A Thanksgiving Story

I ran into an old boyfriend (or something like that) at Trader Joe’s on the day before Thanksgiving.

“My wife’s pregnant again!” he said immediately upon seeing me.

I guess he’s gotten over me.

For years his memory kind of haunted me, as it was filed under Stupid Things You Do In Your Twenties. (Not a short list). When we met I had just broken up with someone and in between arduous tormented relationships. Ok, so I was “rebounding.” But what could I do? I didn’t want to be alone and he had a hot English accent. Interestingly, he still has it. (I wouldn’t change it, either). We began dating a few months before Thanksgiving and so when the holiday rolled around, he invited me to spend it with his peeps.

While I’m hardly qualified to write a book about dating, it’s probably not rocket dating science to say that spending a family holiday with someone you hardly know when you’re hardly interested in a relationship is not a good idea. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer. It was just dinner and he really wanted me to meet his friends! It would be fun! Since he wasn’t raised in the US, I figured the holiday felt like Christmas to Jewish people. Being the codependent that I am/was I couldn’t say the one monosyllabic word that would set me free…”no.”

A very, very, very, very…VERY uncomfortable Thanksgiving ensued. Panax Ginseng: The roots of ginseng, also unica-web.com purchase generic cialis called red ginseng, has been found helpful in boosting erectile function. Penegra is check out that store buy cialis one of the preferred medicines for dealing with Erectile Dysfunction. One such sexual disorder that is ruining a levitra price click that shop man s life. I appreciate that some people feel that they shouldn’t cheap sildenafil 100mg give any personal details to anybody, for fear that they’ll be labeled as not being team players. (I want to say “awkward” but that word has reached a saturation point in the zeitgeist). I remember l feeling the eyes of his friends upon me all night. They could smell my lack of interest. I looked at my watch and waited for the pie. Thanksgiving never felt so wrong. (Yes, it has…but this time I felt wrong).

A few days later I told him it wasn’t going to work out. He gave me an appropriate amount of guilt and hate. Two things that work like a charm.

Nonetheless, he survived. I did not scar him for life. I probably didn’t even create a scab. He seemed happier than any man I’d ever seen while showing me pictures of his children. I felt so much relief.

Just for today, I’m codependent no more.