I feel a bit strange about this one. Today, I spoke to my girlfriend after she hung out with her friends last night, she told me she had a great time but then laughed and said “oh yeah, they both told me that they think you’re punching”.

I panicked and said “that’s funny, my friends have said the same thing about you”. I realise it was stupid and although my friends have indeed made such comments in the past, it was wrong of me to try to fight fire with fire, I understand that. I guess I just felt a bit taken back and insulted, it was kind of hurtful that she was laughing about it and so I retaliated in pettiness rather than logic.

Here’s the thing, I don’t really think that I am punching. We seem relatively well matched. I’ve gone for girls who are, bluntly, more attractive in the past but preferred my girlfriends personality coupled with the fact that she and I share a lot of common interests. She is also beautiful, but of course, if we’re just going on looks, she isn’t the most beautiful girl I’ve been with. I put more value on the other aspects of our relationship.

I just feel a little insulted by this. Whenever anybody made a similar comment to me in the past, about the fact that she’s punching, I always immediately disagreed with them and of course, I would never even think of telling her such a thing as I wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings. It feels like both a slap in the face and quite an insult that her friends would say this, especially after one of these friends previously told her boyfriend that she thought my girlfriend was punching a few months ago. Again, I didn’t react to it at the time but now she’s taken it upon herself to bring it up I can’t help but feel a little taken for granted.

This also comes at the worst time, we’re currently long distance, lacking intimacy and I feel probably the lowest I’ve felt about myself in terms of attractiveness since I was 16.

I worry that I’m potentially overreacting and maybe this is something girls just say to each other.. maybe she just saw it all as a bit of a joke. But at the same time, I also feel extremely annoyed.

Any words of wisdom are welcome.