Dear Cary,
I'm still single at 32 and hate it. I absolutely want to find and fall in love with a man I can spend the rest of my life with. The problem is, I keep ruining things by sleeping with men too soon, often right away. And each time I make this mistake, I am left even more hopeless, feeling worthless, terrified and convinced that I'll never find a man who wants more from me than sex.
Here's the latest: I met a great, handsome, friendly, smart, nice guy at a friend's barbecue. We clearly hit it off, had immediate chemistry, and proceeded to flirt all day. After the barbecue, we all went out to some bars, and we all got pretty drunk. I and my new man-friend continued to flirt, which eventually turned into making out on the dance floor. Fast forward an hour or so, and I'm happily going home with him, and we spend the night together. The next morning is nice, we exchange information and make plans to see each other again. But after our first real date, I never hear from him again. Because this is not my first rodeo, I slowly come to realize, AGAIN, that I've completely ruined any chance he and I ever had by sleeping with him right away. And it's my fault; I ruined it and now I feel absolutely worthless. The whole thing crashes down and it's MY FAULT. My fault for being spontaneous, for wanting to have fun, for being a fun girl. It's MY FAULT because it's my responsibility to say no, to know that a guy couldn't possibly stop it and beyond that, has no reason to do so.
I keep following this pattern even when I know it won't bring the outcome I want. But in the glow of the evening, all flushed with flirtation and fun and devil-may-care attitude, I just want to go with the flow, enjoy myself and have some fun. It seems like I have only two options -- be myself, have fun, and then get rejected; or be constantly on guard, suspicious of all men, keep them at arm's length, and maybe get a second date. Neither option seems ideal, but obviously the one I keep choosing is ultimately not going to get me what I want. I try to convince myself that I'm this sexually confident woman who doesn't follow traditional gender roles, but really I can't help believing that deep down, I'm just an insecure slut. I get opposing messages from all kinds of media -- books, movies, magazines, etc. -- some telling me that I should wield my sexual power how I see fit, others saying I should hold back "the goodies" for three dates, or one month, or 90 days, etc. So now I'm asking you. Am I sexually liberated, or just a slut?
Eternal Bachelorette
Dear Eternal Bachelorette,
I don't think this is about being either sexually liberated or just a slut. I think it's about your desire to move from one stage of life to another. It is sad to give up the fun and carefree ways of your current life. This behavior has given you much joy in the past. Yet it is not serving you now. It's making you unhappy. So you know you must give it up. But you keep doing it.
You don't think there's anything wrong, or bad, with what you are doing, but you don't like the results.
There was a time not long ago when you were fine with what you're doing. So what changed? You changed. You want something different now.
There's nothing wrong with that. It's a good thing.
But how do you become ready to move from one stage of life to the next? It helps to openly admit that it's going to be sad to leave this stage of life you've enjoyed so much. If there were a ceremony to signal your readiness for this change, that would be nice. Perhaps there are, or were, at certain points in your life, but their efficacy was lost, or they were not held at the correct time. But this is no joke.
If you meet a man you like and you are afraid you are going to do the same old thing you always do but want to do something different, before you do anything, call yourself a cab. Assume that you have nothing to lose by being frank and strong with this man. While the cab is on its way, take this man's hand and lead him away from the crowd and lean him up against the wall behind the dance hall and tell him that you are so attracted to him in such a special way you're likely to fuck him right then and there if he doesn't call you a cab.
If he says, "OK, you're a cab," maybe there is a possibility. Put a GPS device on him. Tell him the cab is already coming, you know how to call cabs yourself. Get out of there. Pray that the cab comes fast.
Leave. Go home. Take a shower. Drink some tea. Get some sleep.
Give away what you have been withholding and withhold what you've been giving away. That doesn't mean follow "The Rules." It means get real. Tell him you want a man to fall in love with and stay with, and if that's a problem for him then OK there are plenty of chicks. Plenty. Next. Not to be crass. But you have to come from a place of complete honesty and vulnerability and pain. Because if you want a lifetime relationship that is what it will be full of: honesty and vulnerability and pain.
It's complicated, OK? Every pattern of pain is different. It's your fingerprint of pain. It's your snowflake of pain. Everyone is a little bit funny. So study yourself. Begin a course of spiritual growth. Begin meditating daily. Begin asking yourself big, open questions and being ready to receive the answers.
If you seem to be "difficult" or "can't make up your mind" or are "wasting this dude's time," fine. Waste this dude's time. You are not looking for a dude who is checking his watch to see if you've taken your clothes off yet. Not because you're playing him but because you're doing just the opposite: You're being your true, cautious, wounded, loving self. Because for once you're going to take care of yourself and value your own timing. You do not want a man who is in a hurry. You do not want a man who is looking for convenience. 7-Elevens are convenient. People don't get married there.
You're ready for a new kind of life. Open the door to it thoroughly, passionately, completely, and I have a feeling it will come.
Act now for best results.
Thinking about marriage? See p. 42, 59, 88, 172 ...
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