Two friends of mine, Stephanie and Mike, met each in a bar one night, several years ago. Steph had only just been dumped at the end of a painful and very one-sided relationship in which she gave money, time and emotion and received guilt, neglect and a bunch of anger. Mike had never had a serious relationship. He had kissed only one girl. This was at his high school prom.
They were both a little drunk but each found an instant appeal about the other, and the two stole outside together to smoke and chat. They sat there for hours, went through more than a pack of 25s and consumed an impressive quantity of beer and cruisers.
The gist of Stephanie's opinion was that there is no such thing as love; anyone who is interested in you is really only trying to get into your pants. Mike was saddened by this view, and said so. He said he pitied her having such a dim view of the world. Mike explained his view that one day a girl would actually listen to him and talk to him and like him for who he was, and not mind that he was really not all that attractive.
Stephanie was drunk enough to tell him that he was, indeed, very attractive and that he was silly to think otherwise. She said some girl would use him and spit him out and he would end up thinking as lowly of people as she did.
The two of them slept together that night, but both felt a little strange about it the next morning and actually went out of their way to avoid each other until just the other day.
Mike has since been in two very serious relationships that ended very badly, and in another very un-serious relationship which has never really started or ended, it's just a case of run-into, have-sex-with, go-home-without.
Stephanie has, meanwhile, actually met the person of her dreams, an older woman named Sophia, who, I don't mind admitting, is incredibly attractive for a woman in her early 40s. Rowr.
Ahem. Sorry.
The first thing that Stephanie said to Mike was "You were right", which was ironic because the first thing Mike said was "I was wrong", and they said it almost at the same moment.
Stephanie explained that her bitter opinion of people led her to try to be better herself, and had begun a crusade for world peace and conservation, which had led her to meeting Sophia. The two of them have found a love and mutual respect between them that Stephanie has, I don't think, ever dreamed of. She went on to say that she was wrong about everything she had thought, it wasn't that there was no such thing about love, it was just that it was incredibly rare. She stated, and continues to state very regularly, that she is one incredibly lucky girl.
(I have to agree!)
Mike told her that she is a fool and that Sophia will end up feeling too old and leaving her and that Steph will end up being hurt and angry just like before, because he now believes that all women are selfish bitches and that all men are just cocks looking for a hole. Even himself.
Another friend of mine is desperately in love with Mike and he doesn't know about her. She's very pretty, very caring and he's going to fall hopelessly in love with her any day now, and I know then that his opinion will change once again.
And with any luck, Sophia will cheat on Stephanie with... someone... And then Steph will, sadly, be alone and bitter again.
I think it just goes to show that no matter what you think,
you're wrong.
Especially you.
