DEAR MISS MANNERS: My girlfriend is somebody I’ve known for quite a long time -- the past five years, to be exact, though we only just started dating three months ago. I think it’s worth mentioning that I’m 17.
Since our introduction, we became extremely close, closer than any of our other friends, and have made a stack of memories. We’ve also had plenty of disagreements and many arguments, and we almost stopped talking altogether, other than an occasional text message here and there, for several months. But we started talking again, and then she persistently pursued me for a year before I finally asked her on a date.
My point is that we have a past. I love her to death. In fact, I’m considering the idea of marriage, which is a topic I’ve always been against. I try to show her my feelings all of the time, too, and she claims to really appreciate it.
This isn’t to confess my love, but rather it’s because I’m worried she’ll get sick of my love eventually. For a while she said that I’m a “mystery” to her. But as I open up to her and become more vulnerable, will she become bored of me, with the loss of vagueness? Am I just overthinking this, or if I’m not, how should I go about avoiding that?
GENTLE READER: Welcome to the human condition.
Of course you are overthinking this; people do when they are in love. But Miss Manners promises you that by the time you are old enough to be married, you will have the answers to your questions -- at least in this particular case.