I liked Rebecca’s responses to my post below, so I’m going to paste them in here, so they aren’t lost.

mentioning a boyfriend is the easiest way out of what you think may be a questionable situation. it shouldn’t be necessarily mentioned right off the bat, but sometime in the first conversation is good. that way people don’t get their hopes up unnecessarily–it’s a just in case sort of thing. also, some men will only take that as a reason to desist hitting on you. “no i’m not interested in you” is not acceptable, but “i’ve got a man already” is.

as far as discussing past relationships with guys they are interested in, its best not to do that since it creates an uneasy emotional climate early on. however, when it does happen, i think that this is sometimes because we (people) want the other person to know where we’re coming from. both to understand the history that makes us up and as a warning to please not do the things that our ex did because it would make us go even crazier.

i have been a wet hen. it’s because people do things when their wasted that they regret in the morning and for the rest of their lives. i really wish that someone had brought reason to my mind when i went home with some of the people i went home with. there’s also that whole “drunk goggles” thing.

also–it is more culturally acceptable for a man to be a bachelor than for a woman to be a maid. there is greater pressure at an earlier age for a woman to get hitched. a woman who is single for longer i think is more likely to doubt her powers of attraction than a guy is, and also others wonder what is wrong with her. or think its tragic. also, i think men are more likely to decide that women and relationships are just too much trouble to be wrapped up in, and that they’re a distraction from working on your own shit.

Anyway, there’s tons more to be said on all these subjects, and I’d love to hear it…