Sunday, January 15, 2023

Flat Footed

Try not to read too much into this.  It's real, but it's a combination of several conversations with more than one person over a period of time.  What's important is that I somehow understand what they were feeling, even though it was many years ago now.  Maybe I'm trying to figure out what I was feeling, too.  What I was thinking.  Why I was caught so very flat-footed, hit between the eyes when I was supposed to be the observant one.  I don't hold any grudges.  It's all just a whisper of a memory.  I've never stopped caring for anyone, no matter what happened.  Sometimes, I just wasn't able to be what they needed me to be.

        Robert: 

"Whatever it takes, I feel obligated to try and work things out."

        Lisa:

"I know"

        Robert:

"I've invested a great deal of time...you're important to me.  Your happiness, it's important to me.  I've invested..."

        Lisa:

"I know"

        Robert:

"Try to explain to me...  Tell me.  Tell me, what went wrong?  What happened?"

        Lisa:

"It wasn't real."

        Robert:

"Wasn't real?  What do you mean?  What wasn't real?"

        Lisa:

"none of it."

        Robert:

"None of what?"

        Lisa:

"None of what was happening.  None of it is what I wanted.  None of it is what I ever wanted."

        Robert: 

"But, you said... We had plans.  You said this is what you wanted.  You said I was doing what you wanted, what you needed.  We went to... We did things ...  How could none of it have been real?"

        Lisa:

"I was taking a lot of pills."

        Robert: 

"I knew,"

        Lisa:

"You knew what?"

        Robert: 

"I knew about the pills, ok?  I knew."

        Lisa:

"They made me do things, say things...It's not my fault."

        Robert: 

"Was it my fault?"

        Lisa:

"You let it happen."

        Robert: 

"Let what happen?"

        Lisa:

"You let me do it."

        Robert: 

"I was doing... I was trying to do... You said you needed me to do these things."

        Lisa:

"I said a lot of things.  They weren't real."

        Robert: 

"I don't understand."

        Lisa:

"They weren't real."

        Robert: 

"To me... What I said was real!  What I did...  I meant it.  I meant all of it.  I was telling the truth!"

        Lisa:

"I know."

        Robert: 

"I...What do I do now?  Where do we stand?'

        Lisa:

"We don't.  You move on."

        Robert: 

"I don't understand.  I did...  I did what I was supposed to do.  I did what I said I would do.  I did what YOU said you needed me to do.  I was telling the truth. The whole time.  I meant what I said.  I felt what I said.  I did what I was supposed to do!  How is a man supposed to know what to do?  I acted on what you said, on what you did.  I responded to what you said, what you said you were feeling, what you said you needed.  I did what I was supposed to do."

        Lisa:

"It wasn't real."

        Robert: 

"It wasn't real.  You said that.  It wasn't real.  How am I supposed to know what's real?"

        Lisa:

"You don't."

        Robert: 

"I just was just.  I wanted to do the right thing."

        Lisa:"

I know.  You have a right to be angry."

        Robert: 

"I'm not.  I'm trying not to be.  Me getting angry doesn't solve anything.  I'm not angry.  I'm not!"

        Lisa:

"There's nothing to solve.  I have to move on."

        Robert: 

"Move on?  Move on where?"

        Lisa:"

I have a job.  Friends.  A life.  I'll move on."

        Robert: 

"I'm not sure what I have.  I thought I was doing the right thing.  I thought I was helping."

        Lisa:

"You helped a lot."

        Robert: 

"At least that was real?"

        Lisa:

"I have to move on.  You have to move on.  I can't live a lie."

        Robert: 

"you... you lied to me."

        Lisa:

"I have to go."

        Robert: 

"I'm staying... I'm staying here for a while.  You.  All of it was lies?"

        Lisa:

"I have to go."

        Robert: 

"I'll go.  I'll go too.  I don't know when."




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