Meet My Daughter - Not!

I was reading another Gather posting by a nice young man named Joshua. In one of his comments he made reference to being open to anyone's single daughter. He seems like a nice enough guy, but rather than diving in with an offer of introduction, I burst out laughing! I am amazed my daughter still speaks to me after the last introduction!

It started with the best of intentions. My daughter was crossing the country to stay with me while getting her bearings back. At the time I worked as a partsman/service writer in a truckstop. I had the leftover shifts, two swings, two graveyards and a day shift. The mechanics on my shift were generally young, close to her age. 
 
There is not much demand for mechanical work after 10 p.m. in a small town in the dead of winter. The guys and I spent a lot of hours talking. I learned more about the parts I sold. I shared emotional support for their angst. We bonded.

One young mechanic had come back from his time in the National Guards and was facing divorce. His wife had a reputation in the small town. People talk. Most of it was true. I knew the men involved. He was hurt and heartbroken. And such a nice young man!

I did the stupid Mom-thing. I thought, here's a nice guy who could use a friend. My daughter will be new here and not know anyone. I'll introduce them! He can recuperate from rejection with a California blonde on his arm, what a great idea!

He fell in love. She fell in love.

The soon-to-be ex wife, who also worked at the truckstop and was heretofore a friend of mine, had a fit! She decided maybe she wasn't so ready to give up her husband. And she was certain no California tramp was going to get him!!

The next year and a half consisted of a tennis match with the young man trying to decide which woman was right for him. Friends and family tried to convince the young women to make the choice for him - walk away from temptation! The other girl's mother and I commiserated over a beer or two about how stupid our daughters were being. It was a really small town.

It reached a head when the gossip was at its worst. The other girl showed up on my doorstep one day to ask for the truth, not what his family had been feeding her. I told her quite honestly, not wanting her to hold onto her dreams when the reality was so opposed. About that time my daughter found her backbone and walked away from the guy.

Not long after, a new young man appeared in town. Things moved fast and they were sharing a place before I knew it. Over the next year it looked promising; they were talking marriage. One day he announced it was over. He was seeing the now-ex-wife of my daughter's ex-boyfriend!
Within moments, it seemed, my daughter was once-again living with me, and the "new" guy and the ex-wife were married! My daughter is now gun-shy, and wisely so! After three years in the Ozarks, she decided she was ready to face her old life again and moved back to California.
 
I learned such a huge lesson! I still find myself befriending the nicest your men who could use a good woman in their lives. Now, I encourage them to go out and find her, without my help. And I keep my daughter's cell phone number closely guarded!