Quote of the Week:

Fairy tales are true not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us they can be defeated. - GK Chesterton (paraphrase.)

Significant Others

Spouse, Wife, Husband, Partner, Girlfriend, Boyfriend, Companion? What is this? What does it mean?

Here is a little summery of what I think they mean, whether they are accurate is a matter of opinion until some scholar decides to look into it and define.

They key to it is intentions, future plans, and commitment.

Spouse:

A spouse is either a wife or husband. They have made a commitment and now have "rights" so to speak over each other and obligations to their spouse. (Marriage is selfless) A married couple intends to stay together for as long as they live through hard times and good times, as said in vows. They have the right to assume the other will be faithful and remain committed to them and them alone. There is way more too it, but that is not the purpose of this post, so I won't go into it.

Partner:

A partner is more serious than a girlfriend and boyfriend and generally reserved for older people who are theoretically too mature for the ups and downs of a flimsy b/g-friend relationship.

It is associated with co-habitation. Some people consider it as good as a spouse, but it isn't. (Depending on what you believe in the Bible, it can also be considered wrong) The intention is to maybe stay together for as long as they live or just as long as they see fit. There is no commitment, like in marriage, and they have more personal rights and less obligations to the other, so, it's still "me"-focused.

For instance, it's a huge process to leave a spouse, but to leave a partner is as easy as anything.While marriage should be selfless, partnership is not so much. It is a stronger bond, though, than b/g-friend. People in partnerships don't generally move into spouse-hood. Why would they? In partnership, it is easy, there is not so much vulnerability or trust needed. But that is an entirely different topic that is way too big to talk about here.


Boyfriend/Girlfriend:

We all know what this is, right? The constant jumping from girl/boy to girl/boy. The heart breaks and infatuations. There is no future, there are no plans. The only commitment is - something. I guess a g/b-friend agreement is simply to be the other piece of that person and satisfy their emotional/sexual needs to the best of their ability for as long as the other meets theirs. It is generally selfish, "me"-focused, and based off of fun. Yes, it is possible to remain in such a relationship for the rest of ones life.

Boyfriend/Girlfriend relationships can move into marriage, usually not partnership, you'd stay boyfriend/girlfriend in that case, even in co-habitation. (That's where the definition gets a little weird and grey between the two). It can also be considered a form of courting, but I don't think so. Maybe it's the world's form of courting. I don't know, but I don't consider it a form of courting at all.

Companion:

Do you remember how it was when my grandparents were kids? Dating was a fun thing, not serious at all. You sorta just went out with random people?

Companionship is a term I have just invented to describe someone who agrees to go somewhere with someone and be their "partner" or significant other for that night - but I use the word companion because partner is already taken.There is even less commitment than b/g-friend relationships. It is generally among friends of opposite gender who are possibly friend-zoned or "brother-in-Christ zoned."

Companionship can lead into any of the above relationships.


Courting? Why haven't I mentioned courting? Companionship is actually the closest thing to pre-courting I can think of. The reason I don't mention courting is because courting is a stage, all the above are status-quo that can remain forever. Nobody courts forever. People court with the intention of moving into marriage. That is why it does not qualify for this list.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I went to see the midnight showing of The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. There were of course deviations from the book, but in all, Peter Jackson once again did a fantastic job, and I'll be the first to admit that I wholly doubted him and was proved mostly - only mostly - wrong. I think it is worth the watch. And a helpful tip, reading the book, trilogy, appendixes make understanding everything that is going on much easier. The actors do a great job in showing their deepest emotions in their acting, but reading the book makes it even better! :D That's all I'll say, because I don't want to spoil it for you, but I will say this: If you think they are going to give us a satisfactory ending to allow us to wait patiently for the next movie, don't hold your breath. Also, if you don't have access to a clock, then there will be several times throughout the movie you might think it is going to end, but it doesn't... it's long. That said, go see it! Have a great time! And read the books!

-Lynsi Keye