To clarify

"I guess five years of dating puts you ahead of the crowd. You've got four years to catch up. Good luck."

This is what I mean: I've been there and done that.

I worked up the guts to tell Kent* I didn't want to watch a the movie that was coming out that we had been invited to see because of its rating. He said "Cool." And the very next week we doubled with his roommate and some girl. We decided to watch a movie. Kent* suggested a flick I hadn't heard of. We went back to his apartment and put it in. "Oh!" he turned to me after the movie had started, "this movie is rated [insert rating here]. We can leave if you want to." And that was it. I was left to feel like a fool watching the thing, or feel like a fool canceling the night's event for everyone. Doesn't matter what happened. I felt like a fool either way, and needless to say, I considered dumping him the next few days. I didn't. I figured I'd be "responsible" and stick it out. That's another story.

Lesson learned: Date someone who'll help you fulfill your goals and wants your comfort above his/hers.

I learned about a hundred more from that life altering "I think I may have ruined my life" fiasco. Unfortunately, Danny has to learn a hundred and one things himself. I can't just sit him down and tell him "Date someone who'll help you fulfill your goals" and have him believe it. He gets to be in luff and get hurt, and learn from it all on his own.

*Names have been changed to protect the reader