It's Christmastime, and you know what that means. 'Tis the season...
--To be dumped. That's right. It's the peak time for couples to break up. Not exactly the most wonderful time of the year for many in dating relationships. David McCandless and Lee Byron looked at thousands of Facebook status posts and concluded that there are more break ups in the two weeks before Christmas than any other time of the year.
The study makes sense. There's a lot of pressure at this time of the year. Individuals are evaluating their relationships with their significant others. Do they really want to get their boyfriend or girlfriend an expensive present when the relationship is going nowhere? Maybe the girlfriend is hoping for a wedding ring, and the guy realizes he doesn't want to marry her.
Meantime, there's the expectation of taking the girlfriend or boyfriend to a Christmas party, or the ultimate test, the holiday dinner with your family. Some realize the relationship is at a dead end and want to avoid those events. My case was a little different. I wanted to hold off as long as possible for my future wife meeting my family in Boston, so I wouldn't scare her off.
"Would you want to stay in a relationship that you felt was over through Christmas and New Year's?" McCandless told ABC News. "You don't want to be dogged by worries or pressure, you don't want to be worrying about the potential ups and downs in your relationship, you want to clear the space."
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"I think it relates to real life, probably really closely," Byron told ABC News. "Just based on anecdotal evidence, it seems to match up. Anyone who has looked at the chart tends to have a positive reaction."
So if you're dating somebody and you make it through Christmas, you're probably pretty safe. At least until Valentine's Day.
--While the F-M Area Diversion Task Force has been meeting, my flood insurance increased by another 12 percent. It's a lousy policy that I don't want and can't afford. Other than that, it's a great deal. I'm begging the task force to come up with a solution in which thousands of people like me don't need flood insurance, and properly protects our homes and businesses.
--If you are interested in a discussion on good government, feel free to come to an event in the Badlands Room at North Dakota State University's Memorial Union at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12. It's a project of the Northern Plains Ethics Institute. I will be co-moderating this event along with NDSU associate professor Nicholas Bauroth.
--Now that Donald Trump has claimed to turn down this year's Time Magazine "Person of the Year," because of the required interview and photo shoot, I can reveal I turned down an offer to be on the cover of GQ.
Shaw is a former WDAY TV reporter and former KVRR TV new director. He can be heard Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., on WDAY AM radio. Email jimshawtv@gmail.com
