Dear Karen:
I think it's terrible that people persecute people this way, instead of help them and support them to work through the mistake and help guide them so they don't make the mistake again. This attitude would help people much more.
And, why is there this double standard that men are congratulated for sleeping with as many women as possible, while women are not congratulated for sleeping with a ton of men! You mentioned that every guy started to ask you out because they thought they might have the chance to sleep with you because of one mistake you made with some bozo who made the same mistake. Was the guy who slept with you treated the same way. Probably not. What about all the guys who were all of a sudden trying to sleep with you, were they called derogatory names and put down. Probably not! This is just outrageous to me.
And, some people will look down at women too for not sleeping around, because everybody in the community does, and you may be put down because you won't put out. Go Figure! People are so lame sometimes.
Why don't people mature.
I think people are better off being monogamous for health and safety reasons mind, body, spirit, and soul. I think people ought to get to know each other and wait to sleep with each other until after truly equally, mutually happily married. This is the ideal scenario to me. I think that sleeping with another is a sacred act between two married people who truly love, respect, and trust each other etc.
People, men and women, can pick up where ever they are and make there life work well and happily for themselves and others. I say leave the past in the past. Learn from any mistakes. Find, know or learn every good way to not repeat the mistake and Don't repeat them. Take the good and let go of the bad and the ugly.
Everyone makes mistakes and hopefully grows beyond them healthfully in every way possible. Even the person I think is most perfect person I could ever know, makes mistakes.
Thanks for sharing Karen. I'm glad you are such an honest, happy healthy person. I'm very happy you have a wonderful relationship now, with a wonderful mate.
Truly, Shaunasi