Then there’s just plain weird stuff. I was hanging around the Landfill this morning making gravy and of all the things that popped into my head, I realized that I was probably more upset when I was 16 and Bad Boyfriend dumped me than when I got laid off last week. I think I cried for days and had no appetite.

Jeebus. I was a pretty (I was told) but VERY awkward high school freshman when Bad Boyfriend noticed me and brokered a meeting with me through a mutual friend. Joan was her name. I did not have male friends at that time. I had no clue how to talk to boys. The mean old Grunchy old Grinchy didn’t count ’cause he was my cousin and my brother’s friends were just little kids.

Why did this *gorgeous* older (sophomore) guy want meeee for a girlfriend? We didn’t meet up all that often at first because we couldn’t drive and he lived out in Algonquin, a long way from my house. The first time he met my parents was when he walked me home from the Memorial Day parade. Thinking back on that, I can’t believe he would want to be seen with me, wearing my fugly band uniform. Or maybe I’m slightly misremembering. Anyway, The Commander, a teacher at my high school, asked, “Where did you find him?”

The Commander liked him all right but she was worried that I would turn into a fairly typical yooperland statistic, pregnant and married well before I was ready. That did not happen, partly why I was dumped. I knew I was college bound and he wasn’t, at least not yet. I learned through the grapevine that he was later regretful about dumping me but by that time we had both moved on to different relationships. His led him to an early marriage and children, mine into a more mature relationship with a college guy. That was “okay” back then, it is viewed as a bit sketchy now. But it isn’t always. That boyfriend was a gentleman and treated me very well. But I dumped him and a few years later, I ended up with the GG who gave me my beautiful beach urchins.

I’ve also figured out through the grapevine (and facebook) that Bad Boyfriend turned out pretty okay too. He did eventually go to college and earned an engineering degree! I am happy for him but I feel lucky that he dumped me and I ended up with the GG.

The point here is that life can be bumpy but it does go on.

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