Love is not having to say goodbye.

I'm not good at saying goodbyes. At train stations. Or at airports. Especially in public places. That hampers my style. And so when I say goodbye to anyone close to me, I hesitate. I'm a bit stilted. Not flowing smoothly. Uncomfortable. Maybe it's the same reason why I can't dance. It's done so often in public. Almost as if on stage. Used to be I'd be nervous if I had to do public speaking. Still would be a little bit nervous about that. But not nearly as much as before. Practice, I guess. Makes it more easy. In the physical realm I feel a bit inept, a bit self-conscious. Performing. Unless I'm by myself. Alone. Easier to run and exercise when I'm alone. Or to sing. While I'm alone in the shower. And maybe I even write better and think better in solitude. Anyway, I was talking about saying goodbyes. Just the thought of saying goodbye makes me sad. I don't want to say goodbye. Ever. I don't want something happy and joyful to end. Albeit it, most goodbyes are temporary. The worst goodbye is the goodbye that comes with death. The physical parting. But still, there's a connection. A spiritual tie that remains. Forever. Fortuanately, my kind of goodbyes are full of life. We really aren't saying goodbye. And so there's no reason to make a big deal of a parting at a train station or an airport. It is what it is. Really, love is not having to say goodbye. --Jim Broede