I'm Scared For The Future
The story
Hey all
I'm 16 and there's a girl I really care about. We've become quite close, we both like each other and there's a very strong chance that we'll start dating sometime in the next year. I genuinely think she could be someone I want to be with for a long time.
I recently found out that she's actually 15, not 16 like I had assumed. She's only a little over a year younger than me, so the age difference itself isn't really what bothers me. What it's made me think about is the future.
When I finish school, I want to move interstate to study musical theatre. Depending on where I end up, I could be hundreds of kilometres away from her while she's still finishing school. If we're still together at that point, we'd potentially have to do long distance for quite a while.
I know plenty of long-distance relationships don't work, and I'm scared that we could spend years getting closer, building a relationship and making memories together, only for distance and different stages of life to eventually pull us apart.
I know that's not necessarily going to happen, but I can't stop thinking about it. Part of me wonders whether it's worth allowing myself to get really attached when there's a possibility that I'll eventually have to lose her anyway.
At the same time, I don't want to avoid something potentially wonderful just because I'm afraid of how it might end.
But if I could just know. If somebody could promise me that everything will be okay, then I could relax. But nobody can. I'm stuck grieving a future that only exists in my head for now.
I think that's why I love theatre and performing so much. Because I know how the story will end. But I can't open the script to 10 years later and see where we're at, where I'm at.
I know nobody can predict the future, but I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in similar situations. How do you deal with knowing that someone you care about might eventually have to go in a different direction from you?
Stories in the same category
Points of view
Totally relatable, especially when you're planning out your future and there's so much uncertainty. I remember being in a similar spot at your age; there was this girl I really liked, but the thought of college coming up made everything feel temporary. What I've learned since then is that relationships, like life itself, are full of unknowns and unpredictability. Have you had a chat with her about where you both see yourselves in a couple of years? It might be helpful to know if she’s on the same page or if she's got a different outlook.
sounds like you're overthinking it a bit, man. you're 16, she's 15, that's not some massive age gap or anything freaky. the future is gonna be full of "what ifs" and it's impossible to avoid them; i remember when I was your age thinking about all those possibilities just made my head spin! maybe try focusing on what's happening right now instead of getting bogged down in what might happen years from now??? relationships evolve naturally... let whatever happens unfold, don't stress too much over something you can't control. who knows, things might work themselves out way better than you expect!