Moral Combat: Public Displays of Affection [Stop in the name of love]
April 3, 2009
If you wouldn’t do it in front of your parents, then please don’t do it in front of me.
Looking back on my first Homecoming dance at this school, one thing in particular sticks out in my memory. Not the loveliness of my dress, the uncertainty of my budding frosh friendships or getting too excited when “Toxic” came on. The incident that comes to mind is going to get my purse and witnessing something that could be described as “excessive affection” by the student handbook. I instantly turned around and headed back to the dance floor, my face flushed and red.
Upon further realization, I decided that I had no reason to be embarrassed. The ones committing the act should have been humiliated by their behavior, not me. This experience is only one of the reasons why I believe public displays of affection (PDAs) are needless and done not necessarily out of attraction to each other, but rather to attract attention from others.
I admit, I’m definitely a bit more old-fashioned when it comes to matters of the heart, but I’m not adamantly against all forms of PDA. Holding hands? Precious. A quick kiss on the cheek to say hello or goodbye? Go for it. But engaging in anything more than that in the public eye is pretty unreasonable. Primitive, really.
Sure, I understand. You’re in love and you want everyone to know it. But unfortunately, life isn’t “The Notebook.” Watching the wild chapters of your fairytale romance unfold is not on everyone’s to-do list, and that fact should be honored.
No, I’m not just a bitter singleton jealous of all of the couples around me. When I’m in a relationship I prefer not to be put on display by my significant other. It seems to me that a couple hanging all over each other is seeking to be noticed instead of trying to foster their relationship. Acting properly in public is not only respectful for everyone else, but it also shows respect for one another.
Perhaps the most inappropriate place to participate in PDA is at school. Why would two people want to get hot and heavy when teachers and administrators are undoubtedly wandering nearby? Awkward!
As members of the human race, we should be able to control ourselves and abide by not only the laws of the school, but also those of courtesy and good manners. I’m not one to be all gung-ho about following every rule to a tee, but I do believe that there is a time and a place to engage in affectionate behavior, and school is certainly not that place.
I think it would be most fitting to end with a line from a well-known Bible passage: Love is never boastful or conceited. So the next time you feel like showing off your relationship to the world, please, think twice. Because Jesus can see it, and so can I.
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