Mike. There You Are!

So it's been a while since I posted. Guess that's what happens when you get swept up in a new romance. You know how it is. Friends call and wonder what happened to you. Pals start driving by the house checking for signs of life. Co-workers over-use the phrase, "You look so happy!" Now who doesn't love this? It's great!

Funny thing about being in a couple again. It brings out the best in me. Not that I'm not self sufficient, mind you. Since being single again after being married for so long, I've discovered that I can exist very well in this world (cue Gloria Gaynor). It sounds cliche, but I found myself during this period. Which begs the question, 'Where have I been all this time?' In a word...hiding.

Hiding behind the complacency and contentment of family life. Hiding talents and plans in lieu of responsibility and obligation. Holding back and using the mantle of 'Dad' as an excuse to stay in the safe zone. Not all a bad thing here. I love being a dad, and responsibility comes with the territory. However, as my family life changed so drastically, that safe zone collapsed. Time to try new things.

Of course some ventures didn't quite take. Examples: I took a trip to Dewey Beach with some younger, single friends. Picture a beach house with dozens of people "sleeping it off" strewn all over the floor. Then picture a guy pushin' forty, soberly looking around saying to himself, "What the hell am I doing here?" Picture this same guy on a first date with a girl in her early twenties (she looked much older when I asked her out!). What was I thinking (exept for the momentary self congratulations)? That's right. "What the hell am I doing here?" This sure wasn't Mike-the-family-man groomed for so many years. But it sure wasn't the new and improved Mike either. Eventually emerging from this primordial ooze was Mike version 2.0. Debugged but still a bit quirky. A work in progress, but stay tuned for future enhancements.

Getting back to my new romance. It's feels fresher. Not just because it's new. The big difference is me. Now I can complete a relationship, rather than a relationship completing me. I'm not hiding in the many comfortable, safe zones a relationship offers. And my new girl, Georganne, is wonderful. She brings a love of life and family that few can boast. She like's me for me. And that's not always easy. As all of her friends have told me, I'm lucky. I agree.