Dustin never texted me back, which is never a good sign.

It’s kind of like standing in that park again and turning around and seeing that everyone is gone. And you wonder how long you’ve been standing there talking to yourself. It’s not a good feeling.

I should have started things with goodbye – it would have made this easier. But I’ve never liked saying goodbye. And I’ve always resented people for leaving.

In some languages the word for goodbye is the same as hello. I’ve always wondered if in these cultures people don’t end like they do in mine. They move on, and they come back, goodbye being just another way to say hello, making it impossible to leave indefinitely.

I need to learn to say goodbye – even if it sounds the same as hello. Maybe it’ll go something like this:

It was very nice to meet you. Thank you for what you’ve added to my story. I hope I could be some help to yours. You’re free to go. You’re free to come back. I’m here: I don’t end. You don’t end. These intersections are so difficult, and yet I love that we intersect.”