💔 “Good Luck Though”: And Other Phrases That Ruined My Night

From The Rejection Diaries of a Seasoned Gay

By William E. Smith

It started like all great modern romances do:
A match on an app, a string of flirty messages, and the promise of overpriced cocktails and maybe—just maybe—a good kiss behind a potted plant outside the bar.

We talked about our favorite books. He lied and said his was The Alchemist. I pretended I didn’t rewatch Murder, She Wrote in a bathrobe. We bonded over coffee snobbery and the fact that both of us “weren’t really into the scene,” which is gay code for “I once cried in a club bathroom and now I stay home.”

Plans were made. Outfits were chosen. Nose hairs were trimmed. Confidence was cautiously inflated.

And then… it happened.

Fifteen minutes before our date, I got the text:

“Hey, I’ve been thinking… I just don’t think we’re a match. Good luck though!”

Good. Luck. Though.

A phrase so sharp and dismissive it should be illegal to text it to anyone over 40 without a courtesy drink voucher.

☠️ Phrases That Should Come With a Trigger Warning

Let’s talk about “good luck though,” and its equally awful cousins:

• “You seem nice, but…”
• “You’re a great guy, I’m just not ready.”
• “You remind me of my dad’s friend, which is weird…”
• “You look good for your age!”
• ” I am not really single, I think I better figure out what I want.”

Each one a dagger. Each one delivered with the innocent cheer of someone who thinks they’re being kind while actually performing emotional drive-bys.

🤡 My Reaction (In Three Dramatic Acts)

Act I: Denial
I reread the message five times. Maybe he meant “good look though”? Like, maybe he liked my look and just forgot autocorrect was a thing?

Act II: Rage
I slammed a cabinet (okay, gently closed it but with emotion), shouted “MEN ARE TRASH” to no one, and texted my friend:

“I shaved my shoulders for THIS?!”

Act III: Recovery
I poured a glass of wine, turned on Designing Women, and made peace with the fact that rejection is just part of the game. A dumb, rigged, glitter-covered game—but a game nonetheless.

💅 Lessons from the Frontlines

Here’s what I’ve learned, dear reader:

• If someone can’t see your worth, let them walk. You don’t need to convince anyone to love you.
• You’re not a missed connection—you’re a selective experience.
• And most importantly: never waste a good outfit. Go anyway. Sit at the bar. Order the drink. Smile like you’ve just been cast in a Netflix limited series called “Single But Cinematic.”

🎤 Final Thought

Rejection is never fun, but it doesn’t have to define you. It’s just another line in the script of your fabulous, messy, gloriously evolving life.

And the next time someone tells me “good luck though,” I’ll smile, raise my glass, and say:

“Thanks—I make my own luck now, sweetheart.”