“Distance makes the heart grow fonder”

Lauren has heard this proverb in many situations when growing up, but actually put it into application as she left for her first year of college.  She was separated from her long-term boyfriend in Los Angeles, but kept this proverb in mind to make things work.  She says that the time and distance apart from each other makes their time together more meaningful.  Though they get to meet every other month, summer, and winter break, the distance does not completely alter their affection for each other.  In fact, she says that their relationship is built on trust now more than ever, showing that the distance is actually better for them.  They lead independent lives, yet still depend on each other for support and a familiar face to talk to.  With today’s culture, she claims that long-distance relationships are sometimes helped by this proverb; instant messaging, webcams, and the unlimited phone calls make the difference.

Since this is from the American culture, the fast-paced lifestyle is expected to come with this proverb.  The American mindset is to be independent and ambitious, so it does not look on relationships as a restriction to one location.  In the past, when one is in a relationship, the woman traditionally stays with the man at home when he studies and works.  However, modern relationships have an equally divided role, where the woman needs to pursue her dreams as much as the men.  Thus, this proverb is very expected in American culture as the distance does not discourage a relationship.  On the contrary, the Americans reason to themselves that the distance actually helps them bring it to the next level.  This reasoning shows that the culture rationalizes things in order to pursue the American Dream, even relationships that can be put aside for awhile for academics and job purposes.  Today, distance could make the heart grow fonder, yet one has the choice to believe whether or not this is true and if it is applicable to everyone.