Waiting for the Straw

I had an experience yesterday that actually proved to be quite an eye opening one. It made me ask the question: why do we hold onto hope until that final, often catastrophic, straw breaks our back?

I am often blind to the obvious truth when it comes to relationships. They say that "love is blind" but I disagree. I think love is hopeful and all you see is possibility. Falling out of love is losing the hope and the desire to hold onto someone or something. Unfortunately, it often happens abruptly -when reality becomes clear. Think about the friend that you know has a slimy cheating boyfriend, but, she can't see it until she accidentally walks in on Slimy Steve and his new friend doing the horizontal mambo.

I've seen this happen a couple times in the recent past with my friends (not cheating per se but other bunk situations) and I've had the "pleasure" of experiencing it first hand as well. There have probably been times that my girls wanted to whack me over my dense noggin' with a frying pan to try and knock the rose colored glasses off, but, not until I was presented with a clear cut and overtly upsetting situation was I able to take them off for myself.

So why do we require a blatant and often painful maneuver to see relationships and people for what and who they really are? Is it because we actually do like things in the "grey area" because it preserves hope? Or is it because we are so dedicated to finding love and acceptance in relationships that instead of actively weeding out the garbage we become relationship pack rats and hold onto everything until it is smashed to smithereens or begins to smell?

I don't have the answer - at least not right now. But it's something to ponder.