Long- distance relationships are nothing new. Actually, since ancient times, long- distance was probably the method of courting used most often, especially by aristorcracy. What held these relationships together? The various forms of existing communication. From messenger to carrier pigeon, to pony express to morse code and the telephone, lovers have developed some lasting and some not so lasting romances. For Romeo and Juliet, banned from being together because of family rivalry, communication came in the form of Juliet's nurse and Friar Tuck. Abelard and Heloise had a more difficult time communicating because they had few allies helping them with their scandalous and destructive affair. Personally, I've always thought the idea of waiting for a letter from a loved one, (remember, it could be weeks or months before you'd receive anything) to be very romantic.

Communicating via the telelphone added a new dimension to the long-distance relationship. Now lovers could experience each other not only by what was being said but also by the tone in which it was being communicated. This could be a good or a bad thing. It makes me think of the movie, "Singing In the Rain". As the movie studio moves into the age of the "talkie", the silent film star's most annoying voice destroys her career. I wonder how many relationships were destroyed that way?

And now we have progressed to the internet. I find it interesting that we have gone back to the written word as our primary form of communication, or at least initially. Yes, you may have web cam and chat talk; you may scan and email your pict but primarily it is through writing that we communicate in our internet relationships. How does one deal with these relationships? Is there a fear of misunderstanding because tone quality in missing once again? Is there the fear that we may not be communicating with whom we thought we were communicating? What does it feel like to finally make that first phone call after weeks or months solely on the internet? This issue's interview attempts to answer these questions. Stephen Black, author of "Loving Your Long-Distance Relationship" discusses what to expect from your on-line romance.