Picture courtesy of Jennifer Pendergast
My first thought on seeing this picture was of Dr. Doolittle’s famous push-me pull-you animal. Then I had deeper thoughts and came up with this story. Dr. Phil never said the quote I wrote below, but I thought it sounded like something he might have said. Maybe I should have stuck with the humorous bit.
On that note, I give you the Push-me Pull-You. Quite the animal – good for a smile.
Word count: 100
Decoupling
Dr. Phil said ending a marriage was like separating conjoined twins – intricate surgery that didn’t always go according to plan. But her ache to be free was like a Siamese twin she carried around, heavy and burdensome. Freedom was a feather, an ephemeral flirt that called to her across the way, teasing and enchanting.
– Hon? Where’d you drift off to? You wanna watch CSI?
– Not really. Jack, you ever think about what our lives might be like if we weren’t us?
– Nope. Not for a minute. Why?
– No reason. Just thinking.
– Dangerous thing, thinking.
© Erin Leary
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Nice one…Freedom is surely an ephemeral flirt!
Thank you for reading!
Great dialogue, Erin. I think that’s always a red flag, if someone says that thinking is dangerous.
-David
I agree – thinking is how we grow. A relationship that has stopped growing can feel like a prison. Thanks for reading!
Gabriel Oak said to Bathsheba “whenever you look up, there shall I be; and whenever I look up, there shall you be.” All couples have a “fit”. One man’s paradise is another man’s hell.
Great piece Erin.
Thank you for reading – your comment was thought provoking. It takes work to maintain that fit – but it can be done.
This story is notable as much for what it doesn’t say about the man in her life. He only has two lines to say, but they say it all. In spades. Good one Erin.
That ‘s the beauty and the challenge with this type of writing – so much doesn’t get said. Thank you for reading!
Too sad when freedom ends with a marriage. Great story.
I agree- it should be a mutually supportive relationship. Thank you for reading.
Me thinks hubby better look up from that TV and talk to his wife.
Yes, Dawn – but sadly, he won’t. He is happy in his own zone.
I agree with dawn above.Very well written Erin. 🙂
Thank you for reading – I appreciate your comments!
I agree with Dawn too, but on the other hand, she may find freedom isn’t all it’s cracked up to be … he might sometimes be right about this thinking thing!
The grass is not always greener, that’s the truth. I hope he he decides to think along with her.
Great story, Erin.
Thank you for reading!
Dear Erin,
That was a good story and perfect for the prompt. Push-me-pull you. Haven’t heard that in a while. The conversation was spot on and the ending was exactly what happens most of the time. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
Just asking the question takes nerve but to hear that answer tells her all she needed to know. Some people just stop growing and that’s when friction sets in. Thank you for reading, Doug.
It’s very sad that Jack doesn’t see anything wrong with the marriage, or how unhappy his wife is. He seems too wrapped up in himself and the TV screen to care. As for the comment he made about thinking …! The woman’s thinking has led to her desperate need for freedom from a marriage that’s crushing her individuality. Great story, Erin, and very thought-provoking.
You get it- and it’s a shame more couples don’t figure it out before it’s too late. Thank you for reading!
Lovely take on the prompt Erin. The dialogue was so believable and says everything about the state of their marriage. Could have been overheard in many households I fear…well done.
It’s believable because I have lived it – or something like it. Thank you for reading and your kind comments!
Great story Erin, I am pretty sure I would be thinking of it often. Nan 🙂
Indeed – once it gets in your head, it would be impossible to accept things as they were. Thank your for reading and commenting!
Erin,
Very nice glimpse into a marriage. This could be a moment of over thinking or a call to action. We can never really know what anyone is thinking in a marriage and not all thoughts need to be acted on. Push me – pull me indeed.
Be well,
Tracey
It is probably a little of both. She’s teetering and he’s happy in his own zone. That’s where danger lies. Thanks for reading and commenting!
it’s only dangerous if your thinking leads you away in secret rather than turning your thoughts into positive actions that excite, and maybe titillate, your partner.
Stop hoping your other will act and start acting.
Randy
That’s good advice – I hope it works for her! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Dear Erin,
How many marriages go on for years without communication, without one or the other looking up to see what’s happening before it’s too late?
I loved your analogy of carrying around a Siamese twin and the Dr. Phil “quote.” Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks, Rochelle! Iknow how busy you are and appreciate you finding time to read and comment. Looking forward to hearing more about your book debut.
I’m almost finished with the edits. I have a wonderful editor who keeps me focused and on task. I just posted a new character study and a trailer. https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/character-study-ulrich-dietrich/
I love how the two halves of your story provide a contrast – and your point is made. Poor girl – I hope she finds a solution.
Most of the time that’s as far as one gets in this life; we’d do something about what we want but it’s not convenient, it’s too much effort, we’ll hurt another, and so on. So let’s make some popcorn and watch CSI.