Paticus' Past: Volume 1:Dumped In the Public Library Parking Lot....

Okay, since only Feral Mom expressed an actual preference, I will start the Paticus' Past series with "Dumped In The Public Library Parking Lot".

The year was 1992,I think,( you would think that the year would really stick with me, but it could have been 1993, blame all those chemicals I "accidentally" ingested for 5 or ten years of my life- I do know it was after we graduated from college.) and it was autumn, bordering on winter. I remember that, because I remember the walk home being cold.

If it was 1992, I was partially employed. I had actually returned to the job I had all through high school(talk about growth), and I was the night/weekend custodian at the church across the street from my house(I have some stories from that job, but I will save those for the Employment Chronicles-coming soon to a blog near you). If it was 1993, then I was employed as a Fuel Allotment Engineer at the Texaco on Piermont Road.

Anyway, we had both graduated from college and returned to our respective parents' houses in our small New Jersey town. My Special Lady was working in a law firm and talking about going to law school. I was trying to figure out how to become the next George Lucas(the fact that I lacked any discernible filmmaking talent didn't strike me as a deterrent).

Being my oblivious self, I thought we were doing great. I quite obviously was wrong, as I was soon to find out. The more I think about this, the more I think it was 1992, because I worked until 7 most nights at the Texaco, and I don't recall the conversation happening that late at night.

I get a call from My Special lady and she says she needs to talk to me, can she come pick me up ? I say sure. I am not sure if I had any inkling of what was to come at this point or not. I might have, because she very rarely borrowed the car from her folks, but I also might have been blissfully unaware of that foreshadowing.

She picks me up, and I ask where we're going, and she says how about the parking lot of the Library. Now, I know I would have thought this was odd. It was not a secluded lot, so there was not to be any hanky panky, so why else would we be going to the Library ?

We drove along quietly for the 3 minutes or so it took to get there, and then she parks the car and turns to me. Now, I definitely don't remember the specifics of the conversation. I know it didn't turn into a fight. There wasn't any name calling or any of that. It was basically, "I don't think I love you anymore. I think we should go our separate ways." I don't know whether I pleaded my case or not. I kinda doubt that I did. My self-esteem issues probably had me agreeing with her. I do know that we both cried a bit about it.

I don't recall whether we officially exchanged the "let's be friends" line or not, to tell you truth. We knew a lot of the same folks, so I like to think that we would have at least tried to be friends, but you never know.

When it was said and done, I gave her a hug(we may have kissed) and decided that I would walk home. On the walk home, the strangest thing happened to me. I realized that I actually just wanted her to be happy. I know that sounds all Drew Barrymore movie-ish, but it was how I felt. Believe you me, I was as shocked as anyone. I am a relatively petty motherfucker, and I would have expected that walk home to be filled with all sorts of "She'll be sorrys" and all that crap, but it wasn't. I simply realized that I did love her, and I wanted her to be happy. If that meant that she needed to be happy without me, then so be it. It was a weird feeling. I had never really thought about how much I loved her before, but I guess I loved her pretty deeply. And I still do.

Shortly after I got home, the phone rang. It was My Special Lady..."I think I made a mistake."
So that was it. Our breakup lasted about half an hour.But for me, it was a very revealing half an hour.

And there you have it, "Dumped In The Public Library Parking Lot". I hope you enjoyed it.