If You're a "Crazy" I'm Sure You'll Find Me

So I know you've all heard me complain before about being a freak magnet. Here's more evidence to back up my claim:

Monday nights have been poker nights lately. It all started after my trip to Vegas, and now I'm playing Texas Hold'em every Monday at a local bar. Usually the same crowd shows up: Ed, who's about 65 but looks 95; John, who's 21, Asian, and has a mohawk; Stuart, one of my friends who got us started with the poker crowd; Dana, one of my good girl friends that I drink wine and laugh uncontrollably with; Clifford, an older guy with some sort of accent ("he ain't from around here" :-P); Ryan, a late 20s guy that my friend Dana has a crush on (he went to Auburn, bless his heart); Brent, a quiet, painter guy in his 30s; and me, a super hot girl with a fabulous personality, killer smile, innocent eyes, pouty bottom lip, and very large...brain (ok, maybe I embellished about me a little, but if I don't who will?). Anyway, since my friend Dana has this flirty crush on Ryan, and he has a crush on her, of course those two are in cahoots to "hook me up." The only viable option from their viewpoint is Brent. Of course it is...

Brent came this past Monday night with canvas and paints to paint the poker scene. He's talented, and I enjoy painting, so Dana and Ryan made sure that he and I started talking. The more I talked to him, the more he revealed about himself. Turns out that Brent paints as part of his psychiatric "therapy." Yep ladies and gentlemen, he's a crazy. Self-admitted, his words - not mine. During our conversation, here are a few red flags that I discover, immediately ruling him out of any possiblity of being dating potential for me:

1) His paintings mostly deal with what it's like to have a mental illness.
2) He doesn't paint that often because the meds he takes make him sleep a lot.
3) If he didn't take his meds, he'd be "a loose cannon" to quote him.
4) He doesn't work, rather draws disability from the government.
5) He isn't allowed to drive, therefore doesn't own a car and either walks everywhere (to the bar for poker night) or has friends take him where he needs to go.

So I'm talking to Brent and finding out all about his illness and the more I learn, the more I want to run. But I can't, that would be rude. I'm trapped. So I start to strategize in my head when a good time would be for me to back out of the conversation without him knowing I was heading for the hills in retreat mode. I laugh at his joke, but then worry if the laughter came across as genuine. I try to gauge how long I have to continue with the conversation to be polite. I then start to think that if/when I back away, do I have to return before I leave so he doesn't think I'm ignoring him after he told me he was a "crazy". But then I start to second guess that thought. Of course, I wouldn't want him to think I do have an interest in him other then friends, and if I make a stop back by to say good bye before we leave, will he take that the wrong way? All of these decisions are racing through my head, and it's a very fine line to walk when you want to be polite and friendly, but not come across as flirtatious and interested.

Now, please don't get me wrong here. I was a psychology major in college, so that being my field of study, I do have a certain understanding and/or empathy for those with psychological concerns. All of the anonymous people that at this point want to chew me out for my insenstivity to the subject at hand just back off. However, when it comes to my dating life, husband potential and father of my children, a "crazy" IS NOT, and let me repeat to be very clear, IS NOT even on the "to be considered" list, no matter how desperate my single situation should ever become. Which would explain my distinctive glare followed by an eye roll at both Dana and Ryan when they lean over to ask, "so, have we made a love connection?"