It’s one of life’s great mysteries: how smart, capable, discerning women sometimes end up with men who are… well… the exact opposite of all that. Shallow? Check. Mean? Check. Ugly inside and out? Double check.
A friend of mine summed it up bluntly one day: “How did you end up with someone like that?” And honestly, I’ve asked myself the same thing.
The psychologist in France certainly didn’t miss a beat. On his very first meeting, he clocked it straight away — no pride in appearance, no dignity, no presence. It wasn’t just me being overcritical; it was professional observation. Confirmation, if you like, that my ex had all the sparkle of a damp dishcloth.
But the pièce de résistance? Even his kids used to laugh at him. Yes, you read that right. Not out of teenage rebellion, but sheer disbelief at the way he appeared and dressed. His daughter, sharp as a tack, delivered the killer line:
“He looks like Bill Oddie in those fishing photos.”
And honestly? Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it. Bill Oddie on a bad day, armed with a fishing rod and absolutely no sense of style.
Looking back, I can only say this: I should have gone to Specsavers. There’s no other explanation. I clearly wasn’t seeing straight. Love may be blind, but in my case, it was legally blind and without its glasses.
Because here’s the thing: ugly inside and out isn’t just about the clothes, though let’s be honest — a quick trip to Savers might have been a public service. No, it was the meanness, the smallness of spirit, the sheer lack of kindness that seeped through his every pore. That’s what made him truly unattractive.
Now, with distance, it’s almost funny. Absurd, even. I look back and wonder how I could have mistaken that shabby, shallow little man for a partner. But that’s the gift of hindsight: once the fog lifts, you can finally see clearly.
And what I see now is this: I’m free. I can laugh. And next time? Specsavers first. Every time.
