Walked Away

I have witnessed more than one male bewildered,

caught off guard,

as to the reason for the woman who walked away.

There are a number of reasons for this, fella.

Some introspective questions:

Was there a lack of commitment from you?

Diminished investment of emotions, effort, or time.

Was there infidelity or betrayal?

Emotional or sexual.

Was there a consistent conflict or a breakdown of communication?

Arguing, unresolved disputes, stonewalling.

Was there incongruity?

In goals, values, even presence of unrealistic expectations.

Were there external stressors or life-altering events?

Something beyond capacity for weathering of the glue.

Is there unacknowledged substance use to the point of misuse?

The substance is master, not you, of you.

Was there abuse or coercive control?

Safety and autonomy matter to cats and women alike.

Were you neglectful of sex?

The use of sex as a standalone, a stand-in, too.

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Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.

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Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash