No Thanks, Chuckles.* in These Foolish Things

Oh PB friends, you’re so right when it comes to Chuckles. He’s a sweet guy and fun to joke with, but he took it too far and continued to push after sending me that text a few days ago (see previous entry).

I hadn’t replied to his text about writing a story about me, so yesterday I get this:

“A favorite saying attributed to Thoreau: ‘Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you it will gently come and sit on your shoulder.’ Happy 4th!”

Ughhhhhhh.

So, thanks to gentle suggestions (thank you!) and the uncomfortable silence I’d given Chuckles, I finally wrote back with this:

“Hi Chuckles, Happy 4th! I appreciate all of your notes and fun thoughts, but given the situation you have with your marriage, I’m not comfortable being more than acquaintances. I’m sure you understand. I appreciate you very much and hope you are healing nicely!”

Now, it’s not that I was making it a romantic rejection, but the fact that he was evading his wife when she asked who he was going to coffee with, telling her that it was someone who is part of the group he meets up with during dog walks in the evenings (but not saying exactly who, therefore making it a tease of sorts to egg his wife on), I thought it was fair to mention the marriage. He’s making it uncomfortable to even be friends, so I didn’t even put the friends idea on the table. I just don’t want to hang with the dude.

I sent that message around 8pm last night. I haven’t heard anything back, but I’m sure he got the message. I’m also sure I’ll see him again on a walk one night, so I’m hoping that it’s not an uncomfortable run-in, but it really shouldn’t be, right?

UPDATE: He wrote back just a minute ago: “I do understand completely. Even though I am not a Mr. Right candidate, it is better to avoid even the possible appearance of impropriety. Wishing you all the best! Give a scrunch to Martini for me.”

OK. Good.

Anyway, gotta run. Lots happening on the job search front, so I need to roll!

Happy 5th!
GS

Last updated July 05, 2022