A Break-Up Story: The One That Got Away

This weekend I drove my body to the limits.  I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking that I’m still a young buck.  This may have been the last straw.  Maybe this break up was just what I needed.

It started on Friday.  I got off of work at about 7pm and went home to get ready for my boy’s party.  I missed the last party that they threw, so it was a must that I check this one out.  What kind of friend misses two parties?  So – arm twisted and everything – I had to go.  Plus, our podcast endorsed the party, so basically this was a business trip.  Swedie understood. 

I had a good time that Friday night.  I knew I had to work on Saturday at 9am, so I didn’t go too crazy.  I had a few drinks and grooved to the great mix of Hip-Hop/Reggae/Dancehall that always accompanies these parties.  I even left before the end of the party like a responsible adult.  I got home at about 2:30am. 

My friend William recently turned 30.  He was celebrating on Saturday.  There was a full day of festivities planned for him.  First, drinks at a sports bar, then a soccer match, then dinner, then the club.  I left directly from work and met one of William’s friends at the bar to wait for the other guys.   Side note: we saw a lost little girl looking so scared and calling for her mother.  We got her to a staff member who helped her find her family.  This shook me a bit.  The fear in her eyes.  She was near the exit, too.  It gets scarier just thinking about it.  Watch your damn kids, people!

I hung with the guys all night.  It was a great time.  We drank a lot, ate well and I spent too much damn money.  The birthday boy had a blast.  All was well in the world.  I couldn’t hang anymore when the guys started going to another club.  I had to go home.  I had to work on Sunday.

I remember going to the Hötorget train station and walking past the prostitutes.  I walked down into the station and sat on a bench, disappointed that my train wasn’t coming for 12 minutes.  I’ll just surf on my phone for…

I woke up like a bolt of electricity hit me.  I had that feeling you have when you realize you are late for work.  Shit.  Where am I?  Train station.  Oh shit!  I fell asleep.  Missed my damn train.  Now I gotta call Swedie.  Wait.  Where the hell is my phone?! Check jacket.  Stand up.  Look accusingly at the group that’s laughing, seemingly at you.  Oh shit! 

-               - None of us stole your phone.

She actually said that.  She knew it before I accepted it.  I ran back to the club.  Maybe I left it there.  That was just a waste of time.  I refused to believe that someone would be brave enough to take my phone out of my possession at Hötorget.  Maybe I dropped it in my comfortable state.  Maybe I looked like a drunk that had no chance of waking up.  In retrospect I can’t believe how sober I was. 

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She was gone.  Until then I didn’t know how much she meant to me.  I needed to call Swedie.  Then again, Swedie might be happy about this.  She was always jealous of her.  We’ll call her Sammie (Samsung Galaxy S3).  Making me stop looking at Sammie during breakfast.  Telling me that Sammie always distracts me when I’m supposed to be listening.  But Sammie was my first.  I had had one like her before (Blackberry), but I knew she wasn’t really mine.  She was given to me by my job.  You could say she was a fling.  But Sammie was all mine.  We were committed.  She was so well-connected.  She helped me keep in touch with all of my friends.  I could communicate my worthless thoughts through her (Twitter/Facebook).  She never minded.  On a few occasions I would use her until she had to just shut down (battery died).  But after a few hours she was right back to me.  Ready to give me whatever I needed.  What would I do without Sammie?

Like most breakups, I thought I wouldn’t get over it.  Not to mention, replacing Sammie would probably be costly.  I can’t be out here looking for another, but I NEEDED it.  Sammie gave me things that I didn’t have before that I was now dependent upon.  I couldn’t cope.  She remembered numbers that I couldn’t.  She kept notes for me.  Now she was just gone.  I picture someone else holding her, touching her and I get chills.  I was so angry.  Sunday was a sad day.  I kept checking for her at her old apartment (my left pocket).  She wouldn’t be there.  She never would again.  How could this happen?  She was one of the constants in my life!

There comes a time when reality hits and you realize that you just have to move on.  I was stupid and careless with Sammie and now she was with someone else. Maybe I just needed someone new.  My friend introduced me to this cougar (old Sony Ericsson Xperia).  She was old and used up.  Plus she used to run around with him and that just isn’t my thing.  I took her home, but we didn’t do anything, I swear! I never even tried to turn her on.

I found out that I could get a new love (Samsung Galaxy Alpha) by doing this contract swap thing since it was almost time for a renewal (long and complicated story).  This would be free to do and I would have a hot young thing in my hands right away.  What?!  Replace Sammie?  I’m not having a mid-life crisis or anything, but this hot young thing grabbed my eye.  She was younger, thinner and had curves in all the right places.  AND, she would be just as committed to me as Sammie was!  A tear came to my eye as I worked through the annoying customer service process.  I would have a new boo.  Sammie would be in the past.  We have our memories.  Technically she has a lot of my memories that I can’t access ever again, but I’m fine with that.  Alphie and I will make new memories. 

I learned about myself during those approximately 38 hours I spent without a smartphone.  I now know that I am officially addicted to the convenience of this technology.  Having so many things at your fingertips is something we really take for granted.  Sure, it’s kind of sad.  Riding the train, you see people swiping away.  That Sunday and Monday ride to work was refreshing.  I wasn’t a slave.  By Monday evening I was back in the game.  Swiping away as I tried to get to know Alphie.  I love her and she loves me.  I’m sure of it.  I’m over Sammie now.  That whole day without her proved that I am strong enough to get through a tough breakup.  My world came crashing down and now I’m piecing it back together.  One app/contact/Tweet at a time.  Until next time…