'WHY DID I KEEP TALKING:' Girl breaks the ice with gym crush just to babble about how sweaty she is, internet still approves of flirtation

Have you ever tried to make small talk with a stranger you also happen to find cute?

It's called flirting, and it is NOT easy. Dating is difficult, we can all agree on that. Getting to know someone takes as much bravery as it takes vulnerability. There are a lot of awkward moments early on, things you're embarrassed to say, and anecdotes you wish you could forget. When you haven't built trust yet, it's hard to let the other person see your flaws. It's really easy to start overthinking and going down the rabbit hole, wondering, "Do they hate me now? Why am I so clumsy? Oh, please, don't let them realize I need to use the restroom." Yeah, it is as wonderful as it is stressful.

One girl posting on Reddit, who goes by u/Mundane_Mushroom_122, shared a fun story about this overthinking problem. She had been going to the gym and crushing on the same guy for months. When the guy finally talked to her, she embarrassingly overshared. Classic!  Yet, while she was still pining over that tiny mistake, people in the comments assured her she had nothing to worry about. See? Happens to us all!

The beauty of it all is that the other person is exactly on the same path of early madness. We all believe we're alone regarding those feelings, but in reality, it's a completely universal part of the human romance experience. 

One of the first vulnerable conversations I had with my own boyfriend was when we realized we were both into each other. I had spent at least four months trying to read the signals, decoding almost everything he said, every text he sent. I was both sure that he liked me and that I was imagining everything. Turns out, he spent the same amount of months trying to figure out if I liked him, or if I was just being nice. So, there you go. We all have shared experiences of awkwardness. 

This doesn't mean we're all gonna start embarrassing ourselves on purpose, that would indeed be weird. We still want to appear as sane human beings (or the next closest thing). But we also can't spend our days dwelling on all the times we messed up romantically. That way, we would never dare to try to get to know someone. So, in order for you all not to feel alone in the weirdness of the dating world, we present this girl's story to you. You won't only feel understood, but you'll also get a good laugh.