MAN LINES

I have an unwritten list of five things that men say; and that women like to hear.

I call them my 'man lines' - and if women had any sense we'd get out of the relationship fast after hearing one of these sweet nothings! Hang around to hear them all and the relationship is doomed for disaster. Hear them all in one evening and you might as well write your own death sentence.

........................Because after the relationship has progressed from weeks to months, to even years, you can almost guarantee that at some point it will disintegrate into pain, heartache, emptiness and loneliness.

How could he have said all that if he didn't mean it - for life?

The 'man lines' (& I must stress, these are in no particular order):

We'll always be friends
You're special & I really care about you.
You're different.
I feel you understand me.
I'm not like other men.

I remember the first time I ever heard one of these 'man lines'. I was in my 20's and during the course of our relationship he used every single man line on me. To hear them for the first time, I must admit I was flattered, impressed and charmed.
I fell in love. The relationship flourished. How could it not; when the man lines were being frequently whispered in my ears? And I, in my naivety believed him.

That relationship came to an abrupt end when his wife discovered a letter from me in his briefcase?!

I consoled myself with the fact that I believed deep down, that the relationship was going no-where. After all everyone knows that married men don't leave their wives.

But the 'man lines' stuck in my memory. Why had he said them? How could he say them if he didn't mean them? If he did mean them; did that mean he wanted to be with me forever? What we did together, where we went together & things he said to me became a blur. At times I thought that I was over him; that I could cope. And then I remembered the 'man lines' and crumbled into a heap. It took me three years to get over that relationship.

And when I did and had a brief fling with a younger, more available man; I got fed the same 'man lines'. Only this time I had wised up and didn't believe them.

Just as well really because I certainly wasn't going to spend another three years of my life pining over some man who was obviously a liar. So; when he dumped me, I honestly didn't worry too much. Yes, he'd fed me all the 'man lines' ............. But by then I'd wised up - and didn't believe a word of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Though I guess the fact that I wasn't 'in love' with him, helped as well?!!