Evolutionary road.

How long does it take to really get to know someone?

My answer: A lifetime.

People grow, people change - we all have our highs and lows; people are, in a word, fickle.

Myself, included.

Watching 'The Bachelor' yesterday has stemmed these thoughts. Me and some gal pals were watching this quality television last night, and mind you, we were appalled by most of it, but more specifically, with how quickly these ladies were enamored by this one gentleman. Admittedly, it's a sad, degrading show, but on the positive, makes we girls feel a whole lot better about ourselves. Because let's face it, I will never be that girl, which essentially, makes me absolutely, and quite contently, normal. Thank goodness for crazy chicks.

These said 'locas' are already head-over-heals with Bachelor Boy, which spurred the conversation of how long it takes to date and get to know someone in a real and intimate way. One gal pal stated that a full year is necessary, as the initial intoxication eventually wears leaving room for a more authentic connection, whilst another stated that she knew within a few months that this guy was different from the rest. These arguments are not new sentiments, no epiphany there. All the same, and in my opinion, the views of both girls are right. I believe you can know somebody is worth your while on day one, and not surprisingly, know them that much more by year's end. And chances are, five years later, you'll know this person on yet another bona fide level.

This isn't exactly rocket engineering. If, however, evolutionary people go into relationships understanding that coupling is an evolutionary process, it's possible to know early on that you want to engage in this process with this person. The highs and lows of love, from euphoria and bliss and onward down Evolutionary Road, are all part of the experience of getting to know somebody through and through. And getting to know them profoundly and with deep passion, may also very well involve some bewilderment along the way, but taking the good with the bad is perchance, what separates the happy couples from the not so happy singles.