EP 120 – The Clown Letdown

After hearing the “Clown Letdown” podcast, I experienced a flood of memories. I was motivated to pull out my journal and read what I wrote then about the end of the relationship. Some of the things that stand out:

• I kind of knew the breakup was coming. Just in case, I brought all of his “stuff” to Florida to give back to him, with one exception. If it wasn’t a break up, I also had his birthday gift. After dumping me, he still wanted his birthday gift, with the promise of a birthday gift for me at a later date. I may have been heartbroken but I wasn’t stupid.

• After riding 12 hours in a crowded church van to central Florida, I spent the first day alternately crying and chasing John around campus. He was avoiding me for some reason…

• His roommate Mark was very decent. He sat with me and comforted me as I cried through John’s clown show, even before the official break up/dump.

• One of John’s reasons for the break up was that we were both “spotlight people.” Apparently he’s a one man show.

• The one item I left at home due to a lack of space on the church van was his beloved childhood stuffed dog. I was too heartbroken to mail it back so my Dad offered to do it for me. I’ve always wondered if it ever made it to the post office or was just pitched in a dumpster on the way to work. My Mom is very verbal in her displeasure. My Dad has his own way.

Over the years I have gotten good comedic mileage out of the relationship. The John saga has brought great joy to friends and family. Stories about “Pooter John”, “The Beer Mug Washer”, or “That Guy Who Farted” always elicit a smile or laugh. I admit that I have claimed many of John’s colorful quips and ditties as my own – “I wanted to join the Optimist Club but I didn’t think I would make it”, “Free Guy”, and my personal favorite, the “I Can’t Seem to Justify” song, which he made up on the fly after hearing about a tightwad family friend. Other favorite memories include the time he asked my balding uncle if he could draw a smiley face on his head, sang “Amazing Grace” in the style of Michael Jackson, fumed about his step dad Greg saying “Awww, you’re dead” every time he lost a video game, and farted on command in the church sanctuary.

No one has enjoyed the stories more than my husband. He is not what you would call a “spotlight person” so we are a perfect match. After hearing the Steinklauber saga he said, “That guy was a real clown.” I simply replied, “You have no idea.”

Teen romance is tough. Please know that I have no hard feelings toward John – apology accepted.

Tricia

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