A relationship in the 21st century
by: Carla Santa Cruz
I interviewed Veronica about her relationship with her boyfriend. She started off by defining a relationship as based on the effort and sacrifice you put in in order to coexist with someone you love with your entire body, soul and mind. Their story began when they met in high school however they were not really good friends back then. They got to college and immediately became friends and hung out throughout all the first semester. We even started becoming closer back in winter break of freshman year. They developed feelings the second semester of freshman year and started dating in April, but became officially boyfriend and girlfriend in July.
Communication is very important in a relationship. The communication in their relationship has become more and more effective over the years, but like she said there’s always room for improvement. They try to talk about each other’s problems and express how they are feeling. If they are having conflicts, they try to resolve them in a healthier way by talking out their problems without screaming and arguing as much. They don’t rely that much on electronic devices for communication, because they live in the same building. It is easier for them to see each other and communicate without the use of electronic devices. Since it is the 21st century, social media plays a big role in relationships. Mostly everyone is focused on posting content, looking through other people’s feeds, and being very involved in other people’s lives that are exposed through different types of social media. For Veronica, social media hasn’t had an impact on their relationship, because they are not avid users.
Support is a big part of every relationship. It is always important to show your significant other that you care and are always there for them. Veronica shows support by showing up to his tennis games and supporting him there. She also supports him by encouraging to always try and do his best whenever he feels like he’s not doing enough. And she doesn’t have a problem reassuring her partener how much she loves him and supports him. He supports Veronica by saying encouraging words whenever she is feeling down about a situation and she says he is also a very good listener.
Some weaknesses Veronica mentioned are that they are both stubborn and they look to defend themselves first rather than listen to the other person’s problem. It also takes them a little to both let their guard down with each other. Some of their strengths are that they work really well together and can both sit together and study whenever they have to. They are also really good at respecting each other whenever it is needed. Both of them are able to show affection towards each other, communicate thoroughly, and engage in conversations where the topics might be controversial.
In relationships you might not have the same interests or be exactly alike, but it is important that you do share some similarities. Veronica expresses how they are both very active people and can be considered social butterflies. They really appreciate a staying-at-home kind of day and have a common interest in sports and staying active. It is as equally important having similar values as it is respecting different values. The most important values to have are similar to those which helps us lead our day-to-day lives today. Empathy is a very important value to have in a relationship, because it is necessary to understand what the other person is going through.
Relationships aren’t always easy and one of the most common reasons why relationships end nowadays trust issues caused by infidelities. Veronica said that if her partner was unfaithful she would definitely break up with him rather than deal with a broken relationship because it will definitely turn into a toxic one. Once someone cheats on their partner the trust is completely broken and it is very hard to gain it back. She would handle the betrayal from her significant other by sitting down and talking to them and expressing to them how horrible they have made her feel.
This is a list that shows the top 10 reasons why most relationships fail:
It is always important to think about the future and plan ahead with what you want to do with your life. In relationships it is important to think about these aspects of your life and be aware of what the future holds. Veronica talked about how she sees a long-term future with her partner. When they both graduate from college, they will both take internships and try to take them together. I am willing to compromise with him in order to have a long and healthy relationship. In regards to doing long distance with her partner Veronica said that she would do it, because she believes that if you love someone distance isn’t an issue and long distance can be very effective.
Building a healthy relationship isn’t always easy. There are always going to be ups and downs. But it is very important to be emphatic and have faith in your relationship. The Ted Talk talks about certain aspects necessary to building a healthy relionship. I think it is interesting to see someone elses perspective on this topic.
