129) Collateral

Photo by Tom Baker.

A couple days ago, I met up with another friend and ex (seems to be part of the good-bye LA routine) for some coffee. At one point, the topic of relationship collateral came up - the people, places, objects, etc. that are lost after it ends. The parents and sibs that you may or may not have gotten close to. (Another friend recently told me that he didn't really miss his ex-girlfriend, but that he missed talking with her dad.) The old familiar restaurant haunts, the exit off the freeway that leads to your significant other's apartment. The gifts that may or may not continue to be used. All reminders of what used to be.

But before we get too emo, let's remind ourselves that at some point, the associations fade. Despite swearing off certain places or throwing away all collateral entirely (stop, think twice), eventually it ceases to be collateral and dissolves into a pleasant whisper of a memory.

(Mini aside - I have the distinct feeling that my topics have been not so great as of late. Aka more personal than analytical. It's a strange time right now - unemployment, transition. I'm going to be in Asia for the first two and a half weeks in September, and then will be moving out of LA come September 30. Then in October, I'll be making the big move to New York. Life feels incredibly temporary, so apologies if it's reflected in both the topics and the writing.)