I used to try to fix her. I’d grab her arm when she tried to give her spare change to the guy selling “university-branded” umbrellas out of a van. I’d whisper, “He’s not affiliated with the school, Em. That’s a felony.” She’d just smile and say, “Or maybe he’s an entrepreneur!”
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. College Stories. My Girlfriend Is Too Naive--- Free
That’s the trick. Naïveté isn’t a lack of intelligence. It’s a refusal to let the world harden you. Emily has a 3.9 GPA. She can recite Supreme Court cases from memory. She taught herself Python over winter break because she was “bored.” But she still believes that if you just explain your feelings clearly enough, the campus parking authority will forgive your ticket. I used to try to fix her
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. That’s a felony
My girlfriend, Emily, is too naïve for college. And I mean that with every ounce of love and terror in my heart.
Emily didn’t give me a pep talk. She didn’t tell me it would be fine. She just pulled up a chair, handed me her laptop, and showed me a YouTube playlist called “Dogs Who Can’t Catch.” For forty-five minutes, we watched golden retrievers get hit in the face with tennis balls.
I was hooked immediately.