State of the "Union" Address

At some point in our lives all of us have been in a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. Some good, some bad. Some fun, some boring. Some dramatic, some complacent. The question isn't whether or not we've been in relationships, but why do so many people settle for less than what they really want? Is it because we hope that one day that person will evolve into what we've always wanted? Do we sometimes cling to the brief glimpses of hope that we see in our significant other? Or maybe are we just afraid this is good as it gets?

For whatever the reason, monogamous relationships are vastly becoming a leisure activity rather than a "union" of two people. Now, I am not saying that all relationships are like this. You might very well be in the group of people who consider themselves involved in a "happy" relationship. If you are one of those people, congratulations! For now...

If you look at the word relationship, there are two "I's." Perhaps this is what's wrong with the modern day relationship in itself. The nature of a relationship and of "love" is to care about someone more than you care about your own agenda. I'm not saying that looking out for yourself is completely bad, because at certain points in our lives we must do so. What I am saying is that our society and its self-absorbed way of life, has turned what is supposed to be the "union" of two people into a constant battle for "I want" and "I need's."

I understand that each person is different and each require different levels of emotional and physical demands in order to be happy, but one might infer that in order to be in a happy and successful relationship he might want to find a healthy balance of sacrifice and compromise. The constant need for instant gratification by both sexes has created what has become a relationship epidemic. We all want what we can't have, and we want it immediately. Then once we get it we lose the majority of interest. So would it take for us to maintain that level of intrigue?!?