The Ones that Got (Ran) Away...

Over the past years(I'm 28 and I started dating around the age 5) I have dated a number of girls. I'd like to tell you the story about the One that got away, but how can something "get away" from you if you never really had it?

This is the story of my dating life, everything is true to the best of my rememberance.

When I was 5 I had a girlfriend names Suzanne, obviously I was not old enough to date, but I told everyone she was my girlfriend, we never really broke up, we had to move and that ended our relationship. She was the first girl I ever kissed, but she wouldn't be the last. I don't know why I didn't think that was weird at such a young age, but I didn't, I was never grossed out by girls, I never thought they had coodies, I liked them, and for the most part- they liked me.

I dated Melissa in the apartment complex at the age of 7. We went to the same private school and lived in the same apartment complex. I don't remember much about her, except that she sometimes road to school with us and I thought she was real pretty. And they called it puppy love...

Later, possibly a year later, I dated a girl named Cammy. We were a real hot item, she was cute and we were best friends. I don't remember what she looked like at all now, but even after we moved away we stayed in touch, at least we did until we had a car wreck on the way to her house in Dallas... that relationship ended with a Bang- literally.

When I was nine or ten I dated a girl named Angela Puckett. We both went to Liberty Christian School. We dated for almost an entire school year, she had beautiful red hair, blue eyes, and braces. I stayed at her house for a week, her mom took us to Six Flags. I ended that relationship and I don't remember why. I remember later a girl named Gina Espinosa asking me out with a piece of paper, "Check Yes or No", I told her that I wasn't ready to date, and found out later that Angela had put her up to it. She wanted to know if I would date Gina because she was popular and pretty, but at the time, I really was tired of being attached.

After Angela Puckett came Angela Dawson, she was hilarious, and pentecostal, and we never were really an "item", but we got along famously and I took her to prom. I was a freshman and she was a junior. We left the Pentecostal Church and since Angela's dad was the pastor, that ended that relationship.

Next there was Jacinda, she was older than me as well, we went out on actual dates ni her car, I was 14, she was 16. She also had fiery red hair, but her eyes were green, not blue like Miss Puckett's. She was embarrassed to take me home to Mom and Dad and introduce me as her boyfriend. It was really akward when my whole family went to her house for dinner and she introduced me as her "friend". Later that night my parents left, hers went to bed, and we watched "Pretty in Pink" on her couch. My most memorable part of the night was that her Christmas tree was all pink and light blue pastel. They had wrapped the trunk of the tree with a myriad of lights and so it seemed to emanate brightly from within and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, our relationship fizzled after that, and I moved on to Misty.

I left Jacinda for Misty and we had a whirlwind romance. She was a fast mover, I remember her kissing me, tongue in mouth, and it freaked me out a little bit, but I liked it, I liked it alot, but at the same time I was raised to be a good Christian boy, and I felt like I was doing something really bad. Misty and I dated for about 6 weeks. She left me because of my ethnicity- she had no idea I was part black.

I remember it so well, her sitting down with me, looking at me, she had such a pretty face, dark black hair, green eyes, white teeth. "My mom said I had to break up with you because you are part black." Could she have said anything worse? I don't think so, she could have at least made something up, something I could change, something I could work on, lie to me for heaven's sake!!!

This seemed to be the beginning of the end for me...

I took a girl named Michelle to homecoming, she liked me a lot, we didn't really hit it off, she eventually dropped out of school my senior year.

Grace came to Liberty after homecoming. She was a little wild, but really good looking, she was very different, blonde haired, and sassy. She knew how to talk ghetto, and she liked dark skinned men- she liked me- I think- that's how it was with her, she kept you guessing, I liked her games, I liked her.

She was supposed to go to prom with me, but then she got grounded for stealing and getting caught. She acted like it was no big deal, and she had money too, but she lived with her grandmother- that was probably why she was a little wild.

Since Grace couldn't make it to the Prom, April Burke stepped up and went with me, it appeared that both our dates were unable to make it, we went to the Reunion Tower and had a fabulous time. She was very pretty, we had a great time, but she was out of my league and we just stayed friends after that.

I dated a few girls in College, but I only really remember Emily. She was fun, and rowdy. She loved to country and western dance, and she was hot. She was confident and fun, and she lived in a cool house in Gainesville and drove an extended cab full size Chevy- she later moved to Ft. Worth and started working at the Reatta restaurant- we were never really more than close friends- but I sure wanted to be more than just friends...

I also went out with a Jehovah's witness once. We had a couple of lunch dates, and then I took her to dinner, we had an okay time, nothing spectacular, but at the end of the date I gave her a quick kiss on the lips. I called her later that week and she berated me over the phone telling me that, "She was not that type of girl" and that "I took advantage of her" I was shocked and embarrassed, and appalled, I don't remember her name, but I remember thinking she was psycho, fortunately we didn't have any other classes together. I saw her 6 months later and she came up to me like we were best friends, wanting to chit chat, I gave her the Eskimo and she finally apologized, she claimed that, "I was having a bad day that day when you called." No, I'm not still bitter, but I was for a long while afterward.

After that I didn't really date anyone, I have gone out with numerous other girls since then, none of them serious, some of them disasterous. One that left me in a bar in Dallas, one that had a five year old kid at the age of 19, one that had an ex-husband that I only found out about later, two that I met through a dating service online.

Then there was the one that I was in love with, the one that I thought I could spend the rest of my life with, the one that I knew that I didn't deserve, and never thought I would be able to have. This proved to be true, but it proved to be for the best.

I doubt that I could ever have given her that happiness that she desired, even though I have a knack for making people happy. I was not the man of her dreams, apparently I didn't add up to her specifications, it didn't mean that I was less than what she desired, perhaps I was more. Everyone has different needs, and when two people are meant to be together, it's like they just fit, like puzzle pieces. I always seem to be that piece of the puzzle that looks like it will fit, but then it doesn't, it's really, really close, but the right piece always fits perfectly. I realize that now, and I don't try to force it.

I still love Nikki like a sister, she is one of the most wonderful people I know, but I know we were never meant to be together. I appreciate her friendship, her kindness, her cooking abilities, the way that she loves people, and horses. She is so genuine, and so wonderful.

I am so happy now that she is in love, and engaged to the man of her dreams, someone that fits into her life, someone that she can grow old with, and be happy with. Everyone deserves someone special. That type of person that when you see them, your breath catches, your heart races, and you know without a doubt that with that person, no matter what happens, as long as you are togehter, everything will be alright.

Congratulations Nikki and Jeremy!!!!