Fail To Fab: The Breakup

By: Jess Downey, Copy Cutie

Fail: A few years ago, I met a guy off an online dating site for drinks and dinner. Though he was super sweet, I felt no attraction. After walking me home, I thanked him for the lovely evening and he went on his way. The next day, he sent a text saying he had a great time — and asked me out again. I told him that I had a nice time, too, but I wasn’t interested in seeing him again. Unfortunately, it took him a while to get the hint. After around 30 minutes of him begging and pleading while I continued to tell him why a second date was not something I was into, he finally got the picture and gave up. Needless to say, I never heard from him again. (Phew!)

Fab: Getting dumped is never fun. But if someone wants to end things with you, let them. Take it as a compliment that they respect you enough to take the time to be honest about their feelings. Also, there’s no harm in asking the other person why they feel this way, especially if you felt things were going well. Of course, only do this if you’re sure you can handle whatever they might throw at you. And once they’ve stated their reason, let it go and bow out gracefully.

In most cases, there’s nothing wrong with letting someone know you don’t want things to end. But desperation is seldom attractive. Speak your piece and move on if it’s clear there’s no chance for reconciliation, whether it’s after the first date or the fifth. After all, the age-old saying is true: “If you love something, set it free; if it comes back it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was.”

Remember: There are tons of single people in the world. Instead of fretting over the one who isn’t interested, fuel your energy into finding the one who is.