When I was 16, Mom drove some girls to Catholic school every morning, on her way to work. They were older than me. They talked Mom into talking me into going on a blind date with John. I attended public school. They said he was a journeyman carpenter and made good money. Mom kept bugging me about going, so I caved in and said yes.

When they came to pick me up, I got in the back seat with John. Honest to goodness, he was so ugly that I couldn’t bear to look at him. We drove two hours away, to go to a big city theater to see “To Sir with Love.” I leaned as close as I could to the other side of my theater seat, away from him as far as I could get. Halfway through the movie, his hand sneaked onto my hand, I pulled my hand away and squirmed in my seat. I just wanted to get the movie over with and get home to go to sleep.

After the movie, they all wanted to get steaks at a steakhouse. I wasn’t hungry, I couldn’t bear being in public with this guy, he didn’t talk, and I wanted to hide. I didn’t eat much at the restaurant. I didn’t talk much. It was very uncomfortable for me as well as him.

The rest of the evening is a fog to me. I’m glad that I didn’t ever go on a blind date again. I sometimes think of the pretty 16-year-old girl I was and how I must’ve come across to John. But he wasn’t my type. I hope I didn’t hurt his feelings, but my feelings were hurt that Mom and this couple pressured me into a blind date.