Uncoupled Heart - A Short Story

Okay, so today is Saturday, and normally around this time of the week, I would be talking about a television series that entertained millions of children all over the world.  And, going into this week’s entry, with Easter Sunday just around the corner, I had fully intended to do a Saturday Morning feature based on the traditions of Easter.

Unfortunately, I could only recall one Easter special that would fit for the spotlight this week – “It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown”.  And, unfortunately for me, I did a feature on this special last Easter.

As a result of the well being completely dry for ideas, I decided to try something else for the blog entry.  I warn you ahead of time, there are no references to Easter, nor are there any references to Saturday Morning cartoons this week.  So, for those of you readers who are looking forward to the discussion on animated and live-action children’s shows of yore, it will be postponed for a week.

So, if cartoons and Easter are off the table for this week, what am I going to be talking about this week?

Well, I’ll be the first to admit that the idea came to me yesterday afternoon. 

As you well know, yesterday afternoon was “Good Friday”, and it is a day in which many people sit back and observe religious ceremonies at churches all over the world.  And, for those of you who did attend church services yesterday, I hope that they went well. 

By my own admission though, I’m not really one with the organized religion aspect, so I spent my “Good Friday” strapping on my iPod, and taking a nice, 90-minute walk around town.  The weather was slightly overcast, but just the right temperature, and as I walked around town, I was actually inspired to write a short story. 

Now, it comes as no secret that I love to write.  I wouldn’t have kept a blog ongoing for almost two years if I didn’t.  But it has admittedly been quite a while since I really sat down and penned a short story.  I think the last time I did that was two years ago, and I’m almost a bit embarrassed to admit that the story was a fan fiction.

So, for today’s blog entry, I’m really putting myself out there, and I want to share my short story with all of you reading this.  There’s no pop culture.  There are no interesting trivia facts.  There’s not even a Tuesday Timeline or a music video to share with you.

It’s just me stringing together a few lines and paragraphs to create a short story.  So, with that, I post the story, and I hope that you enjoy it, and that those of you who want to comment on it give me honest feedback.

Oh, wait.  One more thing before I go on.  The story might seemingly contrast with the note that I wrote about the “Nucleus of Negativity”, but I figure that since it’s a short story, it won’t appear too hypocritical.  Well, at least, that’s MY defense on the matter.

UNCOUPLED HEART

The bitterly cold wind licked at the back of my neck as I strolled down the street.  The transition between seasons was very much apparent as the weather remained indecisive that March afternoon.  The flowers inside the shops were beginning to bloom, even as the last of the winter snow began to melt away.  Winter’s touch was weakening with each passing day, and her last gasps for breath were one final reminder of how cold she could be.

But that was fine with me.  The confusion of the weather seemed to fit the mood.

The confusion seemed to spread among the people walking down the street, as people could not decide whether to bulk up with heavy clothing, or don their finest spring fashions.  In some cases, they were dressed appropriately, but in others, not so much.  And, I could easily tell which ones were in discomfort simply by looking at their facial expressions, or how they wrapped their arms around themselves, trying to capture the little warmth that they were clinging to.  But that wasn’t difficult for me to do, as I always made a point to notice the little things many others missed.

Most people wouldn’t have noticed that the older one was, the more apt they would be to complain about Winter’s last hurrah, but I never claimed to be like most people.  Quite a few would probably have ignored the sight of so many people sipping on a hot chocolate or coffee as they strolled through the park, but perhaps they would have made that observation had they not had their noses buried in their mobile phones or portable gaming devices.  And who knew that there were so many people within the town limits that were dog lovers?  I attempted to keep count of all of the dogs that I encountered along the way, but I regret to say that I lost count after twenty-seven.

Or, was it twenty-nine?

I had also made one more observation as I continued my stroll through a park.  It seemed to me that almost every single person in town was walking in a group, or in pairs.  Whether they were teenagers who were breaking out their skateboards and bicycles, or a couple who appeared to have been enamored with each other for decades, it was nice to see so many people enjoying the afternoon with the people they loved, I thought to myself.

However, I was feeling as conflicted as the weather, as while I was happy to see so many happy, smiling faces, I was simultaneously feeling great sadness.

It was wonderful to see that spring was just around the corner, and that winter was taking a hiatus for now, and I was thrilled to see so many people taking advantage of the season.  But no matter how nice an early spring day felt, winter was still in the air, attempting to spoil what was supposed to be a day of beauty and renewal.  And, no matter how happy I was to see so many people in the streets enjoying the day with their loved ones, I was still feeling as though Jack Frost continued to have his grip on my heart.  For everyone else was spending the day with someone else, and here was I, alone and seemingly isolated from everybody else.

And, I was beginning to realize something right then and there.  It should have been a great day, and for many people it was.  But without someone to share the promise of a new day with, it just seemed as though something would always be missing.  I was feeling as though no matter how high the temperature rose, or how many rays of sunshine beamed across the sky, life would forever be incomplete because I was unable to share those natural wonders with someone who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

It felt strange to be the only person in what seemed like the entire planet without their other half.  In some weird, almost paranoid sense I felt as though all eyes were locked on me, almost as if I were some sort of sideshow freak that you might come across at a circus.  “Come see the eternally single man!”, I heard echoing in my ears while picturing that scenario.

But one thing I tried to keep telling myself is that my time would eventually come.  There would be one day in which I would be able to share the beauty of the world with someone who was able to appreciate it...and maybe one day, we would be able to appreciate the beauty that we would be able to show to each other.

Even the most dismal, rainy days do not stay that way for long.  At some point, the sun does pop out beneath the black cloud, and the world is bathed in the warm glow that the sunlight provides.  A new day filled with promise and meaning.

That’s what I hold onto as I walk down by the riverside.  I turn and look up at the sky filled with huge, puffy clouds that appear as if they could explode in a cloudburst of raindrops and fog, knowing that this is just one of many days in which we all feel a little bit down.  And, I realize that on a day like today, it only appears that my uncoupled heart is hurting more than it should. 

But, I keep telling myself...open your heart, and keep it open...and soon enough, the warm spring breeze will appear within. 

That’s what keeps me going.  That’s what keeps me walking through the city streets, watching the couples and singles passing on by.  Knowing that one day, my uncoupled heart will one day experience that warm, feeling.

The best feeling in the world.