Pause Rewind or Forward?
She had reached the end of her rope. “I just can’t take this any more,” she said, thinking of how badly he was treating her. He was taking her for granted, not communicating and not feeling the need to be accountable for his time or movements. “Let’s take a 15-day break,” she wrote to him. He agreed. Pause.
Rewind: She spent the break looking back on how they had started. Not on a very good note, she now realised. Not coming to the airport to meet her as he had promised. His hand never went in his pocket on their holiday, she noticed. Instead, he asked her for a loan for his business. But she, so taken up with the fact that she was an a relationship finally, compromised. She now realized how much she had given up of herself for him.
The break was over. Day 15 she wrote him an e-mail. “You’ve used me and taken advantage of my generosity and love. However, I am not going to blame you for this. I gave you permission to do this. I was responsible and I own that. I’m now taking responsibility and breaking off with you. Good luck. I’m moving on.” Forward.
This is in response to The Writer’s Post Thursday Blog Hop # 77 hosted by Michelle Liew. Her prompt is Pause, Rewind or Forward.
Photo Credit: Aqua Libra via Compfight cc
Just like that Corinne?
Dagny recently posted..Great Expectations
Exactly like that, Dagny! Strange no? 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Hi Corinne,
Good to see you back here, and with a lovely change of picture (Gravatar) – always smiling 🙂
I wish we too had the pause, rewind, and forward buttons in our lives. But I guess time never stops for anyone, and to be in the moment and the present is what I believe in.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Harleena Singh recently posted..How to Get Kids to Listen to You
Like I mentioned to someone who had written a post on this prompt, ‘Play’ is the best option.
This blog does feel like home to me – shhh don’t tell Jose I said that! 🙂 Thanks for the compliments on the picture – I knocked it of from an Indiblogger picture of me at a meeting.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
It happens just like that…I know.
Yes, one switch of the mind and it can happen.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Hi Corinne
Now if I could just pause and rewind a day here and there, how different my life would look today.
Choices we make without ever realizing the long term consequences until after it is over can make you stop and think, if only I could pause and rewind.
Mary
Mary Stephenson recently posted..Awesome Effective Reasoning
So true, Mary. Rewind here just means looking at our choices with new eyes. We can always re-write the script in the present moment – and that’s the good news!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
3 most difficult steps to accept and follow it. So important isnt it, to do this, when we feel stuck or caught up in life?I am going to write this as a mantra in my phone as an everyday reminder..SO much of baggages that we carry can be gotten rid off with this Mantra.. Thank U, C 🙂
Deepti recently posted..Insatiable Ecstasy
Hey Dee – so good to see you here after a while. Are you back to blogging again? You must with your gift with words.
The important thing for us is to pause – the rewind should be for us to view things with hindsight – no bitterness but taking responsibility – and then moving forward knowing we’re incharge!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
love this post! Not the painful introspection it must’ve cause, and yet, because of the introspection…and your accountability…and lessons learned!!! hugs
Sista Pastah recently posted..The Bus Stop People
Thank you. The pain comes from not willing to take responsibility – when we do so without guilt – grace steps in!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Sweet Potato Cutlets
Great take on the prompt, Corrine….we have to rewind, see what part we’ve had to play in causing some of our own difficulties in order to make a proper decision to move forward. Well said!! Brilliant!
Thanks, Michelle. I enjoyed writing on your fab prompt.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Just HOW did you write this, Corinne!!! Sometimes, we end up giving so much of ourselves and become empty. But then, no one to blame but us, for we let it happen. And we let it happen hoping things would change. So when things don’t change, what the protagonist in your story did, was the best thing to do.
So, pause and rewind it will be, yet forward is the way to go.
Thanks for sharing this – a story that will ring true for most Indian women who believe aligning to their partners will bring them eternal happiness, and then they end up losing their identity.
Much love,
Punam
How I wrote this can be spelled in one word, Punam – Experience! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
It is exactly what we are supposed to do but never end up doing, because we keep clinging to our ?Indianness which prohibits us from being the protagonist……..
@Punam
I completely agree with your last point of aligning to partners and losing our own identity…..
We are actually stuck up with the thoughts taught to us by our parents as girls….. They keep on bombarding that after marriage it is the husbands house that is your real house and you have to stay there until u are alive…..But they never focus on making us independent, strong and capable to fight for our own life…… and more important live it the way we want to….
