Tunnels and Trails

She was smart but she was stubborn and I've never known a woman who was anything else. I wanted her to go away with me and she said no. That was her exercising both parts of herself. I'm not a fool and I'm not a joke, I'm not aggressive or abusive. I'm what previous generations of entitled men would call a "good guy." But it doesn't matter how good you think you are, you're wrong. Hold your breath and shut your mouth. You, my friend, are wrong. And it's OK to be wrong. As long as you try to be better.

I told her to pick any place in the world, any country, any city and we'll go there. It was crazy cause she said, she wouldn't do it. We'll pack light, we'll book one way tickets and wear hats and drink wine and befriend locals and make our way through tunnels and trails and maybe we'll even stay there forever. Wherever there is. Because wherever there is, I'm thinking it's got a lot going for it. More than here anyway.

But that's her stubbornness. She knew there was a lot going for it. Maybe a little too much. Maybe too much to go there and realize she might not ever want to come back. That maybe she was wasting her time with fools and jokes. And maybe it was a little too much to realize right now. The seas would always be there, they would grow if anything. The land on either side, though shrinking, would be there for a very long time. She could go there later. She didn't need me. And I guess I didn't need her. But as a good guy it doesn't really matter.