Garrett Schlichte was exactly twice the age of his sister. When he was 28 and his sister was 14, she would dish to him on the phone about her teenage love life. But the feelings she was experiencing — like electric attraction and aching jealousy — were unfamiliar to Garrett. When he was a queer, closeted teenager, Garrett turned to romantic comedies to grasp the emotions of a real-life relationship. While his sister could revel in her teenage crushes, he had suppressed his like a secret. In today’s episode, we listen to Garrett’s essay about missing out on the thrills and challenges of young love — and what he has yet to learn. Then, we hear a Tiny Love Story about a woman who longs to get closer to someone who has grown emotionally distant.
Anna Martin: From The New York Times, I'm Anna Martin.
This is the Modern Love Podcast.
[theme music]
So I've been watching a lot of romcoms these days,
and my thing is like I watch them,
and I'm like,
this dating advice is awful.
Archived Recording: Men and women can't be friends
because the sex part always gets in the way.
Archived Recording: What exactly does third base feel like?
Archived Recording: Like warm apple pie.
Archived Recording: Yeah.
Archived Recording: Sometimes, you have to show a little skin.
This reminds guys of being naked,
and then they think of sex.
Anna Martin: I'm not taking this stuff seriously.
But when I was younger,
I kind of did.
When you're young and impressionable,
without much romantic experience,