My last One-Sided relationship was more than twenty years
ago, but I remember the pain and humiliation like it was
yesterday. The big mistake I made was changing myself for
him.
Dave was so cute. I met him at a growth seminar, which
should have been a warning... he needed to grow.
Anyway, I fell for him, hook, line and sinker. Not only was
he very attractive, but he had a ranch just north of L.A.,
only about 30 miles from where I lived in Hollywood but a
whole world away. He seemed like a real person, so
different from the slick showbiz types I dealt with every
day.
I was working on a television show, so Dave saw me as the
glamorous girl from Hollywood. But instead of letting him
stay fascinated, I changed.
Overnight, I turned into Rebecca of Sunnybrooke Farm, riding
tractors and horses around his ranch, gathering eggs from
the chickens, getting up at the crack of dawn and going to
bed early. I turned my back on my usual artists and writer
friends to spend all my time on the ranch.
This was back in the days of "Free Love," so I didn't think
twice when Dave said we should have an "open relationship."
I really wasn't interested in anyone else, but the
relationship sure turned out to be open on Dave's side.
After learning to ride on one of Dave's horses, I became
quite attached to the horse, but she got sick and died.
When she died, I was there with the vet, holding the horse's
head. Dave was out, chasing some other girl. I tried to
care for the chickens but a coyote got through the fence and
killed them all. When that happened, Dave was out again, of
course.
Dave always wanted something more. He was always trying to
find a better, blonder, more attractive mate, and I was
always trying to convince him I was best. I kept thinking
that he'd finally see how perfect we were together.
The worst was the night he backed over my puppy in the
driveway and killed it while he was on his way to see
another woman. What made it even worse (if that's possible)
is that I took him back after that. When I think of what I
put up with in the name of love, I'm still embarrassed.
This was a true "Crazy Love" relationship, and they happen
to men as often as to women. If you feel like you're in a
one-sided relationship, read what
Colleen and Sandy Did For
Love if you want to hear just how nutsy these kinds of
relationships can get, then read "One-Sided Love" and "The Broken PopCorn Machine".
Related Keywords: Bad Prospects, Infidelity, Over-Romanticizing, Love Addiction, Dependency
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