Rule of Three

I have a good friend who built a boat. It was a big boat and a big project that took years. He was not a professional boat builder. He was an amateur. So he would make mistakes. He would be working on some new task and would make an error. So he would have to do the task over a second time. Invariably, he would make another error that ruined the work. But the third time was always the charm. He would have learned from his first two mistakes and the third time he would get it right.

After a while, this happened to him so many times that he began to see a pattern. So he stopped trying so hard on the first two attempts. The first two attempts at craftsmanship just became a pro forma for the final attempt. There is no faulting this wacky logic and I remember laughing when he told me this. The boat looked great when launched, he just had to do everything three times. He called it his Rule of Three.

In Thailand, I also seem to have a Rule of Three in my life. I can't explain it, and I can't defend it; but I can't ignore it either. In my case it does not relate to accomplishing mechanical tasks, it relates to interpersonal relationships. And the number three in the series is not the charm, it is the denouement.

Let me explain. I have noticed that if the first date with a bargirl goes really really well, then the second date with her goes even better! There is the beginning of a pattern here. An upwardly ascending curve of happiness.

This is usually when I used to go out and buy her a gift for our third date. Our third date was going to be simply wonderful. We were going to build on our past history and emotionally invest even more in ourselves. We would sleep together like happy puppies, flow into each other like water, and laugh like children. This almost never happened. Invariably, the third date was a disappointment of relationship ending magnitude.

This has happened to me so many times now that I just assume that any new relationship is heavily tipped that way. So I go 'balls-to-the-wall' on the first two dates and then I don't buy a gift for the third date. This strategy has saved me a lot of personal heartache and a lot of money. All you've ever got is what you've got. In my case, I invariably seem to be holding 'two date' cards! Fine. You've got to know when to hold'em and you've got to know when to fold'em. I'm learning.

So, will the Rule of Three work for you? Well maybe, but that is not really the point; it is the concept that is the point. For example: it may be that you are mechanistically better or more successful in relationships with Thai bargirls than I am so you manage to get five successful dates before everything goes wrong on the sixth date. In your case it would be a Rule of Six (and I salute you).

Of course, additionally, what we would all like to know is when on average we are going to propose marriage to one of these children of Satan. I do not normally support the idea of taxing citizens for survey information but I think in this case I would pay to know the average number of dates it takes with a bargirl before we simply lose our minds. But I almost digress.

Anyway, for me it is the Rule of Three and believe you me I pay attention to the information. Do you know your own personal rule number with regard to dates with Thai women? Better find out. Research your past experiences in the Kingdom guys. Is your record with bargirl dating something that falls under the Rule of Three or the Rule of Six or maybe the Rule of Eleven (if so, you are a god to me)? Know your number.

Modern doctors are now telling their patients that they should know their blood pressure numbers, and that they should know their cholesterol numbers as part of their personal medical profile and to help them make good lifestyle medical decisions. In my opinion, these modern doctors should also be telling their patients to know their bargirl dating numbers. It should be in the patients file.

Know your bargirl dating numbers guys. It is a matter of physical and mental and economic health.

© Dana. All rights reserved by the author.