Girls, you know what I'm talking about. Guys, maybe you do too? Every former Laurel has one. Tucked into her scriptures, forgotten in a Personal Progress book, well worn in a diary, proudly displayed on her bedroom wall, or always on hand in her purse.
Usually written on plain white paper, the list is doodle-rific with hearts and swirls and pretty handwriting.
Most of us started the list the same way . . . . sitting in Young Women's, the often ignored teacher endures the eye rolls at the beginning of another Eternal Marriage lesson, knowing she has a secret weapon. She struggles to get every girl's attention as she prepares to announce "the fun part" of the hour. She may even have brought stickers, glitter pens, and scrapbook paper. The girls quiet down and stare their, "I so know this already" stares and try not to look interested. The instructor triumphantly holds her chalk in the air and reads, "Qualities I want in a future husband". The girls slowly reach for the pens. They write a few things down. Before they know it, the page is full of Mr. Right's prerequisites.
When I got this lesson, I happened to be writing a missionary (dumb) so I'm pretty sure my paper just said, "Elder Smith" with hearts and swirls. *headdesk*
But it saved me from The List. Which is lucky.
I rarely thought of The List again. I thought of it when a roommate's fell out of her scriptures. I thought about it when a friend was rewriting hers in her journal. I thought about it when a companion wanted to tell me all about hers. I gasped when I saw it glittering proudly on a 20-something-year-old girl's bedroom wall. Something about that pinky purple inked checklist made me angry. If I were a guy, I'd be TICKED.
See, you guys are always being measured against The List.
And The List becomes The Law.
And its more than just the churchy stuff on the list! It includes babysitting experience, attractiveness, hair color, financial stability, and a lot more.
I have really and truly seen many, many girls decide to never give some guys a chance because they don't fulfill the requirements of The List. "I'll never go on a date with him because he isn't a return missionary, has a student loan, wasn't given a leadership position on his mission, I heard him swear once, he is too short, he doesn't want x number of kids, doesn't have enough money, doesn't want a high enough paying job, has too long of hair, the wrong color hair, not clean cut enough . . . " Sound familiar?
This is wrong. Ladies. Throw away the list. You are a big girl now, capable of making good decisions and listening to the Spirit. You might strike someone out who would be really great for you. There is so much more to people than just the things on your list!
Spill, do you have a list? Does it rule your dating world?
Have you ever dated a girl with a list? Did you know about it?
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