you’d think we’d learn…

I’m not sure why this popped into my head today, but it kind of gave me a chuckle.

A guy friend of mine was telling me a story about how, when a client of his needed a very specialized sort of service, he referred her to another buddy. Just days later, he learned the two of them were dating. The tale was only slightly more elaborate than that and, meanwhile, my friend was shaking his head in disbelief, like this whole dating-a-client thing was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard!

Which is when I asked, “Um, yeah, and right about a year ago, weren’t you doing that very same thing?”

He sheepishly admitted that he was guilty, and his facial expression was acknowledgement enough of its disastrous ending. I never did get the full story, but I thought, wow, by this time in our lives, shouldn’t we all know better?!

(This, by the way, from a man who wouldn’t ask me out…even knowing I liked him. Okay, some of you may think I’m a little whack, but I’m not the sort who causes damage. Breaking up with a client could have serious side effects!)

“You don’t get your honey where you make your money,” the old saying goes.

Actually, if we’re honest, many of us have met a romantic interest through some sort of work relationship. In fact, my wasband was someone I met while at work…and just look at how that ended!

I’d like to think you could all learn from my mistakes, just as my friend clearly wished his buddy had picked up a lesson or two from him. But, truth be told, most of us insist on learning those lessons for ourselves, making all the mistakes we need to, some of them repeatedly. Something about the prospect of finding love drives us to take such crazy risks…I mean, the upside could be incredible!

So we all act the fool at times…and I guess that’s just another of the cosmic jokes that makes this life interesting.