Love Story

Sometimes it's best to remember the good times because they were good and the feeling you had at the time, undeniable. So why pretend any different? If it happened and you felt great at the time then surely that's worth something and therefore worthy of a small place in your heart. The bad times might be fresh in your mind, so it can be difficult.

You meet a girl, it's unexpected and you're unsure about it but soon enough you're smitten. And even though she might annoy you and frustrate you at times, there is something about her that you just can't resist. Even when she's standing in the kitchen waving her arms around screaming at you, it's worth it because soon enough she'll perform a fancy trick that leaves you starry eyed. Energetic and loyal, the perfect combination. Even if her dancing wasn't the best, she still made you smile.

It will never end you say to yourself. And then it does. Abruptly. And there's nothing you can do other than scratch your head and wonder why she walked out on you. You can't understand her reasoning especially after she claimed she was happy and content. But off she went to be with her childhood love with his fancy job jet-setting around Europe, leaving you with nothing more than the memories of the relationship that made it such a strong one, as you question and wonder why it had to change. Why she took the easy option. To walk away. Not so strong after all.

Sometimes its best to just remember the good times, right? But it's hard to do so. And it's especially emotional and confusing when she comes back, not because you wanted her back, but people have a habit of forcing the issue and you think, go on then, let's see if we can make it work. Because it did work once upon a time. She's been dumped, rejected. I shouldn't forgive her but there's too much in the past that has us anchored together in the present. I can't turn my back on her.

You're conflicted.

But alas there's no spark. There's hardly any passion. No matter how hard you both try. No tricks. Not even a shouting match in the kitchen with her waving her arms around pointing at the mess you've made and failed to tidy up. In fact she hardly acknowledges it. You're both just going through the motions, only together again because of circumstance, any hope of turning back the clock lost in time.

You know in your heart it's over. For good. But even though the relationship has been tainted and the love completely lost, you can't disregard the history between the two of you as much as you'd like to detach yourself from it. It's set in stone. There's no point in being bitter either. People make mistakes. You know she made a mistake. She knows it. But then perhaps it was never a mistake and the magic had degraded much earlier, you just never really noticed.

So an amicable parting is for the best. A respectful one. Because there is nothing to be gained by being twisted or cruel. She knows. You know. Best to move on.

And that's it. All over. Goodbye. And good luck. Thanks for those memories.

Life, it's a series of choices, decisions, when taken can lead you to good or bad paths. Sometimes forgiveness is not an option. Sometimes it is.

Talking of goodbyes, Robbie Keane will be allowed to move on in January. He's in our squad for the Twente game, which we need to win to avoid the potential of an 11-0 loss at the Camp Nou in the next round. He might end up at Newcastle now that BMJ looks set to take over up there. Better than Scotland or the MLS I guess. Well, actually probably not, probably on par. Wherever he ends up, I hope he has one more jig left in him.

And if he happens to make an appearance, a final fling, a one night stand for old times sake. I'll politely applaud.

It's the right thing to do.