Sunday, June 22, 2008

Moving On (Leah)

I had a first-date this weekend with a guy who has really good Phil potential. He's upstanding and can carry on a great conversation. The next day, however, I woke up feeling a bit sad. I think I was missing Phil the first. This guy is very much the first Phil's opposite. (Over the years I find I do that a lot - flip-flop - not intentionally, it just happens.) The things this guy has, Phil lacked, and the things that made Phil the first great, this guy lacks. I really can't say for sure which qualities I value more - maybe that's why I flip-flop so much. I realized, though, that just as you get to know and appreciate a new Phil you must go through the process of more fully letting go of the old Phil. It's not just a matter of falling in love with someone new, it also involves falling out of love with the past. And not just the one that preceded him - memories of many of them come back and float around for reflection and nostalgia's sake and maybe even a little bit of inner debate.

There's an ABBA song that I just love - less well known than the ubiquitous "Dancing Queen" and even "Chiquitita." It's called "Move On" - from a 1978 album. "Like a roller in the ocean, life is motion, move on...." It sometimes echoes in my head - a good mantra.

2 comments:

Bridget said...

I like this mantra, it reminded me today of how important it is to go with the flow and to try not to look back just cuz its more familiar and perhaps, safe, thanks Leah for the inspiration!

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