Boushely

OPINION COLUMN Dear Becky

Editor’s Note: Each week I will respond to two or three questions or stories from readers. Along with my response, an actual psychologist or counselor will give their advice. E-mail your questions or stories to scrollopinion@byui.edu. The Scroll reserves the right to not publish any questions or stories. Write-ins will be anonymous, but please include your Rexburg place of residence.

I think that the Activites Council has yet to recognize and embrace the most participated in activity on this campus: dating.

But I think all students who have been on the Brigham Young University-Idaho campus for more than a week have seen the wonderful phenomena of dating, love and marriage that is not only actively participated in on campus, but actively marketed.

And no, you didn’t hear me wrong. It is wonderful!

Some may “claim” to find this behavior to be overbearing and disgusting, but I personally encourage and adore it, at least to a certain extent. And, before you make any assumptions about me, I am not a happily married woman trying to preach to the choir, but a single woman who is so in love with love.

I am a relationship counselor — and matchmaker.

I’m sure many of you are about to give up on me because you have had a dastardly encounter with a dear friend who tries to set you up with the first nice-looking turnip that fell off the truck. But I am not one of those.

I have yet to reach “Yenta” status, but I have setup two couples who experience matrimonial bliss, and I have urged along a handful of brewing relationships to marriages.

My next step to relationship counseling will be through the power I hold this semester as opinion editor.

As I have done with couples in the past, I wish to create opportunities on a weekly basis for readers and their special someones to realize how great they are for each other.

I hope to help those who are seeking a little extra push, those who have questions they are too embarrassed to ask their roommates or those who just wish to use my column as a way to share with others lessons they had to learn the hard way.

As many devotionals and firesides have told us, it’s time for all of us to admit that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have an obligation to find a spouse and raise a family.

It’s time for young women, including myself, to admit that no matter how bitter they seem, they have been dreaming of Prince Charming since they were conceived.

And for young men to admit that no matter how cool they seem, they’ve been dreaming of being the boy every mother wants their daughter to marry since they were in diapers.

I believe by sharing these thoughts anonymously we will all learn a little, laugh a little and begin to love love instead of hating every couple we see in the library or the park.

For 72 percent of the student body that is still searching for their eternal companion, this column could be a great resource.

And for about 28 percent who’ve already found them, I hope you get joy and laughs out of knowing that you don’t ever have to experience that bad first date or awkward conversation again.

Until next week BYU-Idaho, I’m listening.