I have entered back into a bad relationship again. I thought I was free, but I was pulled back in.
While friendship, love and respect define healthy relationships, this one has none of the aforementioned.
People say that relationships are give and take but this one seems to be taking my sanity.
I’ll admit that sometimes things look great. I’ll feel a sense of euphoria and it seems everything is looking great but it is usually short-lived.
In a split second, things will look bad again – I’ll also admit to cursing and swearing during these low periods.
They say you have to work on a relationship and believe me, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m seeking help and I’m working on it.
But the harder I work, the worse off it seems I am.
I first became involved in this relationship many years ago and suffered through it.
I ended it and went a few years without worrying about it but it began again last year with a few dates – again, some were good, some were bad.
After breaking for the winter, I decided to give it a whirl again and find myself back in that polarizing type of situation.
A quick search of the Internet yields numerous results about how to maintain a healthy relationship.
"Stay involved with one another," says one website, but it seems like I’m the only one investing any time.
"Communicate" says another. The only verbalizing seems to be the aforementioned swearing.
"Be yourself," says another relationship site: believe me I’m doing that.
Another website says to spend time together and I am definitely doing that, taking time out of my busy schedule to work on this – ditto for a site that says "be attentive."
The problem with this relationship is that I seem to be the only one who is putting in the time and effort, emphasis on the word putting.
But I know that despite the number of times I attend golf lessons and work on my swing and despite the times I make a good shot, I know there will be bad shots as well.
Anyone that tells you that golf is just a game doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
But I’ll keep coming back.
– Karl Yu is editor of the Grand Forks Gazette