CROSSROADS.

Relationships are hard, yo. And let me tell you, they can be even harder when you’re dating someone over a decade younger (or older) than you. I’ve seen things go horribly awry for my friends who seem perfectly matched in every way but age difference, and when we talk about it later, it becomes clear that almost all of them have come away with the same lesson: be prepared for a relationship to hit a rough spot when your partner is more than a few years away from you in age, as you will each hit different milestones at times that may lead you in opposite directions.

There’s a song – a pop song, so if that’s not your deal, skip this paragraph – that was written about the demise of a certain someone’s relationship that crumbled because that certain someone and her partner hit a wall. He wanted to get married, she wanted to go out and explore the world without any ties or obligations. When they split, but tried to remain friends, the songwriter they both worked with wrote this song about what happened. If you’re still reading this, check out “This Step Alone” by Elliott Yamin.

Okay, non-pop music fans, you may return. Listen for some rambling from me about all this ish…

ps – That’s baby me in the photo above. I was…18? How times have changed, y’all.