Rules were made to be broken

After a lazy Sunday afternoon of entertaining myself with a traditional chick-flick I decided to look up these so called rules of "he's just not that into you". Little did I know that there was 25 rules! This seems absolutely insane to me. As a girl, you really expect me to remember 25 rules to roll threw my brains like the ending credits of a movie as the man I have just ended my date with is giving me some lame excuse as to why he will or will not contact me. That is a lot of pressure. Especially considering the small amount of time we have to respond after. Approximately 35 seconds for 25 rules. No wonder us girls go to crazy town all the time in our heads. Or maybe its because as girls we are taught many things that may or may not be true. Things like that if a boy punches you he likes you; never try to trim your own bangs; don't fall asleep with gum in your mouth; always wash your hands before you eat; if you you continue to pick your nose it will bleed; warm cookies and cold milk are always good for you; freshly washed sheets are one of those simple joys in life; always flush; and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your own happy ending; every movie we see, every story we are told implores us to wait for it, the 3rd act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the acception to the rule, but sometimes we are so focused on finding our happy ending, we don't learn how to read the signs, to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don't, the ones who will stay from the ones who will leave. And maybe this happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe its you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future, maybe the happy ending is just moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this--knowing that through all the unreturned phone calls, and broken hearts, through all the blunders and misread signals, all the pain and embarrassment, you never gave up hope. But just in case you seem to forget some of these things and find it easier to live by the "rules" he's just not that into you if....

1. he doesn't make the first move
2. he doesn't contact you for the first date
3. he doesn't ask you out by Wednesday for a Saturday date
4. he only wants to see you during the week
5. he ends the first date
6. he asks to split the check
7. he expects you to meet him halfway or see him in a long distance relationship
8. he cancels a date more than once
9. he doesn't ask you to be exclusive after sex; or a couple of months
10. he hits on your girlfriends
11. he forgets your birthday
12. he doesn't give you a romantic gift for Valentine's Day
13. he skips a week in seeing you
14. he doesn't want to meet your family or friends
15. he doesn't want to spend New Years with you
16. he doesn't take you to his office Christmas party
17. he doesn't write "love" on cards
18. he breaks up with you
19. he talks about his ex
20. he doesn't want to have sex
21. he doesn't propose
22. he proposes, but won't settle on a date
23. he wants to vacation separately or spend time apart
24. he doesn't hold your hand at the movies
25. he is married

So in the mean time between remembering all these rules and living my life I am going to take every chance to relax, to hope, to heal, to dream, to play, to give, to receive, to love....