If it is meant to be, it will happen. My parents would always use this phrase to explain any missed opportunity and provide hope that I may reach whatever goal I was attempting.

As I grew older, I applied this theory to dating. Any time it didn’t work out, I would find comfort in my parents’ scapegoat of choice.

Surrounding these words is the idea that there could be a second chance at a previously imperfect connection. But is rekindling an old flame ever a good idea?

My stance on the subject varies based on what parted the couple in the first place. If cheating, beating or deceiving drove the wedge between the twosome, perhaps a second try isn’t the best idea.

But what if the duo separated under more civil conditions? What if the two just went different ways? In this case, a glance in the relationship-rearview mirror might be a justified notion to entertain.

Any relatively intelligent person knows, hopefully, that entering in a romantic affinity with the expectation of possibly changing a partner will result only in relationship destruction. But with time, people change on their own, under their own terms, and sometimes these changes bridge prior differences responsible for the original break.

I’m going to make the bold assumption that no one is the same person they were two years ago, and most us think differently from just two semesters ago. We learn something new every class, meet new people and change a little each day by simply living.

In that aspect of thinking, a successful re-run romance is possible if the pair split on mild disagreements and the different viewpoints spawning the separation were minor.

I discussed the concept of repeat-dating with a friend, and he believes it’s not a bad idea if enough time has passed.

People have an emotional and intelligent side to their decision-making process … some follow their hearts, ignoring our brain screaming the rational action to take. When you like, love or lust after someone, you don’t always think in a commonsensical way – you make dysfunctional exceptions because your heart tends to lead you down a romantic road instead of a logical lane.

Perhaps that’s why my friend decided time could be the deciding factor in reviving a dead romance … when enough time passes, the butterflies tend to die, or at least migrate, and you can see the person for the person instead of the heart-shaped, pupil inducer they were when you still held hands and shared goodnight kisses.

So, is giving a cold romance mouth-to-mouth ever a good idea?

I believe it is … in certain cases. I’m not saying there is a high success rate of revived intrigues. But there also isn’t a high success rate of marriages either – and that’s not stopping people.

I realized my opinion when I was cleaning out my closet and found a fortuitous discovery – a pair of prom shoes I wore once. I realized I’m storing a pair of Enzo Angiolinis with the faint hope of a future occasion requiring metallic brown stilettos, but I discard guys without a second thought.

Sure, prom night I wore the then-too big shoes, I had a few blisters and my toes hurt for three days, but if I can find room in my closet for them, it’s not unreasonable to consider room in my future for a guy who wasn’t the right fit the first time I “wore” him.

After all, four years later, my feet have grown and the heels fit much better than the first time, and although I still don’t have an event to wear them, I’m going to store them in my closet since I’ve changed and know next time they won’t hurt my feet.

- Samantha Shelton in a junior from Auburn majoring in newspapers.