This post will more than likely produce ridicule and jokes from some of my best friends, but that is what they do best.

As of tonight, I am officially a boy friend.

Julie and I have been “seeing each other” since September on something of an unofficial and casual basis. Over that time, of course, emotions have changed and we have spent more and more time together. There have been moments, like with the relationship with my son, where periods of no contact would lead to paranoia on my part but the moment we speak it was as if not a moment had gone by.

Last night I threw a question at her which took her a day to ponder. Earlier in the week I was showing a picture of Julie and her kids to some friends when one of them made the joke, “Oh, is that Johnny’s new girlfriend?!”

When I showed the photo to Julie and told her what me friend had said I asked her what answer she was comfortable with me giving. She answered that she was still most comfortable with the “seeing each other” kind of answer. Not wanting to push, I accepted the answer and left things as they were.

The very next day she brought up the question again. Saying that she had time to think things over and that I had made her happier than she had been in a long time and that she wanted me to be able to answer that she was my girlfriend.

While I have dated, and thought I was in this similar situation a few years ago until the girl turned out to be a nutjob, it has been 10 years since I was “in a relationship”. Am I nervous? Frak, yes! I am trying to take as much as I can from the bad history to make things work this time around. Yes, I'd be an idiot not to; I am sure everyone who has started a relationship says the same thing. Do I say the same thing each time I start dating someone?

Well......OK, yes.

It has been said I fall too fast. I'll take the wrap for that but this time I can say that, given certain situations in Julie's life, that I have taken the time with this relationship. I have taken the time to let the emotions grow and become real instead of a flash in the pan. Maybe I have learned something from my past.

Or am I getting ahead of myself?