Education can play big part in rural dream

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/09/2020 (1843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I had a great time on the farm with my cousins before school started. We had a small COVID bubble there, but enough to play scrub baseball after dinner if the adults joined in. I discovered I like the country much more than the city, and I want to make my life there. But I don’t know how to steer things that way, as my parents have their mind set on sending me to university.

— Craving the Country, Winnipeg

Dear Craving: When you next go back to visit, go for a big drive and cruise around a few towns and see what they offer in terms of businesses and services. A lot of people live in small country towns or country acreages and work in small to large towns, driving 15 to 50 minute commutes. Within that loop, you can find jobs and careers of all kinds — and many of those involve university or college education, so take up your parents’ offer on the training.

 

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I was out downtown running by the river, when this woman ran up to me and said, “Mind if I run with you?” and I said OK. What harm could a cute little woman do to me?

We ran, and then walked a while, talking and laughing. She was funny. When we got near her apartment, she said, “We’re near to my place now. Would you like to come up for a drink of ice water before you go home? That sounded good. I was totally clued out about what was to come.

We got up there and she turned and gave me a secret smile, before unlocking the door and letting us in. That should have been my first clue, but no, I stupidly walked into the living room following her lead. There was already a bottle of red wine and a corkscrew and two glasses.

She opened the bottle and handed me some wine and, like a big goof, I said, “Sure, why not? Best offer I’ve had all day!” She gave me a generous glass of wine, and said sweetly, “It may not be your last offer.”

Socially, I’m kind of a dumb guy, as women have never chased me. I just take everything at face value, so I figured maybe she was going to give me something to eat like cheese and crackers. Nope.

She toasted me with her wine, and then sat down right beside me and just kept yipping away, like nothing odd was going on. Then it happened. I was wearing short shorts for the warm weather run, and she put her hand on my thigh. Finally, I clued in!

I said, “I’m sorry, but I’m engaged. I mean, I’m REALLY engaged!” She said soothingly, “That’s OK, a guy like you deserves a nice lady, and kept fiddling with the hem of my shorts.” (I was getting turned on in spite of myself.) Finally, I jumped up and said, “I can’t do this!” and took off out the door. I heard her laughing. A few minutes later, from her balcony, she shouted, “Bye-bye, sweetheart! Hang onto those shorts!” I took off running for my car, like the idiot I am.

That was a close case. I’ve never cheated on anyone. My question: should I tell my fiancée?

— Close Call, Downtown

Dear Close Call: Yes, tell her because it’s going to play on your mind. Nothing happened from your side — except you were foolish enough to follow this woman home. You might want to play down the details — like her fiddling with the hem of your short shorts — as those are the kind of visuals that could stick in your fiancée’s mind. She might wonder how you let it get that far. Or, she might just laugh. Women get hit on more frequently than men. Still, they don’t want anybody touching their special man, even just to finger the hem on his shorts.

 

Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6.