Category:
Romance and Relationships
I was lost, so I turned right. I knew what I was looking for and figured if this wasn't it, I'd know right away. For a while, I seemed to be going the right way. But just as I began feeling secure in reaching my destination, I saw the first sign.
"Dead End."
Hmmm... That can't be good. But the road continued ahead as far as I could see, so I kept going. And there it was again.
"Dead End."
Did I continue on or turn back? Eventually I'd have to turn around anyway, so why keep going? The longer I wait, the harder it will be.
All my life, I've been driving around lost. It started with my first crush in sixth grade and continued into adulthood. I'd find a relationship I wanted to pursue and start down that road, never knowing how far it would take me. Some relationships lasted longer than others but inevitably all of them dead-ended.
Sometimes you know on the first date. Sometimes it's much further down that road, maybe even after ignoring several warning signs along the way. Often the most difficult thing in the world is admitting a relationship you've invested yourself in isn't going to work out. But it happens.
I've seen friends heartbroken and confused because a relationship didn't work out. Everything seemed to be going fine but all of a sudden he changed. She feels deceived. If he knew it wasn't going to last, why did he date her so long? He seemed to be falling in love...was he lying to her all along? Where did things go wrong?
It's simple. He met her. He liked her. He continued to get to know her. Since he's not psychic, he couldn't know just how it would end. Maybe at first he was too caught up in his physical attraction to think clearly. Or maybe after spending a few long weekends in her presence, he's come to realize she drives him out of his freakin' mind.
Whatever the case, the road will not continue. He won't move into her apartment, won't propose, won't spend the rest of his life with her. For him there's another road -- one he can't pursue until he turns around and hauls ass back to the main intersection. Maybe she'll be hurt in the process but someday she'll look back and realize that dead end was there all along. He just happened to see it before she did.
The good news is someday, without warning, you'll turn down one of those roads and it won't dead end. You'll find exactly what you've been looking for. But it will only happen if you keep driving.
ABBA, DEBBIE GIBSON...OKAY, I'M A DORK
© 2007 Stephanie Faris
