I was twenty-two and absolutely crazy about him and those big puppy dog brown eyes.  We made it through a few crazily romantic months … At work I wrote him notes about “winter, spring, summer or fall” and he wrote me love letters on musical staff paper in his barely legible musician’s scrawl.  Every night, after each set, we would just gaze into each other’s eyes or I would listen to his dreams and plans,  in an attempt at being the salve he continually craved.  He didn’t care for “unpleasantness” so we never discussed problems or things that weren’t working for me.  It began to feel a little stale but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.

One evening he brought a woman to our table to introduce me to her.  He referred to her as his new friend.

I smiled, acted happy to meet her and like nothing in the world was wrong.  Inside I was confused, broken-hearted, but tried to keep the feeling of betrayal at bay.

One sleepless nights a few days later, this song came on the radio around 2AM.  Somehow it eased its way into my conscious mind and I got it.  I was done.

Yesterday, thirty-seven years and a bajillion lifetimes and people later, I was getting my back iced at my physical therapist’s office and the song flashed into my mind, the chorus playing in a continual loop.

The eyes are now blue but once again, I got it.

And, reluctantly, I am done.

Link:

Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady