Usually I try to focus on the positive and expect good outcomes. My generally sunny and hopeful outlook aside, sometimes it pays to be prepared for the negative or uncomfortable. To wit: the break-up. Relationships begin, everything's rosey and exciting, then sometimes, as we get in more deeply, we realize it's not a good fit, that we're not entirely happy. Now, what to do? It's a drag.
Last week, a friend found himself needing to end a new romantic entanglement. They had already made plans for a date when he realized he needed bring things to an end. Neither wanting to cancel the date and break-up via telephone (so unkind) nor sit through a long meal knowing that an awkward conversation was imminent, he decided: Chinese food. Its delicious, usually fairly casual and, most importantly FAST. The entire meal lasted about 40 minutes and by the end, the conversation had been had. Clean, civil, and fast. Later, in recounting the event to me, he realized that this was the third break-up that he'd had over Chinese food.
Who wants to think about how to break up with someone? Not I. However, we sometimes find ourselves in these, and other, uncomfortable situations, and it's good to know what to do. To be all Pollyana for a sec, it's kind of like making lemonade out of lemons. However, if that's not your style, you can follow the advice of Bill MacNeil (poor video quality for which I apologize):
I really miss Phil Hartman.
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