If you're anything like me, then you're a hopeless romantic in a society built on unread Tinder messages, emotional unavailability, and folks that won't even offer up a real date idea other than Netflix and Chill. Dating is incredibly hard for people like us. We feel like we have so much of our lives together, but we're also in our early twenties and hope to be married before we're 28. We're tired of putting ourselves out there only for our love interests to suggest Netflix and Chill. Even so, we find ourselves lucky when we get that because most of the time we don't even get a message back.

When did we become like this? When did our bodies become more important than the souls we use to so desperately crave to interact with? When did watching FRIENDS for the millionth time become more important than understanding every intricacy of someone else's thoughts? I'm not saying we have to time travel back to the 1950s, but bringing back a general romance wouldn't hurt anyone.

In lieu of this, I've become demanding. Don't play these mind games with me, tell me how you really feel. If you're here to waste my time, then find someone else's clock to run up, you're not using mine. If you're not trying to build something with me, then take your tinker toys to another sandbox, because I'm building a Lego castle; I'm building a future for myself and the kids I will inevitably raise one day. We're too grown to build and build, only to knock everything down. If your idea is to touch my body before you touch my heart, my soul, then don't even bother. I'm containing, and keeping, all the love I've saved up to give it to someone who deserves it. I refuse to pour all of myself into someone who will just take all of this away.

I'm setting out to grow. I'm setting out to make dinner for you so you can wash the dishes for me. I'm setting out to learn all of your favorite things so I can surprise you on a bad day. I'm here to lift you up, so you can bring me with you. I want to grow and build with someone. I'm not going to build you up so someone else can reap all of the rewards from my sowings.

If you're not ready for all of this, then find someone who is on your level. Don't take the love not meant for you.