# Give me one reason why your ex is your ex. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 11, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092 "2005-09-11T11:35:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![woodstock989](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f05b48/32.png) [@woodstock989](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstock989)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/121 "2005-09-15T19:23:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Little Bird** : > Ex #2: I was just the girl he was screwing until the girl he really wanted freed up. You too? In my case, ‘freed up girl’ dumped him after a few dates and wanted nothing to do with him - a little poetic justice or Karma, whichever you prefer. > [@](#): > > String of various guys who really weren’t that important in the long run: Just wanted sex, and I wouldn’t give it up after being seriously broken by Ex #2. Ditto on that one too. And we both have birdie names - coincidence? I think not. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/122 "2005-09-15T19:53:54Z")
The reason I married him in the first place – the UFOs stole my brain. There is no other explanation. The reason he’s my ex – the UFOs finally returned my brain, and it started yelling “run forrest run!” ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/123 "2005-09-15T20:54:14Z")
Hmm… let’s see. A couple of them were clingy/needy. One cheated on me and dumped me (and then the girl he cheated with had his baby a year later when they were both about 17 so he had to quit school… yeah, real success story. And boy does it make me feel old when I realize that that baby is in 1st grade!). One just kind of drifted away when we moved to different places after college. And the most recent ex… well, it was meant to be a casual, friends-with-benefits thing because we knew we weren’t right for each other but somehow it lasted almost 3 years of a long distance relationship. We just never were really quite right for each other. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/124 "2005-09-15T21:01:59Z")
1st husband (one year): We were _waaay_ too young, 17 and 18. I left. 2nd husband (4 years): He could never keep a job! And we had a son. I got tired of supporting him and our son and his brother and brother’s girlfriend and his friends and whoever else he invited to live with us. I left. Boyfriend (3 years): He liked cocaine better than me. I left. 3rd husband(15 years) : Technically, not an ex. I committed to stay with him because he was terminally ill. But jeez, he was a controlling abusive asshole even before he got sick, and I never felt so free after he died. Current and final husband(2 years and counting!): Will never be an ex. I finally found a keeper! ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/125 "2005-09-16T01:36:23Z")
Cultural differences. I’m a white, middle aged, American jewish male, and she’s a bitch. Actually, she’s technically not my ex, but I live in hope. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/126 "2005-09-16T02:14:29Z")
He met his soulmate…shame he was married to me at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Glassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Glassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glassy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/127 "2005-09-16T03:03:15Z")
> [@Little Bird](#): > > Ex #2: I was just the girl he was screwing until the girl he really wanted freed up. > > > [@woodstock989](#): > > > > You too? Whoa, I went out with him, too! Man, that dude really got around. Isn’t this thread theraputic? ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/128 "2005-09-16T03:05:20Z")
She held out on me for five years and then gave up her virginity to a guy that she wasn’t even _friends_ with. ---
**Author:** ![Taran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Taran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taran)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/129 "2005-09-16T03:58:22Z")
Lots of boring reasons. The two bigs ones: #1) Went back to the Phillippenes, where I do not live. #2) Adolescent-onset schizophrenia led her to do a whole bunch of really weird shit before it was diagnosed (and, ok, also after). Dumping me was the least of it. ---
**Author:** ![Flipstrip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/130 "2005-09-16T04:05:11Z")
He was six years older than me and wanted to get married and have kids right away. I was 19 and wasn’t ready for that yet. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/131 "2005-09-16T20:44:24Z")
> [@Glassy](#): > > Whoa, I went out with him, too! Man, that dude really got around. **Glassy**! **Woodstock**! My girls! Did your guy tell you why he was going away, or did he just stop calling and stop wanting to hang out, but not giving you any real good answers, but still you had to see him every day because you frickin worked together so seeing him ate away at your soul day after day until you finally found out through a FOAF that he left you for the other girl? And it scarred you so bad that you almost didn’t dare date your future husband because you worked together? Guess which happened to me! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![woodstock989](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f05b48/32.png) [@woodstock989](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstock989)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/132 "2005-09-16T21:42:55Z")
Originally posted by **Little Bird** : > [@](#): > > you had to see him every day because you frickin worked together so seeing him ate away at your soul :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: OMG! (that’s a yes, in case it’s not obvious) This is too weird. I didn’t have to wait…I got dumped the next day after he gave her a ride home from the company Christmas party. Only reason I didn’t go is because no one at work knew we were going out (his idea), and I didn’t want people to start catching on about us. :smack: And the lying sonofabitch still tried to lie and say he wasn’t going out with her (well, he wasn’t…for long - she realized right away what I was too stupid to see - that he was a lying, shallow creep, and she dumped him after a few dates.) ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/133 "2005-09-17T00:56:21Z")
Significant boyfriends only. I’ve only been married the one time, and he’s not going to be an ex anytime soon. Last one: Lied about _everything_. Previous: Didn’t want to get married, and I didn’t want to be not-married. Previous to him: Couldn’t hold a job, wouldn’t take his meds. Previous to him: Drug addict, alcoholic, piece of shit wouldn’t support his child. ---
**Author:** ![rorty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@rorty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rorty)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/134 "2005-09-17T01:07:26Z")
I wouldn’t quit smoking pot for her. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/135 "2005-09-17T01:42:33Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > She **held out on me for five years** and then gave up her virginity to a guy that she wasn’t even _friends_ with. I know that patience is supposed to be a virtue, but _Five Years?_ Damn! Tip for the future: Most guys that get the girl aren’t “friends” with her, and never were friends with her. If you’re something of a stranger, a little outside of her normal social circle and if there’s something about you that smacks of danger, you’re more likely to get her um…attention. Definitely don’t give any indication that you’re willing to hang around for years waiting for her to get in the mood. Unless, of course, you like hanging around for years and then losing out to some new guy. Next time, _YOU_ be the new guy. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Forlorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bb73d2/32.png) [@Forlorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forlorn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/136 "2005-09-17T02:53:29Z")
The reason will be incompatibility. For like, the last 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Toxiquae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Toxiquae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxiquae)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092/137 "2005-09-18T02:42:49Z")
He was too touchy-feely. I’m no prude, but there’s a proper time and place for some things, and public areas in the middle of the day aren’t it. The back seat of a family member’s car while she is driving isn’t it. Public bathrooms or dressing stalls aren’t it. The restaurant you work at isn’t it, even after-hours(when your boss and coworkers are still around cleaning up). I suppose being too free with his hands was a problem, but what really hurt the relationship was that he refused to knock it off after I’d repeatedly told him how uncomfortable it made me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-one-reason-why-your-ex-is-your-ex/321092.md?page=6)