I haven't had a lot to say about dating lately, because I've been happy seeing one guy.
Let me tell you about my ideal man:
mid to late 30s
college graduate, preferably post-grad degree
never married
childless
shares my interest in pretentious bullshit stuff like Oscar winning movies and spelling "theatre" like that.
This guy I've been with--I'll call him Mike (because that is his name)--meets the following qualifications of my ideal man:
.
.
.
.
.
Yeah. ZERO. He is a 40 year old college dropout, is divorced, has not one, but TWO sons (15 and 19), and likes shit like hunting and fishing and going to the Bass Pro Shop.
BUT.
I like him. I do. I really, really do.
And I told him that. One night, as we were talking (... in bed), this happened:
Me: Mike?
Him: Mmm?
Me: I'm halfway to falling for you.
Him: That's just the orgasm haze.
Me: Nope.
So a week later, after not hearing from him for three days, this happened:
Him: Look you freaked me out with the gf talk. We had both said it was going to be about fun and that's it on the front end. You said u didn't want a relationship and hated kids. I'm not capable of a relationship right now. My kids are priority number 1.
Me: I know your kids are your priority. And truth is, I was caught off guard too.
Him: With them being so much of what I'm about I sometimes feel guilty about being away from them. They grow up so fast and I don't want to miss anything. Especially with the family and longtime friends I've lost lately it makes me even want to spend more time with them.
Me: I get that.
****
At this point, I obviously had to vent to my BFF, and this is the thing I wanted to say to him, but instead I said it to her:
WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK. WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING AFRAID? YOU DON'T ACT LIKE YOU FEEL GUILTY WHEN YOU'RE WITH ME. THIS IS JUST AN EXCUSE YOU'VE COME UP WITH BECAUSE YOU ARE JUST AS AFRAID AS I AM AND YOU KNOW IT. THEY ARE FUCKING TEENAGERS. EVEN IF YOU DO WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM, THEY HAVE LIVES OUTSIDE OF YOU. THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE AROUND YOU 24/7. OTHER PEOPLE MANAGE TO BE SINGLE PARENTS AND HAVE RELATIONSHIPS TOO; STOP BEING SUCH A FUCKING G.I.R.L. AND JUMP IN. MAYBE IT WILL WORK. MAYBE IT WON'T. BUT STICKING YOUR HEAD IN THE FUCKING SAND IS NO WAY TO LIVE. AND I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE SO DON'T TRY TO FUCKING PSYCHOLOGY YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS.
You can see that I definitely have FEELINGS about this. So many FEELINGS, in fact, that I even shared some of them with Mike, which is not the kind of thing I normally do.
****
Me: This is what I think, though, and if I'm wrong, I'm wrong: you're scared. That's fine, because I'm TERRIFIED. I don't want emotions, period, but here they are. And trust me when I say you are literally the last guy I thought I'd start to want to get involved with. You know what? You talk about your kids a lot. A LOT. And I don't mind it the way I mind with other people. I like that you're so cool with them and that you genuinely like them as people. Know how many other fathers I've gone out with more than twice? ZERO. So that says to me that you must be something special, because I NEVER break my own rules, but I was and am willing to step out on a limb for you. It is fucking scary out here, and I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing. I just know that, for now at least, I want to do that, whatever, with you.
[Note: That is pretty mature, I think. Even though dating, in general, has been a huge disappointment and a lot of wasted energy, at least I have gotten the confidence and training to just SACK THE FUCK UP and say what's on my mind, instead of passive-aggressive-ing my way through some kind of soap opera scenario that lasts for 30 years.
On the other hand, saying what I think can also blow up in my face and cause ME a lot of hurt and heartache, so there's ... THAT.]
Him: I've seen too many single dads get involved in something serious and their kids become secondary. I quit seeing a model I saw for a year because she got jealous of my time with them. Easiest decision I ever made. Boys need their dad period.
[NOTE: Why is it important to say his ex-girlfriend was a model? Know what that says to me, a non-model? "And if I didn't stay with HER, I'm sure not going to stay with you, YOU FUGLY COW." Oh, good. Pile it the fuck on.]
[NOTE: WHAT 15 AND 19 YEAR OLD BOYS WANT TO HANG OUT WITH THEIR DAD ALL THE TIME.]
Me: You know how I feel. I'll leave it to you then.
[NOTE: Knowing good and well it is not going to go in my favor.]
Him: Thank u for understanding. I'm going to think on this hard for the next few days.
[TRANSLATION: I am not going to talk to you ever again, and I'm hoping you'll forget to ask me about this, so we can just sort of let everything die from neglect, like a houseplant, or your lawn.]
[NOTE: THAT IS A COWARDLY-ASS MOVE AND IF I HAVE THE BALLS TO SAY I WANT SOMETHING MORE, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE BALLS TO SAY YOU DON'T. TO MY FACE.]
I hate men. I do. It was easier to be a non-dating rumored lesbian than to deal with the constant bullshit of mate-hunting.
Because at least, back then, I was a HAPPY non-dating rumored lesbian.
