It's Not The Cheating. It's

Jill Felt An Emptiness Open Inside Of Her As She Lifted Her Arm, A Sense That Something Vital Was Being Subtracted From Her Life. It Was Always Like That When Somebody You Cared About Went Away, Even When You Knew It Was Inevitable, And It Probably Wasn't Your Fault.

She Told Her Therapist It Reminded Her Of Coming Home The Summer After Her Freshman Year At Rutgers, Stepping Back Into The Warm Bath Of Family And Friends, Loving It For A Week Or Two, And Then Feeling Trapped, Dying To Return To School, Missing Her Roommates And Her Cute New Boyfriend, The Classes And The Parties And The Giggly Talks Before Bed, Understanding For The First Time That That Was Her Real Life Now, That This, Despite Everything She'd Ever Loved About It, Was Finished For Good.

It's Like The Human Race Has Been Programmed For Misery.

I Think I'm Fascinated By The Power Of Religion In Our Culture. Like A Lot Of Secular, Liberal People, I Ignored It For A Long Time. Lately, Of Course, Just From A Political Perspective, It's Impossible To Ignore.

Once You'd Broken Through That Invisible Barrier That Separates One Person From Another, You Were Connected Forever, Whether You Liked It Or Not.