what my relationships taught me

So, there must be tons of stuff that my relationships have taught me. Right? Tons, like...uh...well...

Hm.... Can't think of anything at all off hand. Because everything I think about that my ex-boyfriends taught me is what I don't want in the next boyfriend. Geez, that sounds terrible. And I'm sure it's not true. Actually, I can say that all my exes without exception are basically good people, we were just poorly matched.

So what has all the dating I've done taught me? Honestly, I don't have a great overarching lesson here. Except maybe to always be yourself, because however pretty the facade, a some point it will crack. I think it was Chris Rock who said, "You don't go on a first date with someone, you meet their representative." So I find myself often representing myself as the person who I would like to be perceived as being. My representative smells better than me, is tidier, is more patient than I am, and shaves way more often.

But what a self defeating practice. While there is nothing wrong with running a brush through my hair, I would do well to remember that the whole getting to know a person thing would be much easier if I actually let them get to know me.

But getting back to my original point, I guess it is good that my exes showed me what I won't stand for. Because that in turn, helps me understand what I do stand for.

And as my grandma would say, "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."
-Heidi