skeptical in a free-loving world

i think being in jamaica has made even me more skeptical of relationships and commitment then i was previously. it's not so fair to say jamaica alone has altered my views, as it's a global issue and goes on every day in every town and city around the world, but since i have been living here for over a year i feel it's my only recent point of reference.

it's become a pretty popular and accepted cultural notion that people can have several partners, several baby mothers/fathers, and do this behind or, for those bold individuals, in front of their significant other. for the most part it bothers a lot of jamaicans, but it still happens. witnessing this and seeing it played out in front of me, whether through the eyes of my students or friends, has made me hesitant to think about love, commitment, much less a relationship.

i feel there's no point unless you just kill all your notions of love and become slightly desensitized. how does trust fall into place? ethics and morals flew out the window a long time, all around the globe. no one is phased by anything anymore. i'm all about freedom to live and love, but to the extent it doesn't start hurting other people, myself included.

the rise of love is beautiful and euphoric, but the fall is bone crushing and scarring. i guess it comes down to a game of chance and risk. many play the game well, despite their outcomes, i just don't see myself having too much success with the strategy.

so what does that mean for the future of relationships, love, commitment, families? are families just going to become a mix-up of several groups linked together through shared children? are relationships just going to become open-free, nonbonding, non-committed, passing flings? will love just disappear? or will it just be designated for your bloodline? it's happening, so you might as well start thinking about it and what this means for the future.