Not too long ago I was at home, drinking water and minding my business. Suddenly there was a ping from the messenger app on my phone. To my surprise, the sender was a dearly departed, former male acquaintance - from an old relationship. A relationship that ended a long time ago. I mean, way back when T-Pain was popping and guys were wearing white tees and snap-dancing in the club.
My first thought was naturally, "what does he want??" Afer ten years of no contact whatsoever, I couldn't fathom why he would invest the time and energy into looking me up, composing a message and slithering his way into my inbox with regret, remorse, and explanation. Chile, please.
Don't take amiss, there weren't any hard feelings on my end. I mean, I had ten full years to purge all of the offense. I was just perplexed that he was still stuck in the past (and assumed that I was too) - but as you would expect, I kindly sent him on his way and gave him the closure that he may have needed.
After that happened, I couldn't help but look back at all of the relationships and complicated-ships, I had encountered in my twenties - and my oh my it's been a bumpy ride. I've dated some characters - everything from the womanizer, to the starving artist, to the commitment-phobe. There was even a time when I found myself on a "date", in a tent, in somebody's mama's garage (I wish I was making this up!). Although it's pretty embarrassing, I can sincerely admit that my dating life has been a hot mess.
I've said it before, dating is hard - but it teaches you a lot about yourself. As you go through this journey with different suitors, you begin to realize what you're really looking for in a companion. It can be draining, but the lessons you learn along the way are well worth your while. With all of that said, here are a few lessons that I've learned from my exes.