1.4 blood alcohol and GHB

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

34. I had a similar experience with the minister at my girlfriend's church.

I wasn't even a member of that church, but he sought me out one day and advised me to get out of the relationship: "She's got problems only God can solve."

I left soon thereafter, which was hard because she had a six-year-old daughter that I absolutely loved. Her mother threw every guilt trip she could at me when I left, including an attempted suicide, if swallowing a bunch of aspirin can fall into that category.

After a while I regained my emotional and financial equilibrium, and realized two important facts: (1) I was a pretty o.k. guy, and (2) there were a lot of women in the world who weren't fucked up, and were worth pursuing a relationship with.

As an aside, when my life had completely bottomed out (no job, no money, deep depression) I talked with my elderly neighbor -- well, he seemed elderly at the time; now I'm approaching his age -- and asked him what he had learned during his seven-plus decades of living. "Things change," he said, and I hung onto those two words like a lifeline for the next year as my life became livable again. New job, savings, therapy and finally I found a psychologically and spiritually healthy woman who became my wife seventeen years ago, after a ten year relationship.

Things change. You're worth having a sane and happy life. Keep us posted.