At a time when most brides are sending out her thank-you notes, Nicole Contos should be thanking her lucky stars she’s settling back into the single life. And the rest of us should be thanking her for a hard-won lesson in spunk.
When the 27-year-old kindergarten teacher was jilted at the altar last month, she didn’t fall apart or hide out in shame. No, indeed. She showed up at what should have been her wedding reception and danced to the disco hit “I Will Survive.”
In an age when paralyzing self-pity would have been the predictable reaction, Contos’ refusal to be crushed was refreshing and inspiring. “If something like this happens, hold your head up high, move on with your life and keep busy so you don’t think about it,” she later explained to The New York Times. That’s wonderful advice.
Of course, people would have understood if she had been too embarrassed to face her wedding guests. She was all set to walk down the aisle when the best man arrived with a message from the groom: He had changed his mind and was calling it off.
Earlier in the day, when they talked on the phone, Tassos Michael had given Contos no hint of trouble. In retrospect, the only suspicious sign was his refusal to tell her where they were going on their honeymoon. He said he wanted that to be a surprise.
The surprise: Michael went on the honeymoon alone–to a posh resort in Tahiti. It was obvious to everyone but Contos that she is well rid of this spineless cad. She says she still loves him and might even take him back.
“He’s probably saying, `What have I done?’ ” she said. If he isn’t, he ought to be. What are the chances he’ll ever find another woman special enough to shrug off being jilted and go have a good time?
