October 26, 2010
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False Advertising
Have you ever seen a preview for a movie that looked so awesome, you couldn’t stop talking about it? Up until the time it came out, you praised it, and told all of your friends about it, and got them excited for it, too. Then finally, the day it comes out, you go to see it, with your now excited friends of course. But as you sit there, watching your long-awaited movie, about halfway through, you realize something. This movie that you couldn’t wait for, that you thought was so awesome: it sucks. Your friends are looking at you with an expression that says “You got me pumped for this?” And you slowly sink into your chair, watching the horrible plot unfold, embarrassed for wasting your, and your friends’ time and money.
Has that happened to you? Cuz it happened to me, only it wasn’t a movie; it was a person.
See, I spent a week with this guy at a camp like 3 or 4 years ago. We were on the same team, and we kicked butt all week. He was pretty cool, and although we didn’t hang out that much that week, we seemed to have hit it off. We exchanged numbers and texted every now and then. And for the next two years, every time we would see him (which was maybe twice) I got excited and sorta made a big deal about him. My friends became his friends, and he became an extended part of our circle. Although I wasn’t able to go, my friends went to camp with him last summer, and afterwords my friends knew him better than I did. But for some reason, they didn’t like him as much as I did. On an overnight skiing trip, I found out why.
He was not who I remembered. Two camps this summer proved it, and now he goes to our school. And I had friends asking me why I liked him so much, and I had to apologize for building him up to be an awesome guy. Now he’s dating my friend’s sister (my friend is not too thrilled about it) and they have sort of a middle school puppy love thing going on that probably won’t end well.(They’re trying to be a better couple than my girlfriend and I, but that’s not gonna happen. They keep getting into trouble, and our teacher even thanked us for being a better couple. We rock
) But I can’t help thinking some of it might be my fault. It’s not my fault he’s a douche, but maybe he wouldn’t have weaseled his way into our lives so easily if I hadn’t paved the way for him.
Has this ever happened to you?
Comments (5)
Well, I know personally I never held it against you. I doubt anyone else did either. Everyone knows people change and with the way you distanced yourself from him made a big statement, and an even bigger one is made by the complete opposition in personalities and interests.
Maybe he had to come into our lives to give us something to decide we won’t be. If it wasn’t for him being such a problem with the six-inch rule up at his birthday party I wouldn’t have associated such blatant… disrespect with all the negative things I’ve come to regard as synonymous to him, and we wouldn’t have had that conversation which I think is a big part of what makes us the most awesome couple in the world.
I mean you know I can’t stand being around him, but maybe he’ll do some good. Maybe it’s just easier for me to say that because my face time with him is significantly less than yours.
I haven’t been in that exact situation but I’ve had friends question why I was friends with some of the people that I’m friends with. There’s one girl that I think has been a really awesome friend to me for a really long time and my group of friends just does not like this girl. I have no idea why and when I’ve asked my group of friends about her, they don’t have a really good answer.
@SWEETteaANDgingerSNAPS - Tch, optimist.
But seriously, I never thought about that. Have I ever told you how amazing you are? Yeah, we definitely are the best couple like ever. We should get like a trophy or something. Or a cookie. Or a plate of cookies. Or more time to hang out. That’d be even better than cookies.
You’re awesome!
@TheCheshireGrins - Yeah, I have a few friends like that. It’s kinda weird, like I’m not sure how I can be friends with two people who are so different, and practically hate each other, but I am.
I’ve had the movie experience, but not the same experience with a person.
People change…we all do. Sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse.
The same thing happened to me in a way. It’s bad when you talk an athlete up and make him into someone who is very commited, very talented and a hard worker, only to have your superiors spend extra money to get him and find out he’s not quite as commited, not nearly as talented and not willing to work half as hard as you remember.
Don’t beat yourself up too much. Just keep being that better example.