Not long ago I spent some time chatting up a nice young man who happened to work in the freight-hauling industry. This is noble work, it seems to me, and my interest was immediately piqued by the idea of getting busy in the sleeping quarters of his semi.
What? Don’t tell me you’ve never fantasized about that!
But it came out in the fullness of time that the semi was his only means of getting around, so that if we went for dinner, our conveyance would be his semi or the bus. I did not rule the man out upon hearing this information, but I was puzzled.
Then the man saw fit to share with me—unsolicited!—a series of letters he’d written to his ex-wife, letters he’d written in an attempt to find some meaning behind their breakup. With much trepidation I opened and read the letters while he anxiously waited.
Many, many things were revealed in these letters. Oh, many many things. I’m not sure what compelled him to ask me to read the letters, but I feel that my talent at getting people to reveal their deepest secrets goes wasted every day I’m not working for the CIA.
Perhaps he thought that the letters would show up the failings of his ex, but as is usually the case, writing about the faults of another mostly serves to demonstrate the all-too-human fallibility of the writer himself. Or herself.
What was revealed in these letters was that unfortunately, the man in question had a very serious issue with drinking. His drinking had put him into a substantial degree of debt. It had left him without the resources to fix his teeth, which he eventually lost. All of them. And it caused him to have issues with bladder control while under the influence.
I read his letters and then politely (I hope politely) disengaged myself. This was a situation far beyond my capabilities.
But I had to wonder what business this man thought he had out in the dating field. Wouldn’t his time be better spent nursing himself back to health? Shouldn’t he deal with his own issues before venturing forth on a quest for lurve?
I pondered this in a deliciously self-righteous manner for many long moments before it occurred to me to wonder how many people have thought the very same things about me.
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***My pal Omnipotent Poohbah has now returned from the great cyber graylands, wherein he languished for ten long days while the web host that I recommended failed to petition him out of purgatory. I feel so guilty, OP! But I’m very glad you are back.***
AAG, I hope you at least pumped your raised arm up and down as he drove away so that he’d honk that big horn. I love that.
XX
i don’t wonder if you should date precisely BECAUSE you ask yourself such questions. weird but true.
No teeth – oh man.
I agree about your almost magical skill in drawing out confessions and secrets – I’ve fallen victim to that myself, haven’t I? ;o)
At least you have all your teeth, AAG ;)
xooxoxox
(Date onwards! I’m dating vicariously through you.)
Back from a Sexuality convention that I wish you could have attended as well, having met my favorite sex celebrity Tristan Taormina and Tony Comstock as well (they both said they loved your blog), I will say.. honesty usually brings forth honesty. Despite the sometimes curving time lines, your writing is honest to the core, and it moves me, and obviously others.
big hug
E
wow, he doesn’t sound like the catch of the day. I’m interested to know in what venue you and this gentleman managed to engage in conversation.
I hope he realizes that he needs help and gives himself the recovery time. It’ll make him happier in the end.
Was I seeing things, or were there once two new posts where there is now one? Something about the sbtx? I know I’m exhausted, but I don’t think I imagined an entire post that suddenly vanished into the ether.
I think everyone’s entitled to love, and to search for love.
(that includes you!)
xo
Yes, for some reason a year-old post showed up here. I have no idea why. So I deleted it. :)
I truly believe that some people think that they need not do anything and want someone else to repair them.
Consider yourself a work in progress, aag – you are constantly working to improve and refine.
Thanks for the shout out, but don’t worry about the ISP. Guano happens with everyone.
So:
If everyone who had “issues” stayed out of the dating pool, eHarmony would dry up. Everyone has them.
As for why he’d write them, maybe he was looking at his disease rather than the symptoms. Maybe he was alcoholic, toothless, and penniless because he was just a lonely coot who doesn’t know how to fix himself…or rather maybe knows how, but just finds writing the letters a whole lot less work.
I’m more concerned about why he is driving a semi, capable of killing multitudes of people in one fell swoop, when he is an alcoholic.
Call me madcap.
Yeah.
That thought crossed my mind too.
:)
I think his problems come from that nasty feature in all of us – we tend to focus on the worst thing about ourselves. And when I say worst thing, I mean what we ourselves consider to be the worst thing, not what others may think. This lonely guy clearly doesn’t have a problem with drinking too much or it’s associated issues – he needs a woman by his side. That absence is *his* worst feature.
Remarkably, upon meeting somebody for the first time we become acutely aware of *all* of their problems, it’s only once we’re in love with them that none of them seem to matter.
Sex in the bunk is rather kick-ass ;) One of my favorite places, in fact…
Really?
I want to KNOW ALL!!!!!!
TELLLLLLLL!!!!!
This guy isn’t still drinking while he’s a truck driver right? Cause I am scared enough of semis on the road already…
Although, I will admit, that idea about sex in the bunk is kind of hot. :-)
Being married to a truck driver, I have at least weekly access to sex in the bunk. We’ve done it in the Walmart parking lot, truck stops, and even our own driveway. It’s basically a portable sex chamber.
You can leave the bunk curtains open if you dare, but we’ve found the best way is to have front window curtains closed, bunk open, fan running. Since the walls are very near, you can put your feet on them easily. The room is limited, so you can’t get too acrobatic, but the thrill of rocking a semi in a public parking lot is pretty seriously HOT.
Then, of course, there’s always the ultimate thrill – all curtains open, standing between the seats (recommended only if you keep a top on), with him behind you, plowing you until your knees collapse. Yeah… we like that one ;)