Becky Brinkerhoff

You spend thirty minutes folding a stack of yoga leggings that are destined to be destroyed within the hour by a customer who responds to your cheery “How can I help you today?” with averted eye contact.

As long as both parties keep an open line of communication and respect each other, I don’t see a problem with pseudo-dating. And don’t be afraid to let casual mean something, either. Since when did meaning something to someone become a bad thing?

I am 20 years old and I used to wear a platinum purity ring, but then I lost my virginity to a frat boy. A frat boy I wasn’t dating, and never planned on dating.

Here was the mentality I grew up with: the world is a meat market and I am a steak. It was my fault if men were giving me looks and I was sinning by giving them something to look at.