Perhaps we can finish this conversation after your broken neck has healed?

I admit that I struggle with finding the balance between "too much" and "never enough."  In fact, I hesitate to classify anything as one for fear of displaying a lack of appreciation for the good in the other.  But honestly, I tend to think that the random unsolicited approach by an overzealous man that I have never met ("hollering," if you will) is a little too much.

So I was recently on a seemingly normal, daily walk to Starbuck's with my coworkers when I noticed a young man following us.  Initially, I thought nothing of it.  When I later noticed him follow us into the Starbuck's and stand awkwardly by the cash register screaming "excuse me" as I attempted to order my beverage with a line of about ten people behind me, I continued to try and ignore him.  But what I could not ignore was him sticking his hand in my face while I was trying to pay for my coffee.  Nor could I disregard him candidly expressing his thoughts about my appearance in front of my coworkers.  Despite that I can own up to the tinge of flattery that I feel after a man breaks his neck in such a way, I was thoroughly embarrassed.

Hmm... and thus begins the struggle.  While we hope that a man or woman will be brave and secure enough to publicly approach someone of interest if they really want to meet them, there is a point where the whole ordeal goes way overboard.  I mean, isn't a complete lack of discretion or thoughtfulness in approach disturbing to anyone else? Off-putting perhaps? 

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll be forthcoming and admit that I took his email address.  You never know...

You definitely knew what you had... and that's why you let it go

As the saying goes, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone."

That is, until you get it back, realize what you had, then remember why you didn't want it in the first place.  

The phenomenon of romanticizing over lost relationships is one that never ceases to amaze me.  We break up, get a little lonely, and then start to jones over all the sweet goodness that we are now missing.  But our minds conveniently seem to gloss over the not-so-good things that led us to call it quits in the first place.  Or we fantasize over the good stuff so much that in our minds it starts to outweigh the bad.  Or we may even start to think that things might be different the second time around, only to realize that sh*t has not changed one bit.  

I think it is in our nature to see the good in people sometimes in spite of the bad.  Indeed it is written, "Love keeps no record of wrongs."  (1 Corinthian 13:4)  But do we really think that it is going to be all good the second (or third, or fourth, or fifteenth) time around??  We even console people during rough breakups by telling them that their foresight-lacking ex just didn't realize what he/she had.  In reality, he knew exactly what he had and decided he just didn't want it. 

By contrast, I do admire when people recognize adjustments that can be made to be happy with someone and commit to making those changes for the benefit of being together.  But that situation is a far cry from just giving it another shot because there is nothing (or no one) better to do.  Don't you think?