College Stories. My Girlfriend Is Too Naive--- Free [ RECENT ]

That’s when I realized I had it backwards. I thought I was protecting her. But she was protecting me. She was the one pulling me back from the ledge of cynicism that college so eagerly pushes you toward.

The dining hall is my personal nightmare. Emily treats the “leave a penny, take a penny” tray like a sacred charity. Last Thursday, she put a five-dollar bill in there “to help the penny economy.” I watched a guy in a wrinkled hoodie grab it without blinking. When I told her what happened, she said, “Well, maybe he really needed bus fare.” He was wearing AirPods Max.

My girlfriend, Emily, is too naïve for college. And I mean that with every ounce of love and terror in my heart. College Stories. My Girlfriend Is Too Naive--- Free

And I smile, because she’s already figured out something that most of us spend decades learning: you can be smart and still choose softness.

“You know,” she said quietly, “I’m not naïve because I don’t know how the world works. I’m naïve because I know exactly how it works, and I’ve decided it’s too exhausting to live like that.” That’s when I realized I had it backwards

But three months into the relationship, I realized that dating Emily is like being the designated adult for a golden retriever who has just discovered that doors exist. Everything is a wonder. Everything is an adventure. And everything is a potential disaster.

Last month, I had a breakdown. I came back from a brutal organic chemistry exam, convinced I had failed and ruined my pre-med track. I flopped onto her dorm bed and announced that my life was over. She was the one pulling me back from

She still leaves her laptop open in the library when she goes to the bathroom. She still Venmos strangers for “concert tickets” before they hand her the tickets. She still believes that the group project will be different this time.