Dear Harlan: I’m a high-school senior getting ready to graduate. I don’t have the confidence to break up with my girlfriend, and I’d feel like a jerk for breaking up with her before prom. Should I stay together until after prom, or end it now? — Break Up or Not
Dear Break Up or Not: You’re going to be a jerk no matter what, but you want to be a sensitive jerk. The longer you wait, the more insensitive you become. If you already asked her to prom, it would be cruel to break up with her now. If you can respect her and treat her kindly, then stick it out. If you can’t treat her with respect, spare her the pain of wasting her prom on you. Let her spend prom night with her friends – and possibly that other guy who has had a secret crush on her. Whatever you decide, do it fast, and treat her the way you would want to be treated. Oh, and it’s not confidence you’re seeking – it’s courage.
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