Round again round again circles

I had a sort of date with Faline on Saturday. We met up at the rodeo with a bunch of other friends. I was really excited to see her. On Saturday morning, I woke up super cheerful. Littlebrother even commented on it. He said "When Tripp is happy, the whole house just feels brighter." I talked him and another roommate into running 4 miles outside. It was a gorgeous day and the run felt great. So I was feeling super ready for the rodeo. I wore my cowboy hat, cowboy boots, my belt buckle, and a cowboy shirt. And I drove my truck. I was feeling like a cowboy. The rodeo was fun but somewhere along the way, I felt Faline pull away. It was just minor, I didn't try and hold her hand or kiss her or anything, things just felt a little different.

After the rodeo, we built a bonfire for smores. At that point, I was feeling so awkward that I hardly interacted with Faline. Cowboy had come up to my truck and asked me in front of her how long it had been since I had "hooked up" with a girl. What a crappy thing to ask me. I said I didn't remember (even though it had only been 5 days). Faline then was asked a similar question and she decided it had been a week and a half. What?! Of course, mine was sooner and I shouldn't have double standards but it really threw me off. There was a nice hug at the end but I was definitely in a bad mood.

I have natural preconceptions about what dating a girl is like when she is about to go on a mission or considering one. 7 years ago I dated Mindy. She was 18 and I was in love within 10 seconds of meeting her. Then, our interaction abruptly went from fun and relaxed to her totally pulling away. She said she knew she was supposed to go on a mission and that it was pointless to have any relationships prior to that. For those of you who don't know, girls can't go on a mission until they are 21! She moved home and I found out that she got married 6 months later.

I purchased a car from a girl about 5 years ago. We immediately clicked. She was selling the car to go on a mission (no call, no papers turned in). We went out on a few dates and I thought things were going well. I certainly wasn't asking her to not go on a mission or anything. just keep dating me and see what happens. So, one night I sent her a text saying it was cold outside and offering her a ride home from school (massage therapy) because she had sold her car and now rode the train. She sent a text back saying "I am going on a mission. Back off." How do you even respond to that? It was insane.

So, I really have some bad experiences with girls and missions. And Faline has indicated that she wants to go on a mission. But she doesn't turn 21 for 8 months. A lot can happen in 8 months. That is what frustrates me. If we date some and it looks like things are not working out, then great, she should go on a mission. But if she is going to kill things now because she thinks she will go on a mission in 8 months, well, then that just sucks.