SkoopaTroopa "Love Guru"

It's been a while since my last SkoopaTroopa post, and for that I apologize. I know that my 3.5 readers have been endlessly clicking the refresh button hoping and wishing that a new mediocre blog post would show up. Well, click no more. It's here.

This morning I had a conversation about Andre The Giant derail class. It was entertaining, and it has nothing to do with the rest of this post. But, I still wanted someone to know how awesome my class is. The importance of wrestling French giants should not be swept under the rug.

But, I digress.

In my Oral/Interpersonal Class we just finished discussing relationships. One of the things that we talk about is the dimensions of Intimacy. And, every time, I always laugh (and hurt a little) that my students water the idea down to include only sex. There's inevitably a back and forth about how sex does not an intimate relationship make. Many disagree, and maybe they still do after our unit is over. I don't actually know. But, I like to think I make a difference in their lives.

So, the first assignment I have them do is called a "Relationship IQ" assignment. They have to choose a relationship they're in. It can be anything (familial, friendship, romantic, other). And, they have to analyze the four aspects of intimacy: physical, intellectual, emotional and shared activities.

Once they've done that, they have to explain how satisfied they are with the intimacy in their relationship and/or talk about how to improve intimacy. I get to learn about their lives a little more. I also get to see practical application of some of the terms I'm trying to stamp into their brains. I think they get to learn more about themselves as well.

But, as with many things when I teach OIP, I always look at my own relationships. I think I am evaluative by nature, contemplative even. So, it's interesting for me to look at what I am and am not getting out of the relationships I'm in. It's also telling to see how I will pursue or hold onto relationships that really aren't doing that much for me.

I guess I'm not great at the Social Exchange theory, but it seems a lot like math and I don't like math.

This time around, I've cemented the fact that I am a "fixer". I see things that don't work and I want remedy that. I think that might be why I hold on to things for so long. I don't like to leave a project unfinished and I don't like to leave a person less whole than they might be. In doing so, I think I might leave myself a little underdone.