Rotary Guide to Gen-Z Love: Because ‘It’s Complicated’ is an Understatement!

Ah, love! Back in our golden days, romance was about love letters, stolen glances at Sathyam Theatre, and standing in line for one overpriced cup of filter coffee just to make eye contact. Today? It’s all emojis, unread messages, and something called ‘soft launching’ (no, it’s not a Rotary event curtain riser).

Rotarians, if you’ve ever heard your Annette say “Amma, Appa, please stop embarrassing me!” – this guide is for you. It’s time to upgrade your vocabulary so you can participate in conversations without them texting ‘LOL’ in the family group.

Situationship:

This is the “neither here nor there” stage. More than friends, less than lovers – like the Rotary project that’s “almost approved” but never really happens. If your Annette is constantly texting someone but refuses to call them their boyfriend/girlfriend, they’re in a situationship. The best response? Just say “Ah, I see. Like how your mother and I started!”

Ghosting:

Imagine you’re coordinating a Rotary event, and the guest speaker suddenly stops answering calls, switches off their phone, and disappears into thin air. That’s ghosting. If your Annette is sad about being ghosted, tell them: “If they ghosted you, they’re not worth your time. Also, we Rotarians never ghost – except when asked to pay the bill!”

Breadcrumbing:

This is when someone gives just enough attention to keep the other person interested but never commits – like a past president who keeps promising to support but never shows up. If your Annette is being breadcrumbed, tell them: “Drop them like a service project that doesn’t have funding!”

Pocketing:

If your Annette has been dating someone for months but hasn’t met a single friend of their date or been posted on Instagram, they’re being “pocketed.” This is the modern equivalent of that “mystery new member” your membership chair kept mentioning but never introduced.

Soft Launching:

This is when your Annette subtly hints at their relationship on social media – maybe a photo of a coffee mug with someone’s hand in the background. It’s like putting up a Rotary Event Coming Soon poster but not saying who the chief guest is.

Benching:

Ever had a club member who says, “I really want to help, but I’m too busy right now,” while keeping you as a backup option? That’s benching in dating. If your Annette is benched, just tell them: “You’re the District Governor, not DGND!”

Rizz:

This is the new word for charm or charisma. If an Annette says, “Appa, you have no rizz,” it means you’ve lost your flirting game (assuming you ever had one). It’s time to upgrade from MGR-style romantic dialogues to something more relevant, like not sending ‘🙏 Good Morning 🙏’ memes every day.

Understanding these terms won’t make you younger, but it will definitely make you cooler in your Annette’s eyes. So next time they share their love life woes, you can say, “Ah, da! You’re being breadcrumbed! Come, let’s talk over some filter coffee.”

Love is timeless, but the language of love evolves – so keep up, dear Rotarians, and don’t let the Annettes leave you on read!

Rtn. Sashi, the romantic(!?) editor of this magazine, is a proud survivor of both a love marriage and a teenage daughter—two adventures that require equal parts patience and caffeine. When not juggling deadlines, he’s decoding Gen Z lingo and pretending to be cool.