We’ve all been around someone who was in the midst of processing a breakup. These people are not fun. They’re insufferable. The exit doors seem so far out of reach. Being as I live in a rural area, cut off from most social contacts, I had three full days on my own to work things out before unloading my I’ve Been Dumped sentiments on someone else. I succinctly responded to a few text messages and emails from friends and relatives who wanted updates on my getting reacquainted with Tim but I wisely refrained from phoning anyone. (Unfortunately, blog readers were not spared but they had that handy Back button as a handy exit door. So close, so easy to press!)
 |
| Sweaty & exhilarated. |
My mind needed to find its own exit. Despair is best in
small doses. I found many healthy forms of escape. On Friday, Dumping Day, I
had one of the best runs of my life. So much energy! I had to force myself at
some points to slow down for fear that I’d wear myself out and have to hobble
home in darkness. But I remained the Energizer Bunny the entire way. I smiled
through the sweat and amassed a photo essay as I stopped at various locations
to snap shots of pristine scenery. For the first time all summer, my sneakers
even had mercy. No new blisters. Bonus!
I swam 5K on Saturday, 3K on Sunday. Nonstop. Why take a
break? I needed to swim. I wanted to swim. Nothing to do but rote stroke work.
Some people are lulled by counting sheep; I count laps.
I bought hundreds of dollars of plants to restore my
neglected back deck. I yanked a summer’s worth of invasive vines. I picked
blackberries from the backyard and then set out on a short road trip to pick
more over a span of ninety minutes. Sorry, bears. Cobbler calls. And I made
that blackberry cobbler, serving it up with a few scoops of Haagen-Dazs
limoncello gelato. (Oh, what a combination!)
When I finally met up with a friend, it was to shop for and
create a vegan meal together. Sure, we talked some about my disappointment, but
his news was far more interesting. He’d just met a guy online from Sausalito
and they plan to meet next week in Seattle. So many uncanny coincidences and
life parallels between them. I got goosebumps listening to his optimism, his
certainty that this was, as he put it, his next “forever love.” I truly hope
all his intuition proves accurate. The camaraderie ended the weekend on a high
note.
The distractions were most welcome. By the time I woke up
Monday morning, I was done with disappointment. Sometimes the quickest healing
occurs when we smack a bandage on the open wound and get on with life.
