Skip to main content

Questions Asked and Answered

I like certainty. I crave truth. I thrive on authenticity. I think that's one of the reasons I like kids so much. They have a way of carving right through the b.s. and digging in to the heart of the matter.

As we sat at Dunkin Donuts this weekend, the English-speaking 8-year-old asked me, "What's your name again?" The Brazilian looked across the table from her and responded, "Every time you see her you ask her her name five times. When are you going to remember it?"

She sat there quietly for a moment before answering, "I've only seen her one other time...not like that other girl who was there at your birthday."

I laughed internally because she confirmed what I had suspected about his three month absence and knew would not ever actually get a straight answer about. The Brazilian shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable and shot me sideways glance with a quick, "Don't listen to her. She's crazy and doesn't know what she's talking about."

We all know the truth.

Like I said, I have no issues with truth. I'd like to tell you that I was perfectly okay with that dialogue, but I must be truthful. I was a bit shuffled by that revelation, not so much because it meant that he had abandoned me for someone else. After all, I am a grown woman. I've been in several relationships. I even had a few going on at that particular time when I first met him. I expect the same from him.

Rather, I was rattled by the questions of how he would respond to this. You'd be a fool to not figure out how much I like this man...how he makes me smile...how he makes me laugh...how the fact that he can go from being completely silly to completely intellectual in a manner of seconds makes my heart leap.

As I've processed this exchange, I saw just how much I respect myself and my approach to my life. I know women who would completely write him off for this. Perhaps I should, but my life path has been less than straight and narrow. That's why I don't expect anything different from those around me.

For now, it's a fantastic story that illustrates again the need for truthfulness with ourselves and others. And I still really like the image of his uncomfortableness in that moment. I think he was wondering about my reaction just as much as I was his. Let's face it. On some level, knowing that someone is a little worried about how their actions affect you tells a lot about where you stand with them.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Trying to Keep It All Together

The title of this post is a bit of a misnomer. Just this morning I said, "I'm having a hard time getting it together right now." I'm in one of those periods when showing up is the best I can offer, and I can't even guarantee that. That said, I just popped on here to share that I'm struggling. I'm dealing with a lot of loss right now. Some of it is easy to spot. Some of it I've tucked away because it's either terribly painful or terribly embarrassing--at least to me. Some of it was inevitable. Some of it was a surprise. All of it rises up into the center of my chest and begs me to stop for a moment to acknowledge it. It's doing that right now even as I type this. I'm having a hard time getting it together right now.

Welcome 2010

This has been an interesting beginning to the new year. The evening began with a beer and air hockey challenge, which I handily lost. This was followed with some extreme go cart racing and more beer, a dinner that consisted of leftovers from one of my favorite South Carolina restaurants and homemade fried zucchini. And more beer. I saw "The Hangover" for the fourth time and laughed like an idiot. After the ball dropped in Times Square, I saw pieces of "Public Enemy" and finally crawled into bed around 2:00 a.m. and stayed there until 11:00 this morning. I spent today playing with a dog, watching college football, and hanging out with one of my current favorite people. I don't do the whole new year resolution thing. However, I do believe in taking a look at the lessons I've learned and the experiences that have unfolded for me in the previous year. Anyone who reads this blog can already figure out that my divorce, running, and dating again have greatly influe...

Pardon the Interruption

It's 10:00. My race clothes are laying across the top of the dog crate. I've already consumed my all-natural sleep aid. The alarm is set for 4:45 in the morning. I should be sleeping, but my mind is spinning at an unnatural rate. Remember this poem ? The subject of that poem married just a few weeks ago, and I just finished looking through his wedding photos. It's a strange feeling. Not one of loss. Or Regret. Or even wistfulness. I'm thoroughly happy for both of them in a way that will seriously not make sense to most of the people I know. I suppose there will always be an odd sense of knowing in a situation like this. I know the feel of those lips. I've seen that look in his eyes. What I felt for him was real and pure and drives the feeling of satisfaction that is currently overwhelming me. I love knowing that he's in love--even if it's not with me. I even saved my favorite photo to my computer because the image stirred something in me that needs to be sti...