in defense of feeling - by miri - ephemeras

I told someone recently I was looking for love who responded “in this economy?" I feel pathetic admitting this, someone else texted me, but I want a boyfriend. When I scroll through TikTok, skinny women wearing sweatbands dole out romantic advice: if he wanted to he would, no sex until the third date, how to get him to commit, red flags, green flags, how to find a rich husband. There is a sense of embattlement that doesn’t seem particularly conducive to love. Everyone is holding their cards close to their chest, trying to play before they get outplayed.