. The best way to describe it is as a mixture of “Jersey Shore” and “The Hills” and it’s taught me a hell of a lot about dating… and spray tans.
Both the holiday season and this captivating television series consist of an unsettling amount of run-ins with the past. When classes come to an end almost all of us college students find ourselves packing our bags and journeying back to our hometown. To my surprise, journeying is actually a real word. Not to my surprise, being home for the holidays feels like an instant throwback to the many years we spent being dumbass teenagers.“
The holiday season should be spent with people you want to ring in the New Year with, not the ones you decided to move on from.
”
According to my research, a large percentage of young people struggle with the decision to see or not see exes during this month of holiday bliss. For those of us with exes under house arrest or restraining orders, the decision isn’t very difficult. But for the people who end up in the environment that they first dated their ex flame in, it’s almost impossible to resist a reunion.
The most important thing to think about when coming to a nostalgic crossroads is what you want to gain from the experience. Need closure? This could be the perfect time to get questions to answers that have been burdening you during late night binge drinking/eating sessions. Want to confirm that you’ve really moved on? Sometimes seeing an ex can remind you why swore off boys and experimented with girls in the first place!
If you’re questioning something other than your sexuality and don’t know if you should engage in a blast from the past, it’s probably best to just refrain. When in doubt, pull out… of situations that could bring unnecessary drama to a time in your life that is most likely very different from whatever hormone stricken mess that resulted in first loves and shitty bowling dates.
It’s also extremely rare that both people from a past relationship will end up on the exact same page. One person usually still has feelings, or secrets, or plans to get revenge. Even a seemingly harmless meet up for coffee can open up a can of worms that will leave you asking who would want the job of having to can worms… and why you thought seeing that ex would be a good idea.
The holiday season should be spent with people you want to ring in the New Year with, not the ones you decided to move on from. Although spending too much time in your childhood room is enough to push anyone towards bad decisions, think twice before drinking that extra glass of eggnog and stumbling down memory lane.
References:
