By Mark Wagoner

Is there really a right way, place, or time to break up with someone? We all do it or get affected by it at some point in our lives. The true answer may never really be discovered. Breaking up is done by men and women in relationships. The girls tend to do it face to face beause they have courage. The men usually do not do it face- to- face or they tend to act like a moron to get the girl to break up with them. There are four main ways to break up with someone. The first way to end a relationship is face to face, which can be tough, but it is doable. The next way to end it is over the phone, acceptable, but not always the best choice. The third way is miscellaneous, which means it could be done any random way, and lastly there is my personal favorite to witness, the text message.

Initially, the main way th break up with someone is face- to- face. If you have been in a relationship with someone they you should feel comforatable enough around them to express how you feel and say things to that person's face, even if they might not agree with them as long as you are respectful. Doing it this way can be risky, depending on who you are dealing with, becasue this could result in a slap in the face. If you break up with someone face to face, especially if they are not expecting it, you might not want to do it where there are a lot of people around becasue that person may make a scene. They may cry, scream, or swear at you really loudly. If you are dealing with someone who is level-headed and normal, then breaking up head to head is not really that bad. Breaking up in person occurs between many people everyday and if it is necessary to end a relationship, then it thas to be done by one of the two people. Ending a relationship with someone face- to- face is really how it should end.

Next up, is breaking up with someone on the phone. This way is not as risky as doing it in person becasue you can't get slapped through the phone. One con to the phone is that you're still actually communicating with them and you might get yelled at or experience the crying part once again. The biggest pro of doing it this way is the fact that you're actually not looking at them. This may give you a little more confidence. Plus, you have the greatest power of all...the hang up. If you get nervous, then just quickly say what you have to say and hang the phone up, or you could also just hang up if they begin to yell at you. Why do you have to listen to them scream?

Let's go back to middle school for a minute. Weren't there just some great miscellaneous ways that people broke up with each other? In middle school when people would "go out," they never would break up with each other face- to- face. You would recieve a note in pink or green pen in you locker saying. "I just want to be friends," or a friend of theirs would pass you a note. They might just verbally pass the message through a friend, too. We all did it. I wouldn't really support breaking up with someone through a note or through someone else as you get older, but in middle school I guess it is okay. If you can find your own miscellaneous way to break up with someone on your own, then go for it.

My personal favorite breakup method to watch, especially for people in high school, is the text message. I'm sorry, but it's just downright cowardly and pathetic. Just tell someone for real, or at least on the phone. Most students do not have cell phones in middle school, so this way really just applies to high school students and older. Telling someone you want to break up with them through a message on your phone takes no guts. You don't even hear a reaction at all. You won't hear them yell, cry, be happy possibly, or whatever. You might not even get a reply. It's just wrong to do it this way. If you think about it, breaking up isn't the worst thing in the world. So if you're going to do it, do it right, and with some dignity. Look the person in the eye, or at least be listening to his/her voice.