Rebuilding Rob

I talked to “the Princess”tonight. She’s having guy problems. That comes as no surprise, as she’s putting those half cryptic messages on social media. And it’s my fault for calling her. I took the social media bait. I was trying to be a good friend.

Two days ago, I was talking Receiving Girl. She’s having issues with a psycho-possessive boyfriend. She reached out to me a few months back when she was having problems with this guy before. And unless she breaks up with him, no doubt she’s going to have problems with him again.

Then, of course, there was Ro cancelling on our “date” for this last Thursday. We haven’t talked since. I wasn’t a jerk about it or anything when she canceled. I just said “ I totally understand. It happens!” I figure at this point I’ll just leave it up to her if she wants to talk to me again. I’m not gonna go chasing after her, either as a friend or as anything else. I’ve had enough of the Merry-Ro-Round.

I’m tired of being The Friend. The Nice Guy. The guy who women don’t take seriously. I’m just done.

And here’s the crazy part: all 3 of these people reached out to ME. I was not currently chasing any of them. But how else am I supposed to react when these are three people I have either pursued, dated or been physical with? Two of them, Receiving Girl and Ro, have both told me in the past that they would’ve slept with me if I made the move. And that’s on me. I got friend-zoned because of my lack of action. I don’t regret it. I really wasn’t that into either of them.

I didn’t get giddy hearing from any of them. I didn’t swing into relationship mode when any of them called; with maybe with the exception of Ro. That’s only because I really had no idea where her and I were standing. It’s not that I mind having female friends. Furthermore, it’s fine to have someone in your life who leans on you like this; but THREE? All within few days of each other?

Valentine’s Day is less than 10 days out and I couldn’t care less. In fact, I’m kinda glad that I didn’t have to deal with that bullshit. It’s just too stressful. But I’m just tired of being The Shoulder. I’ve got more to offer the world than a friendly ear.

Therein lies rub. For a while now, I think I’ve leaning too heavily into my “I’m a good listener“ thing. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t listen to women’s problems just out of the hope of getting laid or anything. I really do care. I like to hear about whatever friends of mine are dealing with and try to help them with it. Maybe that’s the teacher in me, I’m not really sure. I might be more of a problem-solver than I realize.

I’m done with these half-assed attempts at “getting back out there”. I’ve been thinking about just “trimming some of the fat” in my life and just focusing on me and the boys.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article “it comes in threes” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.