Land Mines

I didn't start dating until midlife, and one my early encounters was what I term the "Land Mine". You never forget your first, and true to form, I remember like it was yesterday. I had recently met my girlfriend's daughter, a beautiful blonde seven year old, and the compliment that left my mouth before my brain was able to proof or revise was "It's hard to believe something so perfect can come out of you..." Click! I was standing on a "land mine" like in the movies (I suspect real land mines have no click). You lift your leg to run and it goes off, you don't move and you'll be shot.

I don't remember how I diffused it, but in retrospect I find it so amusing. As I become more comfortable with relationships, I enjoy setting off land mines; you don't really get to know someone until you start to torture each other.