Edited by Barney R. Further messed with by me. All mistakes are mine.

I am Jack Clancy, I’m 33, and for a while, I was engaged to Sarah Carmicheal. She had an annoying habit of ignoring what I was saying when she was excited about something other than what we were talking about. It bit her in the ass.

Let’s begin at the beginning. I met Sarah when I went into her office when I was discharged from the military. I had served 8 years before I got really tired of the political bullshit about ‘Rules of Engagement’ and the corruption of the people we were supposed to help. I understand that it was as bad or worse throughout much of the Viet Nam war.

Sarah was and is an employment specialist with the Unemployment Office. I went in to sign up for unemployment insurance benefits. Because I had a degree in engineering that I earned in the service, I did not expect to look too long to find a job, but one of the last things the company’s first sergeant told me was to sign up for the bennies the government paid for.

I was sent to Sarah’s desk because it was the procedure that all first-time applicants need to be advised of any jobs that he or she might qualify for. Engineering jobs in the area I wanted to live in were very scarce. She introduced herself and presented a very good first impression. She looked at my application and asked pertinent questions. She asked what I was looking for in a position. She showed me jobs that were available but commented that for all of them I was overqualified. She then looked in the local newspaper’s want ads and showed ads for two engineering positions, but both required four to six years of specific experience.

I guess I surprised her when after we went all through that, I asked about night watchmen positions so I could get my teaching certificate. I explained that I did not need a large salary as I had most of my Army pay, and had a couple of inventions that I was going to patent. She showed me about fifteen different ones.

I told her I would apply for some of them and would keep her informed if I got one.

I got an offer from the first place where I applied. It was at the local university on-campus bookstore. I would be studying at the same school for my teaching certificate. That job had the advantage of providing for my schooling to be totally free, and as I was sitting at a desk at the university library, a place to study.

I went into Sarah’s office and let her know that I took a position, but not the specific job. Then I asked her if she would like to go for coffee or a drink after she got off work. She said that she was not allowed to date clients. Then she added, “Once you actually start work, you will no longer be a client. Call me then, and coffee sounds like a good idea.”

After the first day I worked, I called and we met at a coffee shop near the apartment I rented. The meeting made me want to continue seeing her. I asked, and she accepted a date to go to the local symphony orchestra concert.

We had a great time and continued to date. I told Sarah that it was my personal code that I only date one woman at a time. I added that if she decided that we were not right for each other, or if I decided, it was going to be over. I added that if I decided, she would be the first one I told, and hoped that she would give me the same courtesy.

After about six months of exclusive dating, things started to change. I noticed when I wanted to talk to Sarah about something she did not feel was important, she seemed to zone out. I had to tell three times that when I finished the student teaching assignment I would get my teaching certificate. At the same time, I told her that I was going to be student teaching in a district about a hundred miles south of our hometown. The assignment was to last an entire semester.

The day I had to leave, Sarah asked me what was going on. “What do you mean you are leaving for a different district? When were you going to tell me about that?”

“Sarah, I not only told you weeks ago, at the time I told you I had to tell you three times. Let me ask you a question.” I continued; “When is what I say going to be worth your listening to it? For the past several dates, you have been, not just inattentive, but almost as if you were on autopilot and nothing I say or do means anything to you. I think that this will be our last date. This assignment is what I need to become a teacher. It will also let you decide if I am important enough to listen to me when I am talking.”

“I guess that I deserve that.” She said; “I have been distracted and am sorry that I have been ignoring you. It probably would be good if we end this. I’m sorry.” With that, she walked away.

About two months later, Sarah called me. “Can we try to connect again, I’m sorry it ended as it did, and I know it was my fault. Let me come to your place and take you to dinner, as a way of saying I’m sorry.

I thought about it for a few seconds and agreed. We started over.

She explained; “I got a new director at the office, and everything had been in turmoil. I’m sorry, but I was afraid of losing my job. I will make sure to leave work at work in the future.”

I took her at her word, and we dated for another year. I got a teaching position at the high school in my hometown.

We had been intimate for almost all of that time, and the sex was great. Sarah was not against trying anything except public sex. If we did it in the house, it was fine, the garage was fine, a hotel ... You get the idea.

On the second anniversary of our first date, I ask her to marry me. She agreed. We decided to have a yearlong engagement. In the meantime, she moved in with me. She called it a ‘trial run at marriage’. Life was good.

We had been living together for about four months when Sarah told me that her office was getting another director.

I warned her that I would not put up with being ignored, and if it occurred, again we were done. I got a promise that it would not happen again.

About three months before the scheduled wedding Sarah started to zone out again. I told her that if I wasn’t important enough to listen to and carry on a conversation with, I wasn’t important enough to marry.

She started crying and babbling about being sorry, and that it won’t happen again.

“I’ve heard that song before; you are even using the same lyrics. The song will never sell, and I definitely don’t intend to try listening to it.” I added; “You have told me a few times you would leave work at work, but you do not seem capable of doing that. At least have the good manners to tell me what problems you are having at work.”