Ok, I found just the most adorable man – age appropriate – funny profile – cute pics – sweet! We texted back and forth like mad for days. The chemistry, the humor, the depth – wow, just spot on perfect! So – lets meet! I just can’t believe how easy this was! I shopped carefully, took my time – and it all paid off – I found him! Yea, me! Really – people need to know about this dating website thing – it totally works! If only I’d known about this years ago.
So, we make plans to meet at a bar close to my side of town – so sweet, right? He didn’t want me to have to drive too far. Aww….I can pick ’em, can’t I? I’m good at this.
We meet up after work – I’m a little late because I went to the wrong place. He was so cool about it though – he laughed! Again, I know how to pick the sweet ones, eh? I had feared he’d be mad, but he just thought it was cute that I went to the wrong bar…*sigh*…..be still my heart….
Evidently, he’d just gotten off work and come straight to the bar, and evidently, he’s a painter – not like a Picasso-painter, but like painting-rooms-painter. He apologizes for having paint on his hands. I found it endearing – he’s a hard worker! Nice!
We order some beers, start talking -great conversationalist, funny, smart. This is going so well. We go to order a couple more beverages and he says, “Take it kind of easy on me, I only have $19 until payday – which is 3 days away.” Hmmm….my first thought was “why didn’t you just ask me to meet you on payday….?” But – ok, so one flaw, one little reddish flag, not even red – more like a pink flag. Not a big deal – I mean, he can’t be perfect in every way, right? I’m certainly not – and everything else is exactly awesome, so I chose to overlook this little irritation.
Oh, but make no mistake, though, the red flag was coming….
Apparently – and I do appreciate the honesty – he had been charged with domestic violence…a couple times. Ok, that made me sit back and think for a moment. “Charged?”, I asked. “Well, convicted actually”, he replied. It was that moment the pink flag turned a bit crimson. Thank goodness, though – it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t do it, and the woman was just an angry, vengeful bitch. whew! I knew it!
Its at this point I had to think about where I was going to set the bar. If you’ve been charged, I can get passed it? But convicted? Well, as long as you didn’t really do it, then I’m still okay with it? Is that where I’m willing to set the bar? In the end, I decided I do have time to continue shopping….maybe raise the bar just a little.
No need to get discouraged, though. I’m making progress! I’m finding out what I want in a man and what I don’t want in a man, right? After some soul searching and really digging deep down into my reservoir of common sense, I decided that I’m going to put the bar right above ‘convict’. Yep. I’m making good decisions now. I’ve decided that Rule #1, I will not date convicts. Now I’m getting somewhere.
Back to shopping and *swiping!*…….I got this.
At least he told you I’m the 1st date!