Thank you for your comment. I agree with Punam and you to some extent, however, if we focus on what our parents did or didn’t do, we might end up being bitter and frustrated. Finally it’s all up to us and how we choose to take responsibility for our lives.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Ajiteja, thanks for that. I think what parents should do, especially for Indian girls, is to teach them to fend for themselves, take their own decisions and learn to love themselves. This is what is lacking. We align and align, living the lives that everyone else defines for us, in the garb of various roles – of mother, daughter, sister, wife, and bahu, that the person, as ‘ME’ is lost. And when life decides to be harsh on us, then we are suddenly put right there – in the ring, with no practice, or knowledge as to how to deal with it… we are expected to just fight it out. In the darkness of ignorance. And in most cases, it turns out to be a do or die situation.
Wow! You expressed this tangled knot we sometimes get ourselves into perfectly, Corinne. I’m so grateful that those days are far behind me . . .
Blessings, my friend!
Martha Orlando recently posted..Grey Makes the Day!
Tangled web is truly the right phrase for it, Martha. Where would we be without Grace to see us out of it all.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Yes, you’re right. We must take responsibility for our own decisions.
Francene Stanley recently posted..April 25th
Thanks, Francene. We really must!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Applause, applause! Good for her! I love stories about strong women. Well done, Corinne. 🙂
Debbie recently posted..MORE CONFESSIONS OF AN AGEING ROCK CHICK
Thank you so much, Debbie. Yes, I too love it when people learn to stand up for themselves!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
This is what happens to most women who are givers. They forget their own identity for the man they love till one day they realise that they have kept their own dreams on hold.
Lazy Pineapple recently posted..Caption Contest 21 ‘ You think you are funny?”
I agree, LP. Keeping our dreams on hold is truly no way to live! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Well! I wish that life was just that easy sometimes!!
It sure saves us a lot of mess and heart ache this way!
Pixie recently posted..100 Words on Saturday: Ruffled Feathers
Let me assure there was nothing easy about this – just got easier when she took responsibility. Our life is in our hands – we can choose to walk away from mess and heartache – any time!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Too Many Hats
Gutsy! Often we are caught in a rut because perhaps we never pause to think that we deserve any better. I like how you mentioned that she took the onus for her bad treatment as well and then decided to move on. Powerfully told and in such few words. Loved it!
Rachna recently posted..When you watch movies with kids!
So true – we don’t think we deserve any better and settle for less than we’re worth. Thanks, Rachna.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
That’s it?? simple…I wish it really happened like that many times…small and sweet one..loved it.
Latha recently posted..A Mom’s Wish!!!
It is really simple – if we let it be so, Latha. Thanks.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Can it be as easy at it sounds ,I wonder sometimes..But THAT is how it ought to be,I am convinced 🙂
It is, Sharmila. Ask me! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Serves him good ! But being so effortless on her part might have drained a lot of her energies 🙂
Sridevi Datta recently posted..XXL Always
What drained her was loving too much – but not herself, Sri.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit
Dear Corinne,
I sometimes wish there was a forward button to escape the wicked injustices of this world. Sadly, the only way out is through divine power. Nice composition. Thanks for sharing.
Andy recently posted..CONSOLE ME…
Divine Power too needs our co-operation, Andy. Sometimes we can be so closed to change that we don’t see what is staring us in the face. Thank you so much for stopping by, I appreciate it.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..100 Words on Saturday Week 8
This was brilliant. What a great lesson and so powerfully told!
Galen Pearl recently posted..Benefits of Being a Spoiled Child
Thanks so much, Galen.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Wishing For Control-Alt-Delete?
Hello ma’am,
This seems to me the “three word” theory for a life problem. I think it will really work well in today’s world where the hot topic of discussion among teenagers is ‘Relationship’. 😛
Thanks, Ashish.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..100 Words On Saturday – Week 9
Oh Corinne this had to be the most perfect thing I read today!!
Thanks so much for this one <3
Privy Trifles recently posted..Blessed & Chase ~ This week
Glad you found something in it, Privy.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Keep Life Simple
Wow! That was great Corinne. The simplicity of your posts make them an easy read. I wish I could’ve come sooner PAUSE. Was spending time on something else REWIND. Reading your posts with eagerness and much love FORWARD 🙂
Love you a lot! and Thank you…I think it’s a good way of reflecting 🙂
Melissa recently posted..Springtime
Thanks, Melissa. I’m trying to stay true to life and experience – I’m glad it makes sense to another. ♥
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Her Greatest Hit