Choosing for Happiness [excerpt]

at breakfast even at that hour of the morning it didn't take long on to boys even had been studying with them and good let's have two of those please I wasn't so easy to push anymore I didn't feel I needed her advice I didn't really resent it maybe it was that course in family relation last spring I learned that it's a good idea to try to change yourself first if there has to be a change changing somebody else is practically impossible yet I must admit I was curious to know all about Eve and she was more than willing to talk tell me about the boys you've met you were saying something always happened well whenever I meet a boy I start asking myself is he right right for me and I don't know Mary I really don't know there was one you wrote about his name was Alex I think why did that fall through that's just it Mary Riley's one afternoon with the gang I'd heard of him but I'd never met him he was a football star I liked him and he liked me right from the start we found plenty to talk about and neither one of us could figure out how we'd been on the campus for 2 years without ever meeting before he was lots of fun we decided to spend the afternoon together it turned out that was just the first of a whole slew of afternoons he was really sweet and oh well just nice to be with I guess I was a little proud too that a varsity football player was paying so much attention to little me well as I said eve went on we saw quite quite a bit of each other but after a few months his popularity got annoying we were never really alone and he never stopped worrying about his appearance did his collar look better buttoned or unbuttoned well I could have been wearing a little number by Dior and he wouldn't have noticed it but if there was a new girl in the place he was all eyes and smiles it wouldn't make any difference what she looked like as long as she had some simpering crack to make about how well he' played on Saturday I began to catch on that those forward passes could be used two ways and finally I had more than I could stand and I told him exactly what I thought of him he didn't take it as well as he took compliments said I didn't appreciate the importance of his career career indeed who ever heard of a wolf with a career and then there was Arthur Arthur was different awfully nice but awfully different the gang called him the brain because he was such a whiz at MTH and he was always ready to help a friend you're different from other girls that's what you think you're smarter you're almost like a man oh no I'm very much the woman I don't think of you that way at all don't get you at all I know you think math is exciting but you really ought to get yourself straightened out you'd be surprised how many things are just as exciting as math now really you don't think there's anything wrong with me oh forget it I've got to go now we'll talk about it some other time but there never was another time said Eve I was just another problem to him and then there was Steve Steve was Eve's boyfriend for a whole spring term he was cute she said and really romantic he had his own Workshop where he made boats and things Eve used to come by to pick him up after her CL be waiting for you oh I don't know Eve why can't we just hang around here for a while be pained we can listen to some good music it'll be fun is that your idea of fun I want to be with people oh what's wrong with that Steve nothing oh come on you'll have a good time hurry up and get on your short he never wanted to leave that old carpenter shop I tried to get him out once in a while really I did you know Eve you can't make a man over like you do a room but Mary don't you see what Steve needs is not you but somebody else you know what I bet you'd like him say that's a terrific idea come on we'll go over there right now right now sure I thought it might be good to see some of these boys for myself besides Steve sounded nice and I thought I'd better begin to make some friends on the campus sure enough we found them at the old stand lost in thought and a pleasant job it didn't take long to get the introductions over it seemed like a nice place with a real atmosphere of its own but evidently not one that Eve liked especially but Eve is like that jumpy full of energy she never could sit still for long [Music] I'm Different like Steve I find it relaxing to keep away from groups sometimes and work out my troubles with my hands I got along well together though I could see he wondered how a friend of EES could be like me he'd been thinking there was something wrong with him because he couldn't dance to Eve's fidgety tune as a matter of fact Steve was not the boy for me either even though I liked him a lot it would be too much like spending time with a twin brother with too much alike I told all this to Eve the next day when we had a riding date it was Saturday and over at noon now you see what I mean Mary all these boys are nice in their own way they all have something I like but it's only one side of their character but the something Eve liked About a Boy can't be separated from the rest of his personality I couldn't make her understand that but I did stick my neck out a little way I think it would do you a lot of good to meet someone you can't push around you mean someone who pushes me around no I don't I mean someone who's not afraid of you that's just like John he thinks he's tough I can't stand the sight of him you're sure well here's what happened last week we drove out to the country together we had a wonderful time I can't remember when I've had so much fun I guess we just clicked then just as we were getting to know each other better he says let's go home was I mad here I was thinking he really cared and he does a thing like that but why did he do it oh well you see it wasn't his car he promised to be back with it before 6 now look Eve you can say if you want to I'm not going to keep George waiting so George is more important to you than I am is that it that's not the point George can do without the car for once if you really cared about me you'd stay George or No George you wouldn't why not well I won't I'm not going to let George down even for you start sprouting Wings if you don't watch out move over boss you're considerate look who's talking why someone ought to take you across his knee and give you a good spanking might make you more human maybe you're the one to do it maybe but I doubt it he sounds like the best of all are you serious why know you were wrong how do you make that out well just think about it for a second what were you asking him to prove that he liked me what's wrong with that that would never satisfy you why not what you really wanted what was it then you wanted him to do what you told him to do that's what you always want eeve that's terrible I thought I'd gone too far but now that she knew what she was doing she could decide for herself if she wanted to change that's always the hard thing to learn that if any change is possible it must be changing yourself you have to take other people as they come or else leave them alone I started thinking about Eve's boys had the same problem Steve liked Eve and he liked his hobby too but he couldn't have both it would be easier to find a girl who likes staying at home while Arthur probably needs some help in order to change Alex had already problem a girl who isn't owing with him for first place she's not as attractive but she thinks it's wonderful that he's so wonderful him and John well Boy Meets Girl boy loses girl maybe boy knows what he wants and on what terms this girl doesn't know yet but she's doing her best to find out every little experience even the unpleasant one helps me know a little more about myself and that's the first step there are some things about me that I can't change and those are the things that some man will have to live with for the rest of his life so I'll pick him with those things in mind I hope he'll do