Another email

125 words, 12 minutes
It’s expected yet still comes as a surprise. The frisson of the new, the giddiness and anticipation -- the hope and enchantment of perfection and possibility and rebirth -- gives way to reality and disappointment, compromise and routine. Comfort takes the place of shadows and mystery. Often, magic turns to mundane. Some [i, you, he, she, we, they] prefer the vastness and sparkle of the unknown for the intimacy of the regular, looking over and over again for affirmation by starting with someone or something new. Or they play with the line, touching a toe here and there over it but never committing to a full step across. The ego’s gratified and the conscience clear. They flirt with risk, believing they are committed to safety.