Meet Me in St. Louis
Gateway Arch National Park reflecting pool. St. Louis, MO. Photo by yours truly.
Hey there! I’m easing back into the rhythm of work and writing after celebrating my birthday. I think I’ve finally caught up on sleep after living it up—well, as much as this old girl can. I have to remind myself: I’m staring down the barrel of 40 now.
If you’re new here, one thing I do often is reflect—on life, relationships, choices, and the messy in-betweens. And during one of those recent reflections, something hit me: not a single one of my boyfriends has ever met my father.
Some of that’s been logistics. Some of it? Very much by design.
To be honest, this thought isn’t brand new. It actually came up while I was hiding out at my dad’s house in St. Louis during a rough breakup a couple of years back. I stayed with him for about six weeks. And while the situation that brought me there sucked, the insight I walked away with didn’t.
So why haven’t I introduced any of my boyfriends—including the one I was with the longest—to my dad?
Well, the last one kind of introduced himself… by force. He literally grabbed my phone mid-conversation with my father, walked into the other room, and took over the call. Yeah. That went about as well as you’d expect. My dad’s response? A clear, firm “No, you can’t marry my daughter.”
And it wasn’t just about the awkward phone hijack. The guy was still going through a divorce. My dad and I haven’t always had the smoothest relationship, especially when I was growing up—but he’s no fool. He saw the red flags waving like it was a parade. Funny enough, my mom—who usually disagrees with my dad on just about everything—was 100% in agreement. For context: my parents divorced when I was a baby. And honestly? It was probably for the best. I ended up with three amazing sisters and a stepmom who’s been nothing but kind. I have a very big, blended family.
None of my sisters have met my boyfriends either. Coincidence? Pattern? Probably both.
As for my mom, she also remarried. My stepdad’s not the most eloquent man, but his heart’s usually in the right place. Unfortunately for the men I’ve dated, they’ve had the distinct displeasure of meeting most of them—and, if you asked them, they’d likely tell my dad he didn’t miss much.
My mom’s only ever liked two of my exes: the midget Marine who used to call me from Kandahar whenever he could, and the college sweetheart a professor set me up with before winter break. (Yes, really.)
I guess I’ll know I’ve found my “tootsie wootsie” the day I board a plane with him—from Lindbergh Field to Lambert Field—to meet my dad.
And now, a word from my favorite musical, Meet Me in St. Louis…
“Meet me in St. Louis, Louis. Meet me at the fair. Don’t tell me the lights are shining any place but there. We will dance the hoochie coochie. You will be my tootsie wootsie if you will meet me in St. Louis, Louis. Meet me at the fairrrrrrr…”
The city of St. Louis needs your help. In light of the May 16th tornado that killed 5 & damaged 5,000+ structures & homes, please donate if you can. Links below.
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The city of St. Louis needs your help. In light of the May 16th tornado that killed 5 & damaged 5,000+ structures & homes, please donate if you can. Links below. 〰️
The United Way (St. Louis chapter)
And if you live in the area, you can donate supplies at the following sites:
O’Fallon Park Rec Complex
4343 W Florissant Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115
Hours: 10:00am - 3:00pm daily
The Ville Emergency Hub
4144 Dr Martin Luther King Dr, St. Louis, MO 63113
Hours: 10:00am - 5:00pm daily
Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis - Headquarters
1408 Kingshighway Blvd Suite 108, St. Louis, MO 63113
9:00 am - 5:00pm daily
Power Creative
3221 Oak Hill Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116
Hours: 8:00am - 8:00pm daily
Gateway Arch National Park. St. Louis, MO. Photo by yours truly