I am horrible with good-byes. When confronted with the responsibility of leaving someone I call either a friend or acquaintance, I do not know what is expected of me. Do I make promises that I will write very often, either by email or by post? I know myself: with my poor track record of regular correspondence that would be an outright lie. Swear I will never forget them? That we will meet again, regardless of what the future brings? I will not make promises based on outcomes I cannot possibly know.
The real problem is that I an uncomfortable with confrontation and, ultimately, that's what saying good-bye is (though hopefully with friendly tones.) I prefer a simple "See you later!", where "later"holds so many possibilities: it could be tomorrow or two years from now; why qualify it? And then I just slip away - gone. No time to create reasons for future guilt. Of the people we encounter in life, some are remembered vividly, others vaguely, while still others are completely forgotten - why prolong them with false promises of eternity?
I write this with a knowledge of my own slippery character. My vanity is not so large as to suppose I am indelibly imposed in the minds of all I meet. We are all passing acquaintances to someone, so it is better to focus on the now, rather than dwell on the future or even the past. What does "good-bye"do but close forever the possibilities of now, forcing us out of the act of living and into the static realm of memory?
So no "good-bye"or even "until next time", but rather breathe in the forever prospects of "later".
The real problem is that I an uncomfortable with confrontation and, ultimately, that's what saying good-bye is (though hopefully with friendly tones.) I prefer a simple "See you later!", where "later"holds so many possibilities: it could be tomorrow or two years from now; why qualify it? And then I just slip away - gone. No time to create reasons for future guilt. Of the people we encounter in life, some are remembered vividly, others vaguely, while still others are completely forgotten - why prolong them with false promises of eternity?
I write this with a knowledge of my own slippery character. My vanity is not so large as to suppose I am indelibly imposed in the minds of all I meet. We are all passing acquaintances to someone, so it is better to focus on the now, rather than dwell on the future or even the past. What does "good-bye"do but close forever the possibilities of now, forcing us out of the act of living and into the static realm of memory?
So no "good-bye"or even "until next time", but rather breathe in the forever prospects of "later".
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