For anything new to begin, something must first end. — Coldness reflected off the gray paint in the bedroom. An empty room, except for a lonely bed. An empty bed occupied by myself and my thoughts. Wrapped in white bedding, I hid my head from the void around me. I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to accept. …

I needed it to be different. — “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked. I nodded swiftly, a reflex before my brain could catch up. If I let myself think, If I let myself sift through memories, my entire body might shut down. My bare chest pressed against her exposed skin. She lay there…

Sometimes talking to others won’t help you recover. Sometimes writing to yourself can. — What’s done is done. You move on, wanting nothing to do with what once transpired. The mind boxes the memories away, pushing them deep into the back of your mental closet. Over time more boxes are slid into storage, blocking access to the past. To the trauma. The box gathers…

The first steps are hard, even if the mind walked away long ago. — The judge continued to speak. I didn’t hear a word. I didn’t see him. I saw through him. Through to the day I met my eventual wife, her espresso brown hair bouncing along with her personality as she took the classroom seat in front of mine. To waking up next…

The most satisfying pizza isn’t always the best. Or the freshest. — A dotted line of hungry pizza lovers twisted away from the restaurant’s awning. A fluttering red flag was planted firmly into brick and cement, announcing the famous pizzeria’s location to the world. I dug my hands into coat pockets as my partner shivered under the assault of a stinging wind…

Dangers partaking in the timeless art of seduction — The timeless art of seduction. A single text. The anticipation of a response. The numbed tingles gliding up your neck like a cold feather tickling your spine. We are an audible species. Through words, we primarily communicate. Through words, we arouse. The breathy whispers into a partner’s ear while making…

Squat pee, camel toes, gym boners. Just a day in the life of a gym rat. — The gym. It’s as much a prison as it is a church. For some, it represents hard time. Labor. Putting in punishment in order to eventually become free. For others, it’s a place of worship. Of praising plates and barbells, all in the drive to put up one more plate…

#3. How to conceal disappointment… — Her head tucked into my chest as I held her close. Her tears and runny nose mixed with my sweat, a cocktail of sudden emotion, shaken with heavy sobs. I did not know her very well. Not well enough to share a bed with her. Not well enough for her…

Every partner brings something new to the table. Sometimes you’re just not ready for what that is. — Life comes at you pretty fast. A famous philosopher once said that. Or maybe it was Ferris Bueller. Whatever the origin, the little, simple line couldn’t pack more truth. Life happens, and it’s not always possible to prepare for it. By the time you realize what’s happening you’re already knee-deep…