In about February in 2001 I realized that there was nothing I loved more than women. Not just physically, not just sexually, but emotionally, socially, aesthetically. I deeply, truly, entirely enjoy the company of women, young, old, introvert, extrovert, single, married, straight, lesbian, doesn't matter. Women are much more interesting than men, much more complex, much more fun to look at, much more pleasant to smell, nicer to hug, better to get your hair cut by, you name it. I decided at that moment (in a bar, drinking Midori on the rocks, listening to a Swedish death metal band, as I recall) that I could do a lot worse than strive to surround myself with beautiful women of all stripes in all parts of my life.

In March of 2001 I realized that I had been well on my way towards the actualization of this goal prior to meeting my girlfriend at the time, who had pushed every other woman in my life away, leaving me isolated from my closest friends, my most casual acquaintances, even my family.

On September 10, 2001, I reached out to a dear female friend she'd pushed away back in 1997. On September 13, 2001, we broke up after four and a half years. More accurately, she dumped me, because she knew I couldn't. I liked her family too much and her family (her sister, her mother, her aunt, her cousin Marisa…) knew that once I was out the door, she'd begin a long and terrible spiral towards oblivion. And on September 14, 2001 I called that friend again and met up with her and her best friend, a girl I'd never been close enough to because of her boyfriend, and unknowingly started down the road of making her my wife.

I've had zero women chased away since.