It seemed like a good idea at the time

One day, I plan to write a memoir; a tell-all that will air all my shameless, dirty little secrets in the most public format possible. Because yes, this small-town gal has had some pretty big fun in recent years. I will write if not for the general reader, then for myself, lest I forget the lessons I've learned.

In looking back at my dating history, I've realized there are too many stories that haven't been told: salacious tales that could never be printed in my family-friendly newspaper column that even my best friend has not been privy to.

I can't help but giggle at that thought. After all, this is me we're talking about here and I'm about as far from salacious as possible. But still...

The last four years of my dating life has brought to the forefront a startling revelation: I am attracted to a lot of what my friends call "badges" (to put it mildly); men who work in the law enforcement or life/property-saving professions. Yes, I am — apparently — a "Badge Bunny."

To date, the list of semi-boyfriends includes police officers, firemen, EMTs/paramedics and an emergency dispatcher thrown in there for good measure. These individuals are a far-cry from my college boyfriend (engineer) and my current (engineer/med student), although for the sake of honesty, I should probably admit that the latter used to be both a firefighter and paramedic. Clearly, I've failed in my attempt to stay away from the badge boys. I offer this argument, however: he is no longer employed in either profession, and he wasn't a member of a fire department when I met him, so I can hardly be faulted for it.

But I digress...

With each of the disastrous dates and poor judgment calls (hindsight is 20/20 and hey, each seemed like a good idea at the time!), I learned a great deal about myself. Not necessarily about what I want from my relationships; rather I now know what I don't want. It's in looking back at my relationship past that I realize how much I appreciate my relationship present and the ease and happiness that accompany it.

There's no drama, no worries and best of all, no badges in my future.