Pros and Cons

Since I am strapped for quality blog fodder these days....and I really don't feel like whining about my problems......I have decided to share with you an interesting story about my past. Back when I was young and dumb....and allowed the lure of an incredibly handsome man cloud my better judgement!



The year was 1992 and I was a freshman in college....OH...to live the carefree college days again *sigh*! I had recently ended a tumultuous relationship and, along with my fellow 18 year old girlfriends, was on the prowl for some fun...and possibly new candidates for the BF category.



We were sipping cocktails at a high class establishment....and by this, I mean shaking our booties on the dance floor of a cheesy meat market type college bar....when I was approached by this man. Texas born.....he had all the swagger and confidence of a cowboy (good GRIEF I love me a cowboy) while sporting the looks of a preppy frat boy ( I also love a frat boy...hence my marriage to Mr. Mayhem). He was confident, without being too cocky, charming, a great dancer, and had the most amazing blue eyes I had ever seen. Needless to say....I was interested!



So began a whirlwind relationship......oh, and a whole string of lies (told by him)....just for good measure! He told me he had just moved here from Texas after finishing his degree in Chemical Engineering......he had been in the Marines.....(YUM....MARINES!) and that was why he had just gotten his degree. (He was 4 or 5 years older than I was) According to him, he was interviewing with many of the plants in our area.



I suppose there were some red flags that I MIGHT have been wise to pick up on.....but at 18...I was not all that worldly and, did I mention.......he was incredibly good looking? He was extremely possessive...when we were out together...he would not let any man within 200 feet of me....even if I knew him! (for story purposes....I shall refer to him as the C man) One night, a friend of mine decided to tease C man.....he came up, and wrapped his arms around me and told C..." She is mine!" Now, this guy and I were nothing more than friends....a fact I had JUST moments before discussed with C man....however, this did not hinder his violent response. Before I could say anything, C man was on his feet and busted a beer bottle over the other one's head! ( Oh yes....you read that right!) Would you think less of me if I told you, in my STUPID 18 year old mind....I convinced myself that this must mean he really loved me? Well....it did....I was young...don't judge me! :)



There were a few other aggressive episodes.....but NOTHING would compare to the stunts he would pull later in your relationship. One Thursday he told me he was going to interview with a plant. This plant is the largest in our state and I was excited for him to have the opportunity to work for them. That was....until I did not hear from him for the rest of the day and night...and WELL into the next day. He called me late Friday afternoon to tell me that he ( you may think you know what is coming next.....but just wait!) had been arrested for a DWI! Turns out my handsome friend had gone out partying with some of the workers after the interview, been overserved, and....like an idiot....he decided he was okay to drive....and, well, he wasn't! He blew over three times the legal limit and was promptly taken to jail.



I WISH I could say the story ends here....but it doesn't! In a panic, I call my father.......mind you, I was an extremely well-behaved child and never really gave my parents a reason not to trust me, and SOBBED how C man was in jail and there was nobody here to get him. Not being used to hearing me in such hysterics, my dad made the decision to go and bail him out of jail. As if that wasn't enough, he paid $2000 bond and signed the paper stating he would pay the other 90% if Cman did not show up to court. ( I am cringing right now....remembering him doing this!)



If ONLY the story ended here.........we continued to see each other and everything seemed to be looking up for him. THEN I noticed that my bank card was missing.....I didn't really give it much thought, since I never had much money in my account and I didn't need it right away. (yes...yes...yes.....STUPID...did I mention I was 18?) Of course, it became a bigger deal when my dad called me in a fit. His close friend was (and is) the president of the bank where my account was housed. The same account that my father had put the money to pay my tuition in....the same account in which I had bounced a check to the university for close to $2000.....the same account that I had noticed, a day earlier, my bank card was missing! In case you don't know.....bouncing a check over $1000 is a federal crime.....so, you can imagine he was less than thrilled and had the money drafted out of his account immediately! I had to confess to losing my card...and the search began!



Did I mention I was still seeing Cman at the time? Did I mention that...upon investigating, the bank found that whoever took my card knew my pin number? I mean...did not make a mistake....not even once? Did I mention that once I told Cman I was going to view the video from the ATM...I didn't hear from him again for a while? Did I mention that he was buying me junk with my money? Did I mention I was 18.....and STUPID?



I didn't hear from him for over a month......within that month...my father is BESIDE himself.....making me promise to get in touch with him and remind him to SHOW UP to trial. He called me late one night......out of his mind (drugs....alcohol...both?) telling me how sorry he was and that he was going to kill himself. I ended up having to call 911 and get them to go and pick him up! It was after they picked him up and we did some investigating.....that we hit with QUITE a surprise!



Just when you thought this could not get any better......he was wanted in 6...count them....6 states! He was accused of everything from assault to check fraud! NICE! My friends...I had spent the past few months of my life dating a professional con man.....a professional that my dad had bailed out of jail!

One of the first things my dad told Mr. Mayhem, when we were serious enough for me to bring him around the family was, "Just don't call me if you go to jail.....I will NOT bail you out!" Imagine how impressed MM was when I explained the reasoning behind this remark.

So....now it's out there for everyone to see......young, dumb, and in lust with a sexy Texan that ended up being BAD NEWS! ( Again....thank goodness for Mr. Mayhem!)

Any scary dating stories from your youth?