More and more, it’s becoming to do so.

I’m guessing the advent of social media has been a large influence.

And, with the advent of social media stars become superstars more quickly.

But neither you nor I are stars, much less superstars.  (Forgive me if I insult you.)

It’s a popular, even fashionable, entanglement. 

One where each side coyly digs for the scratch on their own back by enumerating the good things in the other side.

There’s another word that looks and almost sounds the same as coy, namely, cloy.

And that’s how the conversation turns when each side wants the other to scratch their back.

Some of the synonyms of cloy are, syrupy, sticky, sugary, sickly, and saccharine. 

In a word, gross.

But it’s amazing how easily we plumb the depths of our own base nature.

And all we get, if the game is played fairly, is the same base nature given back to us.