Steve Garrett pens a break up letter to the EU.
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This came out as a way to find some hope/humour in my despondency after last Thursday’s referendum.
It does feel like it all has parallels with a particularly crappy relationship breakup!
‘Crappy’ because I think with some courage, honesty and integrity, we could have worked things out to mutual benefit and gone on with a deeper level of commitment;
But now we’re on our own, and I think we’ll find out it’s not such a great place to be.
Maybe we’ll find a way to be genuine friends with our ‘Ex-‘…I’ve managed it a couple of times, so I know it is possible.
Meanwhile, we need to look in our collective mirror, get clear about what we don’t like, make a plan for doing something about it and, as the most basic relationship counseling tells us, take responsibility for our feelings and stop blaming others (e.g. immigrants, politicians, Brussels etc.)
Br-eak Up (I love Eu)
I’d not been feeling good with eu for some time.
You’d been putting on a lot of weight
and I just didn’t feel like I was as special to you any more,
or that you even listened to me.
You’ve been so demanding;
always wanting more from me, but not respecting my boundaries
or thinking enough about what I needed.
I tried to reason with you, to make it work in a way that felt good for me,
but all you seemed to ever care about was yourself.
I finally realised I either had to make a commitment to you
or give up on us completely
It was crunch time, and I was really torn about it.
There had been some good things about us being together;
you introduce me to cultural experiences I never would have had,
even helped me financially sometimes, and invited me to live with you.
You gave me ideas that I know you genuinely thought would be good for me,
(even if I couldn’t always see the point of them at the time)
and offered to help solve some of my biggest problems.
But you always made everything so complicated; half the time I couldn’t even understand you!
I wanted to go back to a simpler life; the way things used to be before I met you.
I remember being happier then, when I only had myself to worry about.
I could just do what I wanted to do for a change
And I wouldn’t have to keep sharing my things, or my money, with you all the time.
So after much soul searching I finally did what I’ve been thinking about for a long time.
I dumped you.
I felt good, if a bit nervous at first; a kind of euphoria at being free.
I had taken back control over my own life, at last.
But this morning I woke up with a cold empty space in my life
where your comforting warmth used to be,
and a note saying you’d be fine without me and you’d collect your things as soon as possible.
And not to call you unless it was to agree how we were going divide our shared possessions.
It was only then that it hit me what I’d done.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I guess I’d thought we could still be friends,
maybe even sleep together sometimes.
That you’d still be there for me.
But you’d always said it wasn’t the kind of relationship you wanted;
we were either together, or not.
With a sinking feeling I realised how much you meant to me.
Hating myself for only thinking about what was difficult about being with you,
instead of all the lovely things I’d got so used to;
wishing I’d just talked things over with you
explained my fears and feelings, to see if we could have worked it out
instead of acting as if I was a separate island that didn’t need you,
or that you’d agree to do whatever I wanted because you couldn’t manage without me.
I see now that you did love me, and I took you for granted.
Like a selfish child who throws his toys out of the pram,
I’ve lost one of the best things in my life.
I feel like begging you to take me back,
but I know I’ve probably hurt your feelings deeply and made it hard for you to ever trust me again.
I’ve wasted my chance of sharing my life with someone who was very close to me
and now I might have to live in sad isolation forever.
If only I could turn back the clock and do things differently!
Does it really have to end like this?
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Source: 30dB.com – Brexit
“After all of the resignations, Pound falling and second thinking at 35% positive social media is in about the same place now as before the Brexit vote.” Howard K. 36db
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