The best argument for dating is that it can lead to kissing. Smooching. Lip boxing. Inhaling face. Never forget that. A kiss is an immortal handshake. Sweating palms. A peppermint quickly chewed. Two tongues crashing into one another like a pitchfork of lightning bisecting a horizon. Kisses break spells, make promises, and start wars. And in the end, it’s like the game of poker.

If you stay at the table, you can either win or lose. But if you get up from the table, neither will happen. So play your cards. Always be honest with yourself and the other players. Never bluff. Sure, you’ll lose. But you can win. That’s worth it. All of it. It’s a game of chance. But as the poet says: one cannot lose forever. Keep dating. Keep losing. Eventually, all the pop ballads on the radio will play just for you.