I Don't Know

I'm not sure if I'm ready to share this... but something compels me to tap it out on the keyboard. Maybe I just need to journal it for myself.

Mr. Burns and I have been talking. Since a month and a half after we broke up, we've been talking about once every two weeks. Sometimes more. Usually for an hour at a time.

I haven't exactly been kind to him either. My heart is still hurt. So much so that he has asked if I have any good memories of our relationship. Sure. But it does me no good to dwell on that right now.

At first, it was him telling me about the part of the him that wants to be the man to put a ring on my finger and keep me forever. But then there is the part of him that just doesn't know.

I finally told him to keep it to himself.
"You, on the fence is not news. I don't need to hear about it. It's hurtful." It's insulting is what it is. "If you ever decide to get off the fence and pick a side... that I'd like to hear about."

Once I said that, I didn't hear from him for two full weeks.
Then he called and told me that he thinks about me often. He misses me. He really loved sharing his life with me and he misses that.

He told me that the night we broke up... he pulled the car over on the way home, crying. He almost turned around and came back. I wonder what would have happened if he had. He said that he wasn't ready for us to break up, but he accepted that it was what I needed. True. I couldn't take the status quo anymore. Working so hard for nothing to change.

Now, as he thinks about just what a good match we were, that maybe we should try to make this work.

I asked him if he was just sharing thoughts, or if he was asking me something. He didn't have an answer for that.

I did tell him that there is a lot that is broken that needs to be repaired. If we would try to get back together, repair is the first priority. But I didn't say that we would.

Last night, I talked to friends from church, a couple who has been married for at least 15 years.
The husband told me, "The reason a man doesn't get married is either he doesn't love her or he thinks someone better is out there."

Hmmm.

So I put that criteria before myself.
Do I love him? I think so. I'm still hurt, and I don't know if what I'm feeling is hurt or not loving him.
Do I think I might find someone better?
You know what? Sometimes I do think that there might be someone as good for me or better out there - but I am quite certain I won't run into that guy for another 30 years.
I am not being sarcastic. Or funny. Or glib. Or defeatist. Or obstinate. I really believe it. That guy is not showing up until I'm at least 60.
So if I'm with Mr. Burns for the next 20-30 years, I won't be looking that other guy anyway.

And who knows what life brings. Maybe I'll need someone else when I'm 68.
Maybe it's worth seeing if this will work.
But I'm not giving Mr. Burns more than 3 months this time - unless I'm absolutely positive he is ready to go where I am ready to go.

If he decides to ask me a question, I think I'll tell him that he has permission to pursue me.
Show me what ya got.

At least, that's what I think right now.