Crazyiest thing you did for love....and lost

What is the craziest thing you did for love and lost for it? Thats what I am wondering. I will start.

Back in the latter part of the 90s I was working as a cook at this restaurant in Colorado. The owner hired a group of British college students over on a work visa for wait staff. Now I liked all of them. They were polite and efficient workers. But there was one in particular that I fell for.

Her name was Joanne Rachelle Scott. I can still remember the name and the image of her is still in my mind even though its been over 10 years now and I have been married and divorced sense then.

So over the summer we had a love affair that to this day when I think of it, it warms my cold dead heart. But like all love affairs it had to end sometime and that sometime was the morning I drove her down to Denver International Airport and out of my life.

We kept in contact through snail mail. She would write me letters and I would do the same. I made her a promise that I would come to England to visit her. Well to make good on that promise I got a passport and tickets to England. I saved up some money and took the 8 Hour trip across the pond.

did you know that alcohol is free on overseas air rides?

So I get to London, now mind you I haven't ever been outside of the US before, and I had no real clue what England was all about. So I was lost

But I knew she lived in Manchester. So I thought I would start there. I went to the ticket counter at Kings Cross station and asked for a ticket to Manchester. The man behind the glass said that I couldn't get there from here and had to go to euston station. I being drunk and confused thought by his accent he said Houston station and I replied slurredly I don't want to go to Texas. So he spelled it out for me and gave me a ticket across London to the apropreate train station.

So I was off to see my beloved and I was going to ask for her hand in marriage. (read I am a dumb BEEP!)

So after a little while I get off at Manchester Piccadilly (BTW what the Heck is a Piccadilly anyway? sounds like a pickled lily to me) and I call the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with only to be told

"What are you doing here? I don't want to see you, I have a boyfriend already I cant be bothered."

Homer Simpson put it best

DOH!

reply to post by whatukno


Wow... I'd be surprised if anyone can top that one. I can't believe you went to that extent without discussing any of this with her beforehand. Ouch!! That really made an interesting read though.

Thanks but I think that there has got to be some others out there too. It was crazy to think that she would hold the same feelings for me as I did her but as they say I suppose it is better to have loved and lost.

I got over it went on got married to a lovely lady. Had a wonderful beautiful little boy. Then got my heart ripped out of my chest and stomped on yet again. but hey. What does not kill you only makes you stronger right?

reply to post by whatukno


You've got the love of a time waiting for you buddy, you've earned it right! Keep positive!

whatyukno... thats a sad story you have, some girls give the rest of us a bad name. You are stronger for it, so dont give up on finding true love.
dont give up, it might come along when you least expect it. but if you give up looking you may miss it. wish you well. i will have to think about when i was hurt worst... i will get back to you.

Paltry in comparison to your experience, OP, but painful at the time.

My very first 'real' job, during school holidays. One of the trainee-managers was a 17 year old guy who I just adored the moment I first saw him. Loved the funny way he walked .. way he talked ... his jokes, his smile, his adam's apple, the pimple on his chin, his old jalopy ... everything. Absolutely the biggest crush I'd ever had on anyone.

I desperately didn't want him to know, though. So I didn't tell anyone. Some might have worked it out, I think, but were quite rightly far more interested in their own lives to care, so my secret remained.

His mother used to come by sometimes. I adored her because she was the mother of the most wonderful guy on the planet. He played the drums in a bagpipe band .. I thought that was 'wonderful' too and used to make excuses at home in order to sneak up to the park on Sunday, where I hid behind trees in order to just watch him. When he took a day off work because he'd cut his hand, I carried on (in private) as if it were a national disaster. His father owned a shoe store, so he too became 'perfect' in my eyes.

One day I was trudging home in the rain and the Perfect Guy stopped and gave me a lift. I was struck dumb .. sat there paralysed, like someone who'd just landed in Heaven. Oh the glory of his sexy knobbly knees and the hairs on his wrist as he changed gears ! I floated instead of walking for weeks afterwards.

A new girl started at work. She was so exotic and beautiful .. I was awed. Couldn't believe it when she chose me as her friend. She was funny and smart as well as beautiful .. a real original. She stood out like a diamond compared to everyone else. I couldn't understand the bitching about her that went on in the staff-room. Told them they didn't know her yet, but when they did, they'd love her.

One day the Perfect Guy asked if he could see me for a few minutes at lunch-time .. said there was something he wanted to ask me. I nearly fainted, but nodded. Hard though it was to believe .. he must be going to ask me on a date. I'd never been on a real date and wondered how I would break it to my parents, who were very strict. As lunch-time rolled around, I was deciding on the names for our children

At lunch-time I turned up to find Perfect Guy lounging in the park at the designated spot. He'd never looked so devastating. I could hardly walk towards him with his eyes on me.

He was straight to the point. He had a favour to ask of me, he said. He looked a bit embarrassed. 'Yes!' was poised on my lips.

Then said he'd noticed I hung around with Lovely Exotic Girl. I nodded politely .. feeling very confused.

She's great, isn't she? he said. My face felt frozen, but I managed to agree .. yes, she's brilliant .. my best friend.

' Do you think she'd like me ? ' he asked.

You can imagine the pain. Beyond description, isn't it ? But the amazing thing is how you somehow manage to conceal it.

I nodded. Of course she'd like him. Who wouldn't ?

' Would you find out if she'd go out with me ? ' he asked. ' Would you put in a good word for me .. I'm crazy about her ... '

I nodded again, wordlessly, willing my face into a mask. He gave me a wink and then off he went, in that rolling, gorgeous gait.

