Why I Run Away in Relationships

Again and Again 👟

If you haven’t seen Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts, then we can’t be best friends anymore.

If you have, then you have one piece to the puzzle of who I am. I grew up as a peacekeeper, the daughter of an alcoholic. That co-dependent rebel that Julia portrays was once me. I threw my whole identity into taking care of others. When my daughters moved out in 2015, I quickly filled my empty nest with a narcissistic partner who spotted that co-dependency from a mile away. It took me years to get away from the toxicity of that relationship.

These days, I still take care of others, but now I put myself first. I’ve been single four years, actively dating for two of them.

I’ve had very few “boyfriends” — brief relationships with men I thought would end up being more. In most cases, I walked (sometimes ran) away. In almost all, we are still good friends.

Few boyfriends… but dozens of prospects. Dozens of first, second, occasionally third dates, mostly men I’ve met in real life through friends, family, and my job.

If dating is a market, then my outlet store makes…