Relationships. A necessary evil?

This random piece of writing is inspired by a recent entry on a friend's blog. Frustrated and angry at that moment he used some caustic humor to call our attention to the follies of relationships and the boys/girls/men/women that get involved in them.

So I wondered (as I often have and I'm sure many of you have too)- Why are relationships so hard? Do we even need them?

Seems like every kind of relationship we have formed, in this era, needs work-- friends, lovers, parents, grandparents, uncles/aunts, roomates, siblings, children, professors, the office chaiwalla, the local deli owner even our enemies are pretty demanding of the hate-hate relationship we have going with them.

Why? was it always like this. Doesn't seem like that to me.

Marriges worked (or so it seemed), children revered and respected their parents, siblings were loved, grandparents were honored, children were applauded and our chaiwallas didn't dilute our tea. Divorces were a tabboo and affairs were kept secret. Children were told they had to love and respect their elders.

As time progresses, people get busier, more ambitious, and more selfish their needs and expectations increase without the realization that they are asking for too much and giving too little in return. After all relationships are a give-give situation (in most cases) not a give-take (expect for most mommies coz I think a mother's love is unconditional).

In this fast paced, instantaneous world where we look for quick fix solutions from the common cold to food to mental disorders and marriages and relationships we are losing the will, time, patience and energy to keep trying.

So? So what now? So now what? Who knows...I say keep going at it. For the tough times in a relationship there are exponentially happy and comforting times. I don't think there ever can be a good enough, satisfying quick fix solution for our need for companionship.

At the end of the day that's what we seek out in some way or the other to soothe our souls...after all no man is an Island no?

guess we need eachother and the necessary evils of relationships. Tee hee.