I stood there waiting for the pain and mortification to subside long enough for me to make it to the ladies' rest-room. I stayed there, hidden in a cubicle for what seemed like hours. My brain wouldn't work properly. It was jammed, unable to comprehend all the conflicting emotions. In the end I returned to work on time, desperately attempting to appear and behave 'normally'.

There was just one consolation: in my shyness and insecurity, I'd never confided to Lovely Exotic Girl that I loved Perfect Guy. Thank you, thank you, God, I thought.

I loved them both. Should have known Perfect Guy would never want someone like me. What a stupid, conceited fool I'd been. And of course, I not only understood why he'd fall for Lovely Exotic Girl ... I agreed with him. They were both so perfect .. perfect for each other. I was lucky to be on their perimeter. But the pain was still there, no matter how much I told myself I had no right to feel any.

Of course I 'put in a good word' for Perfect Guy with Lovely Exotic Girl. Told her how much he admired her ... and would like to go on a date with her. Said how funny and original and popular he was .. good worker too and bound to go far ... AND played the drums and had come second in the State at long-jump.

Was sure she'd be thrilled to learn he liked her.

Instead, she wrinkled her nose and shook her head. I must have looked so stunned that she tried to soften her rejection by saying she was sure he was a great guy, but he just wasnt her type.

I waited a day or two, hoping she'd change her mind. I felt responsible for the situation. Meanwhile, Perfect Guy raised his eyebrows questioningly each time we passed.

Finally I had to deliver the bad news. Rather than hurt him, I said she'd said she was pretty busy most of the time. It was like killing Bambi. I would gladly have cut off a finger or something if it meant Pefect Guy didn't have to be hurt.

He tried to conceal his disappointment and embarrassment. I pretended to study something on the floor. Didn't know if I was supposed to leave, or what. Then he just walked away. Didn't look my way afterwards when we passed. Perfect Exotic Girl moved on several weeks afterwards .. off to the next chapter of her wonderful life. I lost both of them.

Many, many years later, I phoned an city broker in regard to a business he'd advertised. We spoke for ten minutes or more about the business, before he asked if I'd like to inspect it. I explained I lived interstate, about a thousand kilometres away, and would require him to send the figures, etc. etc. before I committed to an interstate flight.

At that point, he asked where I was located. I told him. Surprised, he said he'd grown up in that very same town. Questions back and forth for a minute or so, before it emerged that we'd both worked at the same place when we were young. He asked my name (the name I'd had then) --- and I looked again at his, in the advertisement he'd placed in the paper. ' You're not .... ? ' I asked incredulously ... ' Did your father own a shoe store .. did you used to play the drums in the bagpipe band ? '

He laughingly confirmed it. It was Perfect Guy !

He ruminated over my then-name (different to my married name, which I'd used when I phoned him) and exclaimed: ' I remember you ! You were the shy one ... from the children's department ? '

I confirmed I was she ... or at least had been she, once upon a time. We talked a little more about small-world. Then, on the spur of the moment, I revealed what a crush I'd had on him, all those years ago.

Ah, this next bit is nice. Untrue, I think, but nice for the 'me' of so long ago to hear. Upon learning I'd had a crush on him in his youth, he said: 'Gee, wish I'd known ... wish I'd known.'

LIfe does bestow little kindnesses, if you wait long enough, lol.

Whatukno, thats a sad story and I feel for ya. I'm always amazed by how some people can put their feelings aside like that and crush you. It reminds me of this guy I knew that abandoned his kid after his divorce, never paid a dime of his child support, doesn't send him anything, not even for Christmas, and posts online about the bars he goes to and the laptop he just got.

I dunno, it takes real some nerve to do that to someone, esp your own kid. I'm sure the kid feels like his heart was ripped out of his chest and stomped too. You know anyone that might feel that way in your life whatukno? I'm sure you do and you should be ashamed of yourself!

reply to post by Dock6


Ignoring the spammer let's continue...

Love unreciprocated is a difficult burden to bear. Oh how many times have I seen that cenerio play out in youth. I think it's a good thing (although difficult to understand at the time) to happen. It teaches us to not be so shy and to break out of our shell a bit.

There is this girl in my hometown that had that kind of crush on me. I was smitten by her but shy myself. We both wanted to date each other but it was either I was dating someone or she was dating someone so it never worked out. We actually became good friends later in life.

But it begs the question. Did I miss "the one"?

Good Story Dock6, that is truly painful.

Now don't say that your pain wasn't worse than mine. Pain hurts no matter what the circumstances.

Let's see, what was the craziest thing I ever did for love? Well this probably counts more as "stupid" than crazy, but...

My gf and I were in the last stages of our relationship and I didn't want to lose her. So I wrote a love letter to her and signed it "Your Aficionado". She was in college at the time and I wasn't, so I wanted to sound smart.

I can still imagine how she must have laughed at that letter.

It didn't work, btw. She dumped me for some guy named Al.

Thanks for sharing a difficult personal experience Love is God.
On a more humorous note, my personal best (or worst as you will) craziness was back in High school in the 60's. I had real short hair due to the fact that I attended an all male Roman catholic College prep school. The girl I was wooing was into long hair, sex drugs and rock and roll and lived on the other side of town. I actually got my hands on a long haired wig to try to change my appearance so she would date me. Needless to say my future from that point had very little sex and considerably more drugs and rock and roll.