'JW': Number Seven

I made the mistake again. I cared more than I should've.

Here's the advice I got...shortly after I realized this: "It's difficult to learn to build up a friendship without at the same time pushing it too far too fast. Could it be that you're getting hurt not because your friends aren't investing enough in you, but because you're investing too much in them? The solution to this is symmetry. Observe how much your friend is dedicating his time to you. Observe how much initiative he takes. Observe what kinds of things he talks about, how personal they are, how much he seems to trust you. The more he invests in you, the more you can safely invest in him. I'm not saying you should never take the initiative in investing energy in friendships, but if you're doing most of the work, it's not a healthy friendship and you need to back off before one or both of you gets hurt."

Oh, how I wish I could step back in time and convince myself to back off. You seemed to be willing to be invested in the relationship, but then something happened, and you stopped caring. You got busy, and even now that you aren't as busy anymore, you don't want to be as committed.

I can't even just be a friend, apparently.

So much for that.

Three years.

It's a good thing my infatuation has disappeared.