Growing connections from August 24, 1998…

Dear Breakup Girl,

I am Sunk, with a capital S, and Smitten too. I have a huge crush, and I am a bit worried that there’s all sorts of danger signs flashing that I’m willfully ignoring. I am in my early 30’s, haven’t been with anyone for 3 years or so, since my heart was broken. I cried for 2 years over the Man Who Broke My Heart, but I let time pass, I behaved well, I didn’t do dumb things, etc. In the year or so since I stopped crying, I’ve had 2 interests, both of which ended badly, before anything ever happened. (One had a girlfriend and one was over email in any case.) For the last 7 or 8 months, since the demise of possibility #2, I’ve been fine on my own. (Actually, I’ve been fine on my own since I stopped crying over the Heart Breaker.) I’ve been extremely cautious and all that. I have work I like, friends, a Life.

But, now I also have this huge crush on a goofy poet I met at the community garden. Our plots are near each other, and we began to chat, as gardening neighbors do (friendly places, community gardens, a fact you might want to pass on to your other readers). Within a week or so, our conversations about carrots and bok choy progressed onto the demise of his marriage, my formerly broken heart, etc. Amazing how much personal information can get exchanged while weeding and watering. Our conversations are going swimmingly, we’re both clearly having a great time, and I even convinced him to weed his carrots. Yesterday Looks were exchanged. You know the kind of Looks I mean. I’m giddy in a way I haven’t been in ages.

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