The Intangible

by C.J. Washington

When the world is inexplicable, our explanations are apt to be creative.

“I believe that one true objective reality exists. A full understanding of that reality is beyond our reach, however, so we construct narratives, approximations of reality. We collect rules, like ‘Good guys always win,’ and they become the framework for our narratives.

There are things I believed ten years ago that seem crazy to me now. But my change in perspective can be explained by small shifts in the rules I accept.”

You can never know if a marriage is going to last forever. The best you can do is marry someone who has your back.

You are your brain, and yet, so much of what it does happens beyond your awareness. It does its work unbeknownst to you and then passes you the fruits of its labor. That’s magic.

them, loving me had nothing to do with my happiness.

“The only way to live meaningfully is to forge new connections. As much as we want what we had in our past, we can only experience the present. Rigley was a great dog. I loved him so much. But the only way I can experience the joy he and I shared is to bond with a new dog. New connections don’t erase the past. They allow us to appreciate it. I finally understand that. “When I look back now, I realize that I own the good moments.

“We loved each other, and you made me happy. If I made you half as happy as you made me, our marriage was a success. Even if it wasn’t forever.”

Accepting that she didn’t have to forget Derrick was a turning point. She can carry it all with her, and she will be okay. Growing older is a process of accumulating the good and the bad.