When you know, you know. You know?
Certainty is a scary thing to face. A lot of the times when Iām certain, I doubt how certain I am. I canāt be so sure about something, me, a mere mortal of 24 years of life on earth. Can I?
(Thatās me doubting my statement. In case you were doubting my sarcasm.)
Any time Iām facing a situation that can really go any way, I doubt the shit out of my decision, panic on the potential horrible outcome of it, no matter how improbable, and just shoot for it anyways. Why do I cause myself such anxiety? Because I know that if I donāt try, Iāll never know for sure. If only I can perfectly execute that mindset 100% of the time, considering certain unfinished business and unanswered questions I have, then Iād be at peace with them all.
Or would I?
Iāve been challenged with a question regarding a (fairly) recent relationship I was in. My ex-boyfriend and I had ended our relationship on (fairly) good terms. I had trouble moving on because he was still, and is still, in the picture on a friendly basis. I wasnāt one to befriend my exes because itās a separation I have trouble making: either youāre out or all in, but he managed to turn it into a (fairly) comfortable situation. Iād moved on, gotten my social life back, met new people, rekindled old friendships... I got back to who I truly was before. Until one night, while I was out enjoying drinks with friends, heād been texting me while bored at home, he decided to drop theĀ āI made a mistakeā bomb. To which I answered it was too late, reluctantly so, but I meant it. I thenĀ decided Iād give him a chance to explain, talk about it. Just not now, because it wasnāt the time.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, which was sufficient time to make up oneās mind. That to me was a first sign that
A. I can not trust him, because if he has such ease going back on his word from one second to the next then he has trouble committing to most everything,
B. he didn't care to even follow up on what heād told me, even if that meant he didnāt feel that way anymore and
C. he didnāt actually feel that way after all.
Was it an act of jealousy for my moving on? Was he realizing heĀ couldnāt find better and that was his petty way of slowing me down fromĀ āmoving on too quicklyā or did he wanna keep stringing me along? Lord knows. But all I know is he gave me enough proof to know that I wasnāt good enough for him to begin with (and Iām not dogging myself). Iām merely expressing his point of view based on his actions. If heād said that one night and meant it, then he would have made sure that conversation happened. But he didnāt.
I asked him about it today. After a torturous game ofĀ āwhy do you hate me Lizā (because honestly I didnāt want to have that conversation), which I didnāt answer until heĀ asked me whether I trusted him or not. I told him IĀ couldn't trust him because he went back on his words. Words that meant nothing to me, but out of respect of our friendship and previous relationship, I said Iād give him a chance to explain. When I asked him why he never even gave those words a second thought he said he was a relationship newb and that he didnāt know how youĀ āknowā. At that moment, I crossed out any possibility of us every having any kind of relationship pastĀ āsuperficial friendshipā.
āHow do you know?ā you ask? Fuck if I know. But when I know someone special is standing right in front of me, someone who makes me feel that little bit stronger (which is hard to do), someone whose flaws are cute to me, that I can see planning things ahead with and donāt feel suffocated by, then I know not to question whether this is āitā or not. I just know to keep riding the wave and digging deeper into this chance Iām taking. I know Iām lucky just to have met someone so great that doesnāt make me want to tear my hair out and the more days I ride the wave, the more certain I am. Heās not just there to keep a spot for someone ābetterā. This is it, more and more so every day we exist as one.
The day you know āitā is happening with some sort ofĀ massive flag waving over a sunny horizon or God telling youĀ āYo girl, this is your guyā, then I mayĀ listen. But thereās no app to know, nor are we magicians.
You just know. You know?