Does a karaoke song influence my perspective on my partner?
Here are a few initial clarifications: * There is an age difference between us, which might spark concerns about the sustainability of our relationship. However, we both want a committed partnership; they expressed sadness and confusion when I suggested a more casual dynamic. * If you're curious about our relationship, you can get a sense of it from this story :) **Context:** We’re at a karaoke bar, and my partner is taking the stage for their first song while I sit with their friends, whom I'm meeting for the first time (though I’ve met some of their other friends before). We’ve been together for eight months. Part of me wants to brush this off, but I can’t shake the feeling I had while sitting with their enthusiastic friends, enjoying the song "Escape (Piña Colada Song)," which speaks to the idea of growing bored with one’s partner (and even worse, refers to an "old lady"). I know a bit about their musical tastes, and among other themes, they tend to gravitate toward that "summer love" vibe. We actually met during a summer romance after a punk-rock concert. Does anticipating the future change how we experience the present? How can I fully invest emotionally in this relationship when I feel a sense of uncertainty? It doesn’t seem like a conversation I should have with them (after all, it was just a song), but it continues to nag at me.