Beta Orbiter Since the Beginning

This post could just as well be titled "Beta Father Failings" since this behavior could have been corrected if my father was not himself a HUGE beta.

In third grade a developed a huge crush for a girl in my class. Like Charlie Brown, I fell for the red headed girl in class, and I was hopelessly in love. I sent her little notes asking her if she liked me, to which she replied "no." I was persistent. I was nice. I complimented her. Sent her more notes to see if she had changed her mind. She hadn't.

Christmas came and I told my parents I wanted to get this girl a Christmas present. Here's where my father could have stepped in and said "no, you don't need to be giving girls presents when they said they don't like you." But no one stopped me. If I remember right, my mom took me to the store, we bought some cheap little bracelet or something. Christmas day my mother actually drives me to this girl's house. I go up and ring the doorbell and give her the gift. Her parents have to tell her to say thanks.

Next year, same thing. Still no guidance from my beta nice guy father. I get driven over to her house, give her another gift. Does the girl ever decide she likes me? Hell no. In 4th and 5th grade this girl actually "goes out" with my best friend. "Going out" of course didn't really mean much at that age, just holding hands occasionally and passing notes back and forth. Did my best friend act nearly as nice to her as I had? No, of course not. He was barely interested. Yet he got her approval, and not me.

What's most embarrassing about remembering these stories from my youth is the fact that I never learned any lessons from them. I never changed my nice-guy ways.