Tonight an old romantic interest called me. These day's she's married and the step-mother of a young girl. She's had a successful career that she has been in for all of the 7 years that I've known her, owns a nice house which she has renovated in a nice small city and has many pets. She has built her little piece of the American Dream, and in typical suburban style is not truly satisfied with it.

I don't propose that it isn't possible to be happy with a decent suburban life, millions of people can't be that ignorant about their own state of being. I trust that many people are happy with that style of life, as it has many advantages over both truly urban and rural modes of living. But I sense that this particular woman is not happy with what she is built. I would go so far as to suggest that she feels stuck and bored now when she looks at what she has built.

I didn't answer her call, only listened to her message. There was a long silence at the beginning of the message, then in a soft voice she began to describe the ocean and beach in Miami, the temperature of the water and the way the wind felt in her hair.

I wouldn't think anything of this exact same message if it were from another friend that I was in contact with more often. I would take it at face value and appreciate it for a little glimpse into another person's experience. Coming from this particular person though, it is more likely that this is following a pattern of extended hugs, long stares, ommisions of my presence in her conversations with her husband while she is changing her clothes in front of me in a hotel room across the country from him.

Obviously there is something of my previous post in this one, although it was sparked by the behavior of someone else entirely.