When did my heart harden? How did empathy slip away? Dr. Lindelson pondered these questions in the spacious office where she had practiced psychotherapy for forty years, since she completed he ... [+]
I proposed to the love of my life in September, and she ran away from me. I'd expected her to say no, sure, as I knelt down in front of the Old Well with no ring, no intention, no plan. We were walking back from eating now-cold cups of takeout jambalaya on the quad; it wasn't exactly a romantic setting.
I was emulating the motions of a million great love stories before us, knowing we would never be one of them.
We aren't compatible; sexuality's just one of the things that ensures that, but still, her laughing, screaming, and darting away seemed a tad dramatic.
I laughed it off, and she laughed, too.
When I asked later why she'd reacted so strongly, she explained: "I honestly think our lives would be easier if I could've said yes. But god loves to put difficult people in our lives."
I was emulating the motions of a million great love stories before us, knowing we would never be one of them.
We aren't compatible; sexuality's just one of the things that ensures that, but still, her laughing, screaming, and darting away seemed a tad dramatic.
I laughed it off, and she laughed, too.
When I asked later why she'd reacted so strongly, she explained: "I honestly think our lives would be easier if I could've said yes. But god loves to put difficult people in our lives."
