I’m always speaking of how wonderful my wife is and how lucky I am to have her.  We have succeeded in creating a happy home with great children and amazing friends.  I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Obviously I had dated before I met my wife.  Many of those women I am still friends with- even my wife has become friends with most of them.  I am happy that this has been possible, since each of my exes have gone on to have pretty great lives.  They have successful careers, marriages, children of their own, traveled the world- you name it, they’ve achieved it.  I guess dating me made them have great lives.

Actually I think the women I dated prior to meeting my wife were all grooming me to become the best partner around.  I think they did a damn fine good job making me the man I have become for my wife.  However, I also missed many chances in the dating ecosphere that could have altered my life and where I am today.  A few times I knew there was a spark between myself and the women. On occasion I also knew that I was someone else’s back-up plan.  I’d like to share the woes of the ones who got away:

Through grades 8 & 9, there was a girl I really liked, but never had the courage to talk to her.  I moved schools for grade 10 and that chance was now gone.  The new school meant I could be a new me.  It also meant new crushes.  I was friends with lots of girls for the next few years until I graduated, but one other girl in high school stood out as the one I never had the courage to date.  

Early on in meeting her, we were partnered up for a school project.  This helped in giving me courage to talk with her.  We hit it off almost immediately, but in my mind she was out of my league.  I should have seen the signs that she also liked me.  I used to wear dress shirts over top of t-shirts (still do that actually).  One time she took the dress shirt from me and wore it for the day.  As we stood by her locker, she taught me the importance of hairspray and how it keeps static down.  We often walked to the local store on our lunch break.  I would lay awake at night running conversations through my head but the next day I could never manage to become her beau.  After graduation, she would come into the gas station I worked at and flirt- but at that time I had a girlfriend whom I was fond of, thus proving it just wasn’t ever meant to be.

Once I met a girl at a park bench while waiting for class at college. We connected immediately, it was instant chemistry. For those few minutes I was sure things were going to happen. She left with her friend, I headed to class and never saw her again. I never got her name or anything- I had lost her before I even had her.

After high school, there was this one girl who I would do anything for.  I would drop my plans just to hang out with her.  I thought she was amazing.  We had a lot of fun together, but it was never dating.  I finally asked her to be more than just friends… she said no, but vowed to be my second wife if at age 80 we were both alone.  She said this in a way that I knew she did care for me.  I wouldn’t say I was crushed, but we slowly drifted apart as friends.  I will hold her to her promise if required though.

I was always looking for a long term relationship.  My wife and I are a perfect match.  I’m really happy that she isn’t one of the ones who got away, but it was close to happening on our first encounter.  

That’s a story for a different time.