Hello, Dear Reader. It’s been a while. When life is good, and when you’re not hungry, you don’t have much to say, because life is good.

My life is going great. I’m doing the things I want to do, seeing the things I want to see, eating the good food, and drinking the good drinks, because why not? You only get this one life and you might as well live it up.

It does bring me back to the title of this article though.

A little while back, I met a guy, who I will call “Jimmy.”

“Jimmy” was dating a couple of women. “Jimmy” was living with one in particular. He met her when they were both young, children even. They had a “history.” They knew each other’s bullshit. They had seen some things and had done some things. And fast forward to about 3 or 4 months ago, shit was sliding downhill.

“Jimmy” came to me at the behest of his other girlfriend. (Long story there, that isn’t pertinent to this story) and he told me the high level overview of what was going on.

Long story short, he was miserable. He wanted to end things. He wanted to leave. He wanted her out of his life. He wanted it to be “done.” But at that time, he didn’t have the courage to do what needed to be done. He hadn’t suffered enough. He hadn’t gone through enough misery and pain.

I know this, because I have been there.

I should have ended my marriage years before I did.

In fact, in all truthfulness and honesty, I should have never married the woman I married.

But I did, and here we are.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and “nobody likes a quitter,” to quote my friend, BullRush.

I stayed far too long because I took my vows seriously and literally.

I sacrificed my own happiness and wellbeing for someone else’s.

And it got me nowhere, except miserable.

And that’s where I found “Jimmy” when he came to me.

“Jimmy” told me his Tale of Woe, and I recognized it. I had been there, too.

I listened to what he had to say, and then I told him this:

“It all ends when you say it ends.”

What does that mean?

It all ends when you say it ends. I’m not saying there won’t be fallout, because there can be. But it all ends when you say it ends.

Whatever worst-case scenario you have envisioned for yourself didn’t come to pass, or if it did, you wouldn’t be here reading what I’m saying.

It all ends when you are “sick and tired” of being “sick and tired.”

It all ends when you are willing to potentially spend the rest of your days living in a cardboard box out on the street, and you’re okay with that ending. It’s better than the “life of quiet desperation” that you have put yourself into, and have become accustomed to.

It’s better than jerking off to porn, because either the woman in your house doesn’t want to fuck you, or you don’t want to fuck her anymore.

It’s better than “Such is life, that’s the deal.”

It’s better than “Happy Wife, Happy Life.”

It’s better than looking down the barrel of a shotgun, and considering how you would suck-start it.

It all ends when you say it ends.

That’s what I told “Jimmy.” Because he wasn’t “there” yet.

But he got “there.”

He told her he was done. He told her she needed to move out and move on. He moved out of his own place and allowed her to figure out her own shit. He gave her time to come to grips with the reality of the situation. He answered certain phone calls and certain texts that any reasonable person would answer. The rest he “left on read.” He even went so far as to write up a document about trespass and eviction, and he was willing to call in the State if and when necessary, in the event that she didn’t, or wouldn’t leave.

“Jimmy” was nicer than I would have been. I told him that much. I wouldn’t have moved out of my own place, because that’s me, and that place is mine. Granted, “Jimmy” is quite a bit younger than me, so I get it, and I understand why he did what he needed to do. This is where he and I are different. This is where our experiences are different, and that’s okay, because at the end of the day, he got what he needed and wanted.

I saw “Jimmy” on Friday night when I was out with the Belly Dancer. We were at the same event. It was the first time I had seen him since he had come to me and told me his Tale of Woe, and I said to him what I said.

He’s so much happier now. He’s more alive, vibrant, and full of hope and possibilities. He’s got focus and drive. He’s more “dynamic” now.

I know what that’s like too.

My life got better in magnitudes after I told myself that it all ends when I say it ends.

You can too.