A blonde peacock... I mean, penguin.
Watching the penguins going through life, just trying to survive and raise their young, made me think about all the complicated things we humans also go through, just for the sake of getting married and having children (or whatever ultimate romance-related outcome you're searching for).
Along our romantic journey, we experience this often-interesting thing called dating. Dating is an art form. It's a long and complicated ritual that I'm sure, if aliens were watching us, would look just like a March of the Penguins-type documentary.
Being friends with a bunch of 20-something singles/unmarrieds, I see a lot of human mating rituals. Yes, even we homosapiens do things like peacocking. For those of you who may not be familiar with the term peacocking, Urban Dictionary defines it as:
"Showing off or dressing nicely with the intent to impress and gain the attention of a member of the opposite sex. The term itself, originating at UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, comes from peacocks in nature who 'shake their tail feathers' to attract mates."
And yes, it does say, "shake their tail feathers," which I find amusing… but only because of the 2003 single from rapper Nelly.
Case and point: Whenever I go out with my friends, everyone dresses in what they believe is the most attractive outfit they own (and if you're me, you take it to the extreme and go out and purchase a new outfit for every out-of-the-office shindig, just because you want to be the best looking peacock in the muster).
Why do we do this? Because we want to appear attractive. We want to be the most striking person in the room, so that one special person (penguin? peacock?) will stumble all over themselves, just to get our attention. You'll meet this person, they'll be perfect, you'll fall in love, and that's that. Married. Kids. Success. (Death.)
But a lot can happen from that one fleeting spark across a dimly-lit gathering place to the altar. A LOT. And this is where the mating rituals get even more entertaining.
After that initial flirtation, once a couple has made it Facebook official, what does the next round in the boxing-match-of-love entail? Well, it certainly isn't peacocking.
It's a known fact that men go to sleep and wake up the next morning looking exactly the same way they did 8 hours prior. Somehow, overnight, women just deteriorate. And that first time the happy couple wakes up next to each other could very well be a big moment in the relationship, especially if you're a girl like me, who would rather chop off an arm or a leg than let a man I barely know see me sans-Mary Kay.
But nevertheless, this moment is one in just the one million that a couple will experience together, and could potentially affect the relationship in the long run.
Another one is the first big fight.
In every relationship, there will be fights. And with that, I just want to say that I believe even the art of fighting could be called an aspect of the mating game.
Now, I know the first rule of Fight Club is to never talk about Fight Club, but let's check this out for a second.
Ever notice your fighting style? Every one fights in their own special way. Some people yell, scream, kick, and cry (see: myself), some people get really quiet and shut down completely, and some people just shrug it off as if nothing happened, giving only the most deadly weapon in the English language, "fine," while they let the other person stew in their misery (see also: myself on a good day). Whatever way a person fights is ultimately a tactic of some kind… a part of the mating dance.
The problem with all of this is that every single person on this earth has their own style, personality and yes, mating rituals. How are we supposed to find that one person whose patterns match our own? Is there only one person in this whole world that is meant for us? Or like the Emperor penguins, is it possible for us to stay with one partner for a year, but find a new one when the first one doesn't deliver? If a partner doesn't "produce" (use this term in any way that you wish, whether it be by bearing children, providing for the family, or just making you happy), what do you do? And how can you tell when someone in fact, is the right person for you? Ultimately, when is the right time to take that next step toward the big M word?
Relationships are full of these complicated questions… ones that may have no real answer. Whether you're talking about penguins, peacocks or people, the only thing that's for certain is the mating ritual of life is definitely a long and tiresome march. But it's all worth it in the end, right?