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Dear Jon,
A real Dear Jon letÂter, how perÂfect is that?! Who knew you’d get dumped twice in the same amount of months. See, I’m one paraÂgraph in and I’ve alÂready fucked this.
I’m writÂing this beÂcause I can’t say any of this to you face-to-face. I’ve spent the last few months quesÂtionÂing a lot of my friendÂships and wonÂderÂing what their purÂpose is, if not to work through big emoÂtional things toÂgether. But I now reÂalÂize: I don’t want that. And I know you’ve all been there for me in other ways. Maybe not in the litÂeral sense, but I know you all would have done anyÂthing to fix me other than lisÂtenÂing to me talk and alÂlowÂing me to be sad withÂout soÂluÂtions. And now I am writÂing this letÂter rather than pickÂing up the phone and talkÂing to you beÂcause, deÂspite every thing I know, I just don’t want to, and I don’t think you want me to eiÂther.
I lost my mind when Jen broke up with me. I’m pretty sure it’s been the subÂject of a few of your WhatÂsApp conÂverÂsaÂtions and more power to you, beÂcause I would need to vent about me if I’d been friends with me for the last six months. I don’t want it to have been in vain, and I wanted to tell you what I’ve learnt.
If you do a high-fat, high-proÂtein, low-carb diet and join a gym, it will be a good disÂtracÂtion for a while and you will lose fat and gain musÂcle, but you will run out of steam and eat norÂmally again and put all the weight back on. So maybe don’t bother. DrunkÂenÂness is anÂother idea. I was in blackÂout for most of the first two months and I think that’s fine, it got me through the evenings (and the ocÂcaÂsional afÂterÂnoon). You’ll have to do a lot of it on your own, though, beÂcause no one is free to meet up any more. I think that’s fine for a bit. It was for me unÂtil someÂone walked past me drinkÂing from a whisky miniaÂture while I waited for a night bus, put five quid in my hand and told me to keep warm. You’re the only perÂson I’ve ever told this story.
None of your mates will be exÂcited that you’re sinÂgle again. I’m probÂaÂbly your only sinÂgle mate and even I’m not that exÂcited. GenÂerÂally the exÂpeÂriÂence of beÂing sinÂgle at thirty-five will feel difÂferÂent to any other time you’ve been sinÂgle and that’s no bad thing.
When your ex moves on, you might beÂcome obÂsessed with the bloke in a way that is alÂmost sexÂual. Don’t worry, you don’t want to fuck him, even though it will feel a bit like you do someÂtimes.
If you open up to me or one of the other boys, it will feel good in the moÂment and then you’ll get an emoÂtional hangÂover the next day. You’ll wish you could take it all back. You may even feel like we’ve enÂjoyed seeÂing you so low. Or that we feel smug beÂcause we’re winÂning at someÂthing and you’re losÂing. ReÂmember that none of us feel that.
You may beÂcome obÂsessed with workÂing out why exÂactly she broke up with you and you are likely to go fully, fully nuts in your bid to find a satÂisÂfyÂing anÂswer. I can save you a lot of time by letÂting you know that you may well never work it out. And even if you did work it out, what’s the purÂpose of it? Soon enough, some girl is goÂing to be crazy about you for some unÂdeÂfinÂable reaÂson and you’re not goÂing to be inÂterÂested in her for some unÂdeÂfinÂable reaÂson. It’s all so ranÂdom and unÂfair – the peoÂple we want to be with don’t want to be with us and the peoÂple who want to be with us are not the peoÂple we want to be with.
ReÂally, the thing that’s goÂing to hurt a lot is the fact that someÂone doesn’t want to be with you any more. FeelÂing the abÂsence of someÂone’s comÂpany and the abÂsence of their love are two difÂferÂent things. I wish I’d known that earÂlier. I wish I’d known that it isn’t anyÂbody’s job to stay in a reÂlaÂtionÂship they don’t want to be in just so someÂone else doesn’t feel bad about themÂselves.
AnyÂway. That’s all. You’re goÂing to be okay, mate.
Andy
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