I knew a guy in college who just didn’t quite get how relationships worked. He was a huge fan of Hooters. And if you looked at his Facebook page, you’d see just how much. Nearly all his pics were with all his “friends” from Hooters. Loads and loads of girls on every side of him, smiling like they were best friends.
Now, this post isn’t about Hooters. It’s not even about my friend going to Hooters. It’s about something that began developing in my friend as a result of this situation. He was just completely unhappy with the relationships in his life (at least the ones away from Hooters). He couldn’t figure out why his other friends weren’t as nice as these Hooters girls. They were so nice to him and everyone else seemed rather indifferent to him. Why didn’t people show the same interest in him that these girls did?
We tried to explain to him. Bro, you’re basically paying these girls for their friendship. It’s their job to be nice and flirty to you while you’re in the restaurant. Either he didn’t get it or he was satisfied with the fact that he was paying for their friendship.
You see, this young man had settled for counterfeit relationships. He’d settled for the fake because it was less work than the real thing. He wasn’t willing to do what it took to make real friendships that didn’t require a large tip for a plate of buffalo wings.
There are so many things life gives us that are fake versions of the real thing. Life hands us Hooters when we want intimacy. It hands us low-interest financing for that television when we want financial liberty. It hands us reality TV when we want adventure.
I’m not knocking any of these things. These aren’t the issue. The issue if when you settle for these things in place of the real thing.
We all accept elements of a counterfeit life. You need to see where have you been accepting the fake thing. Then make the decision that you want the real thing. And pursue that.
Don’t settle for a counterfeit life. Don’t you dare.
Idk if you’ve seen the Hooters episode of Under Cover Boss, but your post ties in with that episode greatly. Netflix it.
Haven’t seen it. I’ll need to check it out.
Excellent thought here!