Turtle Race

My hometown has a tradition where every 4th of July there is a turtle race. Just as it sounds, your turtle gets a number painted on his back and then he is placed within a big chalk-lined circle to race the other turtles to the outside. Yes, I am from a small town and yes, this was entertaining. Unless you are me. Most of the turtles would start going right away, some faster than others of course. Not mine. He stayed in one place, maybe taking one or two steps and then seemingly exhausted failed to move again. The other turtles were making their way to the outside of the circle and despite coaxing from me, my turtle did not budge. I thought nothing could move slower. I was wrong. There is someone slower.

Here's the situation:
Girl spends part of evening chatting with crush and subsequently ends up sending him an email which he does not respond to. Never one to give up on the first try, girl sends another email that which crush responds to but then she doesn't see or hear from him for two months. Next time she sees him, they again have a lovely conversation which leads girl to email crush her phone number only to have her phone take a vow of silence. Within a week, girl sees crush yet again and shamelessly reminds him that he has her phone number and nothing. This is the point where girl is to go home, listen to sad, wailing music and eat Ben & Jerry's while contemplating never coming out of her apartment again, right?

Optimists will say, no, hang in there girl. He's talked to you. He's responded to your email, don't be so quick to give up. But don't you think girl needs something to verify that he may actually be interested in her versus the fact that he is just a nice guy who responds when people email and talk to him? If there is a slim chance that crush likes girl, then he's not showing it and if he's showing it, he is moving at a very slow pace. Not unlike my turtle. What is the time limit before effort and energy becomes a futile attempt worthy of an entry in the sequel of 'He's Just Not That Into You'?

I mean the turtle isn't going anywhere, shouldn't he be taken out of the race?

To be continued...