recently I read a book called "I kissed dating goodbye". Although it's title sounds like it is a anti-marriage/relationship-Christian-brain-wash book, it is actually campaigning against the idea of dating as we know it. Christians or non Christians alike I believe that most of us wants to end up in a blissful marriange and be faithful to the special someone who is as faithful and loves u as much in return. Dating, with no intention of marriage in mind, totally reduces the chance of that. Casual dating hastens the progression of intimacy, and before you know it you are doing intimate things that you would only want to do with that special someone, though you know in ur heart that he/she is not the one. and by intimacy it is not just physical relationship and having sex, the emotional aspect of intimacy that is invested with time, attention and energy is also equally important and more often than not we are giving it away cheaply as well. so the advice of the book is don't get into a relationship until you are ready to marry the person but at the mean time prepare and equip yourself to become the person your husband/wife want to be with.

Coincidentally I finished watching all 5 seasons of how i met your mother and though the portrayal of relationships in the show is as casual as it can be ( esp w Barney, but he is awesome), but there are elements of the show that echoe with the book in terms of the longing of the special someone and how Ted evolves and get ready through the events that eventually leads him to his special someone. There was one scene where Ted was inside a car w Stella and he told her how insecure and unsure whether he will meet his special someone and Stella said: "she's on her way---



and she is getting here as fast as she can."