ANSWER: When it’s never right.

Simple answer to a highly complex and emotional issue. To illustrate: A close, long-time college buddy of mine recently broke up with a woman after a short (but intense) relationship. The longer it endured, the more uncomfortable interactions between the two became. Innocuous comments were taken personal and deemed insulting. A dissonance quickly crept into the picture. End of romance. 

In last month’s column, I focused on how you know a relationship is “going right.” This month I’ve compiled a list of “tried and true” one-liners to use in assessing a new relationship that may not be going along the path of happiness. You’ll know “it’s wrong” if:

1) You value the lust but not the love.
2) You hate each others’ friends.
3) You dislike the foods (or music) that your partner likes.
4) You often think quietly to yourself that your partner could use elective plastic surgery and/or a personality transplant.
5) She’s too fat, but he’s too out of shape.
6) The date can’t end early enough for either of you.
7) You prefer to wash your hair, do the laundry, play video games or go to the gym rather than spend a night together.
8) You’d rather drink than link. Or worse, you need to drink to link.
9) Your date makes little or no effort to get along and smile with your children and/or grandchildren.
10) You begin to see similarities that annoyed you with your ex.
11) He (or she) yawns when you are about to make love.
12) You have too many “Yes, but…” in your conversation.

If you can identify with three or more of the twelve mentioned above, may I suggest that you reevaluate your current relationship? I don’t think it will spell long-term in Professor Love’s dictionary.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and count your blessings! As always, I invite your comments, photos and emails. Send them to jkmjjjjj@yahoo.com.
Until next month, happy dating!