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Dating Triumphs and Tragedies
by Nicole Roberge

Just Say No to the Summer Fling

Everyone is excited for summer and why shouldn’t they be?  Warm days, cool nights, the beach, parties and, ah yes, the hope of a summer fling.  But when did dating in summer become just a fling?  A summer fling seems magical when it is happening—a romance on fast forward, but when the summer ends, people tend to think the relationship has to end.  They’ll say, “Oh, it was just a summer fling.”  But why should it be?  If it was so magical when you were together, who says you have to end it?  Keep it going ‘til autumn and see where it leads.  Maybe it can last into fall, another great season.  So many possibilities!

A summer fling doesn’t have to be just a fling. It can be a dating, a romance and much more if you give it a chance.  Here are my top 5 reasons why you should absolve the term “summer fling” from your vocabulary and instead, welcome summer dating!

2) Do some non-summer activities.  That may seem odd, being that the season is know for certain activities, but keep going to the movies and dinner instead of just the beach and tiki bar.  Sure, go mini-golfing and grab some ice cream.  But get to know each other too.  Do the things you would usually on a date.  You can still enjoy the summer ones, but don’t hop right into the boat before you even know each other’s last names.

3) People date for a reason.  They want to find someone they are compatible with who they could have a happy relationship with.  You shouldn’t put your hopes of finding someone great on hold during summer.  Date as you normally would.  Flings come and go, but if you’re looking for something more serious, don’t let the beach patrol guide your life.

4) Summer can be a great way to get to know someone…and their friends and families.  If you are dating for a while and the “meet and greet” idea comes into play, don’t avoid it.  Suggest getting together with mutual friends and have a barbeque.  Or bring your date over to your parents when they are having a cookout.   It will be much more relaxed and put everyone at ease.  That way, when you go out to dinner with them in the fall, you’ll have already spent some quality time with them. ;)

5) Summer might be when you are most at ease and there are more fun things to do.  But that’s not the only side of you.  Don’t end a summer romance because you think the fun is over and the other person might not like your “fall” or “winter” side.  You are who you are, and that doesn’t change just because the seasons do.  Every season has a reason, and if you already like each other, you’ll find it’s the company that matters, not the weather.

In the movie “Grease,” Summer Flingers Danny and Sandy sang about “Summer Lovin,’” but sadly at the end of the song, they sing, “it got colder, that’s where it ends…” Why? I ask.  Yes, you can hold onto the memories of “those summer nights,” but you might actually end up feeling a bit of a loss after the fling.  Why get rid of something if it was so great.  Try sticking together as the temperature drops. Most of all, go into summer thinking about dating, not just a fling.  Wouldn’t it be great to create lasting memories, not just ones that will just fade away with summer?

Dating Triumphs and Tragedies is published every Sunday by Online Dating Magazine columnist Nicole Roberge. She can be reached at NicoleMRoberge@hotmail.com.