typically, i try to give people the benefit of the doubt. i am beginning to rethink that practice, especially where men are concerned. now, before you condemn me with your diatribe of “here goes another bitter woman,” permit me to explain myself. i have several married male friends with whom i hang on occasion. one of these friends constantly laughs at me for saying that married guys are “safe.” i believe in the sanctity of marriage, so my assumption is that when a married man says “let’s grab lunch” that is all he means.
i went to an art show with one of my married friends, and we stopped for a bite to eat beforehand. while we were dining, he casually tells me that he has divorced his wife, stating “i didn’t want you to feel strangely about spending time with me.” yeah, i didn’t, until he told me he’d divorced his wife! he then ended our outting by inviting me to a game of one on one basketball, needless to say, i never took him up on the invitation, i just felt strangely about the situation. fast forward to this past weekend.
i was doing my civic duty, registering voters and getting people to sign up for the early voter list. each person was supposed to walk their houses with a partner. i am minding my business when a very attractive man approaches and asks if i’m already partnered, i’m not. he asks me where i’m from and it turns out we are both new mexicans! we chat about loving to travel and the importance of community and civic engagement, and then he says “where were you when i was single?!” hold the phone. this sneaky sneaky so-and-so! there were a TON of other people there he could have partnered with, now i’m stuck with the married guy! to make matters worse, he called me “sexy shoulder girl” and at the end of our walking, he gave me his number and told me to call him if i was “going to be doing any more organizing.”
so from now on, married men are no longer in the safe category. i don’t want any angry wives chasing me down, that i can do without.