The Dog and Pony Show

Have you ever met a guy/girl who seemed too good to be true? However, when you got to know the person you realized that he/she had created this whole façade of being your perfect mate?

In my experience, I have come across men who seemed like they had it together, but they didn’t. They were usually deeply flawed individuals who had to put on a show just to keep me. They promised me a life, filled with love, financial stability, and a family. This usually took place after a couple of good dates! I realize now that was crazy talk, and I should have run for the hills. However in my defense, everything is clearer in hindsight, and many times it’s difficult to see the forest through the trees. I had no idea that these men were just putting on a big show for me, as I like to call the “The Dog and Pony Show”.

A dog and pony show in its literal definition is a circus attraction where a dog, usually wearing a ruffled collar, stands atop a pony as the pony runs in a circle. It’s this ostentatious, completely ridiculous act designed to entertain. When I meet guys who put on huge acts to try to keep me from seeing who they really are, the first image that goes through my mind is a dog with a ruffle riding a pony.

It’s basically a dating diversion for people who having nothing to offer, except emotional instability, control issues, a criminal record, a basement apartment in their parents’ house, a drug problem, a suspended license, or emotional and/or physical abuse. Yet, when you meet them, they are romantic, charming, and willing to give you everything you’ve been looking for in life. They tell you they’re trying to build a life, and you believe them. They come across as motivated, success-driven, and just ready to take on the world with you by their side. They make promises to you, and the sad part is you believe every word, not because you’re naïve or foolish, but because you want so much for it all to be true. You fall for the fantasy.

Time passes, and “The Dog and Pony Show” is not what it once was. The dog is no longer wearing a ruffled collar, and the pony looks tired. You start noticing major flaws, and these people start acting differently. They take you for granted. They break their promises. They stop trying to hide behind the dog and pony. They show their true colors. Once this happens, like the movie The Wizard of Oz, you finally see the man behind the curtain. At this point, what you thought you had with them comes undone.

You feel betrayed and angry at yourself for falling for “The Dog and Pony Show”. You are sad, not because you miss them…but because you miss people who never existed in the first place.