I’m Amanda. I’ve got wide eyes, a smart mouth, and a MetroCard. And I’m not afraid to use them.
Last Saturday, TBID rented a Zipcar so we could pick up a photo I had at a gallery in Westchester. The photo never sold, the gallery is going out of business, and I think those two situations are related. Had someone just bought my overpriced photo, everything would have been fine.
It’s true.
Woman #1: Oh, Jewish guys. They’re the best boyfriends.
Woman #2: Yeah! So sensitive-
Woman #1: “What’s wrong? What are you feeling?” And they listen!
It appears I’ve sent this parcel to myself. My own penmanship staring back at me from the manila envelope, cool to the touch.
My first serious boyfriend often ended long spiels with “…and a big ape jumped out and killed everybody.” He liked to catch me not listening very closely to what he was saying. It was a wise move, because my mind has a tendency to wander into the jungles of to-do lists and books I’ve read instead of staying on the manicured lawn of the present conversation.
I have gone out with enough guys. I wouldn’t say a lot, because I certainly could have dated more.
And I am easy to become smitten with.
Today’s been a long day. Somehow, I propelled myself out of bed early enough to eat a bowl of cereal, which is usually a night time meal for me. I dressed smartly. Jim, my co-worker who rides his bike over the Brooklyn Bridge each morning to get to work at 8:30, asked if something was wrong. Nine’s my normal arrival time, you see, and I didn’t look sleepy. It was something I may have to attempt more often.
Dear Amanda,
It’s the little things that get you after a break-up. The tweezers that you rushed out to buy, telling yourself, “Finally, you can do this. You denied yourself for so long because of him, and now you don’t have to.” And it really makes no sense. It’s almost certain he didn’t have anything against your grooming aspirations.
Ending a long-term relationship is one of the hardest things I’ve done this year. It doesn’t matter that there were numerous points of contention throughout, that sometimes I pondered how true I was being to myself to date someone who could be so antagonistic toward some of the things I value. Things were wonderful sometimes, often stimulating, and so very comfortable.
