Tales From The Trenches: Tale #49

Today’s tales comes to us from Beth of Hello, Splendor. I hope you enjoy! Kasey will be back next week. xoxo
I’m a 6-foot tall blonde. I know: ‘Cry me a river’. While most people would tell me that it’s a blessing, in the dating world, it’s a curse. When you’re that tall, you tend to feel a little less than feminine if you’re not dating a 6-foot-something guy. So, there you have it. My dating pool is smaller than most, because I am dead set on a height requirement. And, of course, in my mind, I’m the only one with this problem.

So, after countless mishaps with men (remind me to tell you about the drug-dealing doctor), I met a pretty cool guy: 6’-4”… dark… handsome. He fit my requirements just perfectly. We traveled together, dined together, frequented museums and just had a really amazing time together. I think we both knew that there wasn’t a deep bond there, but we just had a great time. So, one night we are out with friends having drinks, and I run into a guy friend of mine. I wanted him to meet the guy I was dating. I go in for the introduction, and my friend proceeds to whisper to me that he is also dating this same guy. And, by dating I mean having his way with him in the bar restroom. Awkward! Needless to say, that didn’t work out.
Like I was saying…countless mishaps with men…and still counting.

I hit the self-help books. And let me be clear: I’m not a reader. The extent of my library consists of shelter magazines and Twilight. But, this is what desperation will drive you to. I read He’s Just Not That Into You. I read Dr. Phil’s Love Smart. I felt so silly reading them, but I was in such desperation to find love that every page rang true to me. But, it still wasn’t helping me find my future husband. So, I decided I’m not looking for love. Because, like the books say, when you’re not looking for love, you’ll find it.
I focused on friendships. I found a great group of friends to have drinks with, dine with and just be single with. One of my favorite friends was this 5’-5” guy who was just everything you wanted in a husband and father of your children, except for the height. We had the best time together, but neither one of us would go there – 6” doesn’t seem like much, but the height difference was quite significant. But, I just kept thinking about him. I’d get excited to see him. What was that about?? Then I thought back to Dr. Phil. He wrote that “If you have a ‘type’, clearly that isn’t working out for you.” So, it all came together. I realized that I had a crush on the short guy. Those self-help books were actually good for something!

We go out drinking, get drunk, make out. Then we have our first date a week later. I wore 6-inch heels to see if I could deal with the height difference. And, you know what?? It wasn’t an issue at all. I had been so petty and it had ruled my entire dating life. How ridiculous. It’s amazing what doors are opened up for you when you set aside your vanities and just let yourself just see the person.
So, what happened to the short guy and me? I’ll save the love story for later, because it’s pretty epic. But, here’s what I can tell you: We’re married and have an amazing 8-month old baby. I married my soulmate and my best friend! It just took me a little longer to find him, probably because I couldn’t spot him in the crowd.

[Photos via Le Love and Sabino]