Did I Say That?!

Tweet

By Paul Dugan, Groovy Reflections Team Member

Sometimes the things we say can be hurtful, even though we don’t intend them that way.
   
Nowadays people hit send on their email and then try to claw through the monitor to get it back, because they sent it to the wrong person, or realize too late that cussing out the boss wasn’t such a good idea!

In the old days it was like that, only it was SPOKEN words we wanted to take back.
 
Back in college I was on a couple of sports teams. I was by no means a star athlete or anything but good enough to be on the teams and that was enough for me. Problem: Sports team schedules don’t always follow the academic calendar; often times I would be stuck all alone in my dorm room, while my roommates and friends were off on a long weekend. This, unfortunately, included any possible female companionship.

One weekend I was alone when a team mate, Bill, came by and asked me if I’d double date with him. I explained the dilemma of all the young ladies I knew were gone! Bill said, no problem, he’d have his girl, Daphne fix me up with someone. Now why do those words, even now, send a chill up my spine? I said “Sure, Why not?”

So that night we went to the girl’s dorm to pick up Daphne and my “blind date”, Jane. There’s that chill again! And it wasn’t that bad; she had a great personality and was not at all unattractive. Maybe not the kind of girl I would normally date but certainly a nice girl. We had an enjoyable evening at the drive in. Not what you think! In those days you could go to a drive in and pay by the carload (lots cheaper than the movies) and we had a good time. We dropped the girls off at the end of the evening and that was that!

 Or was it?

Some months later a similar situation occurred. A different friend, Ron, offered to have his girlfriend, Jacquelyn fix me up. We arrived at the dorm to pick up Jacquelyn and my “blind date”. Gotta do something about the draft in here; feeling a chill again. I proceeded to do the gentlemanly thing by introducing myself. Then she said “Of course I know you; we met before.”

We had?! Okay, you could see this coming but I didn’t; it was of course the girl I’d gone out with months before. Jane!

Before I could stop it my mouth started talking! I said (and I am not at all proud of this), “I remember! You’re the girl I went out with the last time I couldn’t get anyone else!”

No wait! Can I have those words back, please?

Jane burst into tears and went running back upstairs. Jacquelyn shot Ron and I a very evil look and ran after Jane. Ron looked like he wanted to cause me serious pain. Me? I was trying to see if I could hide under the carpet.
   
I never got the opportunity to apologize to Jane, so if you’re reading this, please forgive me; I never meant it the way it came out. Ron never talked to me again either.
   
I guess if there’s a moral to this story it’s think before you speak or hit send. I don’t have a lot of regrets in my life but as insignificant as it may be in the grand scheme of things, this was one.

Note: Names have been changed to protect the innocent.