Q: I've dated the same guy for six years. I am a year older than him. We survived me going to college first and transferring, and maintained a long-distance relationship. I've graduated and have a "real job." He will graduate in May.
He asked me to move in with him. I politely declined because it would be too far for me to commute, but began the search for jobs in his city. We had a very healthy relationship and are both independent people. He recently broke up with me, citing the facts that he never intended to date me for six years, has never experienced being with anyone else, wishes he would have met me when he was older and isn't sure if he's in love with me anymore. This is all very confusing for me because he asked me to move in, and I said no.
He said that he could see this working out and being with me someday if he didn't mess this up too bad. I recently hung out with him and it seemed like nothing happened. I'm very confused. Is it possible for relationships to work themselves out after a break (it's been almost a month), or is it impossible to fix a relationship that's been broken?
Tamara, 23
A: Girl, you have my condolences on the surprise breakup. There are few things that make you feel like crying and vomiting at the same time, and being blindsided by the one you love, especially when things have been going great, is definitely one of them.
Let me first clear up some of your confusion before I give your now-ex more credit than he probably deserves: He asked you to move in with him for purposes of relationship security, and you threw him off by saying no. That was a hard pill for him to swallow and more than likely the catalyst for his little freakout. Your relationship is not totally doomed, but reparation might be harder than you think.
Your now-ex is just 22. That's a tough age when it comes to decisionmaking, probably more so for him than it was for you. You've already graduated from college and have laid the foundation for your career with your grown-up job. With another year of school to go, your boy is at a confusing crossroads, with the economy not helping matters. He's probably uncertain about what kind of work he'll end up doing once he graduates, provided there's even a job waiting for him.
Twenty-two is also right around the time a guy starts to feel the pressures of being a man and not just acting the part. He's stuck somewhere between sophomoric enterprises and adult responsibilities. A girl's transition into womanhood starts a lot earlier -- the onset of menstruation is a terrifying bulletin that we are physically capable of being mothers -- and I think we've all heard that females tend to emotionally mature faster than males.
