Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Karma's Delicate Kick in the Butt

I had a tumultuous relationship with my college girlfriend. Not during our romance, but after. We were together for most of my junior year before I decided that I was ready to move on and unceremoniously dumped her. If that sounds harsh, it was. Although I was good with romance part of relationships, I was not so good with ending them.

Even though we broke up, our friendship lingered. We clung to each other because we didn’t really know what else to do. She still loved me and I wanted freedom, but didn’t really want to be alone. That’s how we ended up spending a rather uncomfortable drive across the country together. My fondest memory of that trip was driving through the breathtaking scenery of the Grand Canyon…fighting with her the entire time.

There were other incidents between us, which I won’t elaborate on here. Let’s just say that I didn’t treat her well. Most girls have a story or two about a guy who was a total jerk. I’m afraid this is how she will always think of me. In that regard, I guess I had it coming.

After graduation we had both moved out to California. Some time had gone by without any contact, when suddenly she called me. She said that she didn’t like where we had ended things (with her yelling at me for being a jerk) and she wanted to make it up to me. She had been taking some classes and her graduation was coming up. She told me it would mean a lot to her if I went. I told her that I would be honored.

She picked me up and drove me to a non-descript building out by the airport. She led me to a small, windowless conference room and rushed off backstage. Something felt off as I sat there in a stiff plastic chair in the middle of nowhere. When the ceremony started it quickly dawned on me that this was not the graduation ceremony of a continuing education course, it was a pyramid scheme disguised as a self-actualization course. I had been dragged to a sales pitch. And because she had driven me, I was stuck there. I was pissed.

That was the last time I saw her.

After the anger subsided, I felt bad for her. She’s a sweet girl but was not being approached by Mensa anytime soon. I can’t blame her for being sucked into something that was so obviously designed to lure suckers away from their wallets instead of truly helping them.

It was quiet as we crept our way through the traffic back home. I was silently seething but decided not to say anything and let it go. I had put this girl through enough crap over the years to realize that this was my karmic payback for the mistakes I had made with her.

13 comments:

Playfully Yours said...

Oh, Karma sucks!

Anonymous said...

Wait. Was she the presenter at this "ceremony"? And after all you'd been through, she actually thought you'd be interested?! Might jump on board her little ship and sail away toward piles of cash?

Silly people . . .

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

LOL, wow. Got to hand it to her, the girl has some courage to do that. I would NEVER. Outta sight outta mind with me.

I have a friend I treated that way. A guy friend. Where he liked me MORE than I liked him...I was young and it was easy to use him.

I think Karma has made that up to me two fold. I keep tapping out but Karma for some reason is still holding a grudge ;)

Great POST!

James (SeattleDad) said...

Wait, was she graduating from the pyramid scheme and wanted you to attend? Or was she just messing with you?

By the way, did you buy any soap?

SciFi Dad said...

I have a similar woman in my past, in that it ended badly and she continued to seek me out when I wanted nothing to do with her (I also did a shitty job in the breakup department).

She emailed me out of the blue like 5 years later when I was first dating the woman who would become my wife, and wanted to talk. I called her that night with my future wife in the room. Once she realized this (I intentionally paused in the middle of the conversation to ask MTM something) she quickly hung up and never called again.

Cajoh said...

I almost thought that you were suckered into being on Jerry Springer or something like that. Glad it was just some pyramid scheme.

DGB said...

This sounds disparaging, but it's the truth--she wasn't smart enough to mess with me. She was earnest when she invited me. She really thought she was taking a self-help class.

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

SciFi!!! That's horrible, ur poor psycho path ex!? ;)


DGB- and I have to ask... Why did you date her? Because obviously it wasn't her brain :) hehehe

DGB said...

Shelle...She was sweet and cute and, let's face it, willing to be seen with me. Plus it was college, I was not necessarily looking for an intellectual equal.

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

Are you saying that to not make Karma upset again?

I wasn't playing hate on her? I have no room to judge, I imagine she had her strengths!

But I get the cute and sweet part, gets those college boys every time... ;)

Anonymous said...

It could have only been better if she'da left you there without a ride home!

CeCe said...

I gotta say, you're pretty lucky that this was the extent of the karmic payback. When you said she left you in a room, I thought she was possibly just intending to leave you there alone with no way to get home. Perhaps I have a cruel imagination, but it could've been worse...

A Researcher of Life

heelsnstocking said...

its not good when it comes and bites you back!

WE BELONG