Love Stories

In honor of Valentines Day I thought I would share some of my dating stories. I trust that these will highlight and give reason for my bitterness towards Valentines Day:

The Halloween Day Massacre
I had been dating Michelle for almost 6 months. We had started out pretty well but had been on the steady road towards breaking up for sometime. The night before Halloween we are on our way to meet friends for dinner and she decides that this would be the appropriate time to bring up the long term future of our relationship. In my normal manner of evasiveness I tried to change the subject but eventually we broke up just in time to arrive at the restaurant. We had to spend the rest of the evening in pretend mode since we were with another couple. But that isn't the worst part of the story. I already promised her daughter Risten that I would take her trick or treating for Halloween and so I had to go back the next night and see Michelle again and walk the neighborhood with her and Risten. I've never viewed Halloween the same.

You've Got Mail
Ever since college I was infatuated with Laura. We never dated in college but always kept in touch and had an on again off again relationship for the better part of 8 years. This relationship culminated in her visiting me while home from the mission field. We spent the first couple of days in Lansing and then met again in Chicago for a romantic weekend. During that trip we talked about the future and when we kissed goodbye in the parking lot I thought we had taken a serious step forward. Three weeks later she is back oversees and I am in Mackinac Island for a political conference. I go to the internet cafe to check my email and have message from her. In it she explains that she just met another guy and was dating him instead. I can honestly say that I usually know when things are going south a in relationship but that email came as a real surprise. Up until she got married last year, she would still call me but after that email things were never the same.

No Field of Dreams
My freshman year of college I met a woman named Crystal. All the guys in my dorm had a crush on her but somehow I was the lucky one whom she chose to take home with her for Thanksgiving. The night before while bragging to my friends we all thought that I would be kissing Crystal in the corn fields of Iowa. Well things didn't go as planned. When I got there, she basically pawned me off on her family while she went out with her high school friends. I remember one night sitting on their hard backed couch with her Dad watching the sound of music while he shared his storied of visiting where the film had taken place. It might have been the worst evening of my life. To this day, I am still not sure why she invited me home with her. The worse part was having to admit that I had struck out to all my friends.

The Not So Great Escape
When I lived in Washington I met a woman name Lila. She was smart, funny and sexy and we soon became friends. After I moved to Michigan I went back to DC to visit and went out with Lila. I had a good time but I wasn't really looking for a relationship especially at the time with me living so far away. So on the day of my flight back home I decided I would call her during the day so I could just leave a message on her answering machine explaining that I had fun but I wasn't interested in dating. Well wouldn't you know, she was home that day from work and she totally caught me off guard when she answered. I have never sounded so stupid in my life trying to explain why I called. I tried to stick with my script but it was a lot harder talking to her in person than leaving a message. Needless to say she wasn't impressed and I haven't seen her since.

Shock and Awe
A couple of years ago I became friends with Sheila. She and I had similar interests and eventually during the summer we spent a lot of time at her parent's pool relaxing together. To everyone on the outside, they assumed we were dating and it felt like it often times but we never really discussed it. I was okay with that type of relationship but apparently she wasn't. I remember one day at work I called her because we were going to concert and I wanted to find out the details. During our conversation she asks if she can bring a friend and I was okay with that until I learned it was a guy named Troy and she was bringing him as her date. I was shocked and I remember thinking so does this mean that she and I aren't really dating. In retrospect I blew it. I really miss her parent's pool.

Wedding Crasher
I met Andrea at work and we hit it off. As usual I like to take things slowly to allow my charm to take effect before making my move. I guess I waited a little too long this time. Just as I was getting my nerve up to ask her out on a real date, she tells me she's getting married. I knew there was another guy in the picture but he was kind of a dork and I never really pictured him as much competition. Fast forward a few months to her wedding. She asked me to sing at the wedding and I have to say I have never sounded better. Apparently I must have made quite an impression on Andrea. As we were dancing at the reception she whispered in my ear how much she loved me. If only we she had been drunk and danced with me 6 months earlier.

Out Of My League
One of my closest friends in college was a girl named Stephanie. We were from the same hometown and we just clicked right away. There was one problem. She had a boyfriend back home. So when valentines day rolled around she was going to the banquet with her boyfriend but I still wanted to spend time with her. So I asked her roommate Ruth out so we could double date. It was big mistake. Ruth was attractive but we didn't have anything in common and during the date she was most annoying person I have ever been out with. Every question I would ask her was responded to with one syllable or less. I am not sure if she was nervous, a mute or if she knew that I was only using her to be close to Stephanie. Either way it was a horrible night sitting in the silence watching Stephanie make out with her boyfriend. Now for the rest of the story. Stephanie and I both graduate and go our separate ways and then I hear through a couple friends that she had gotten a divorce. It's sad I figure but it may have provided me the opening that I finally needed. I look her up in the alumni book and send her an email just to see if she might be interested in getting together. Well it turns out the reason she got divorced was because she was a lesbian. I guess I never really had much chance to begin with.

I could go on and on and on but I need to save some stories for next year's valentines day post. Who knows I might even have a few new ones to share.