Mr. Unavailable #77: What Was I Thinking?

This is a Mr. Unavailable flashback, circa 2001.

Vital Stats: Late 20s, 6'ish, dark, curly hair, some pudge (or was it bloating?). Smart, unemployed writer. Aesthetic: Sloppy Hipster (before hipsters developed fashion sense). Demeanor: Jovial, with an overdeveloped sense of humor about his lack of mental stability and stint in the psych ward. I think he might have had a lazy eye, too.

First Impression: I met him at the local dive in Brooklyn in the Spring of 2000. He was introduced to me as "Crazy [#77]" and shortly thereafter revealed the crisscross scars running up and down the back of his forearm from where he'd habitually and methodically cut himself.

First Date: I don't think we ever really had a "date."

Signs of Hope: "Hope" is a bit strong. In early 2001, he showed interest in me and, I, unemployed and finding myself in a moment of weakness, felt interest in return.

Red Flags: All of the above.

Turning Point: We hung out for a week or two--I even stayed over at his apartment one night but he was on so many meds that nothing ever, well, happened--but then his interest wandered away from me and in the direction of a sprightly Barnard College senior.

Diagnosis: For him: Crazy, as billed. For me: Crazy by association.