Hungry Tigers and High Heels on the Running Trail

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The storms came on queue, Wednesday morning, as my plans for the new job unraveled. And tonight the running trail was covered in puddles and dark shadows of mud and steam. I would’ve rather stayed in bed and watched a movie. It was the hungry tiger that compelled me out and into the falling dark.

I was not expecting to the see the tall thin woman in high heels navigating the trail on the arm of her date. How he convinced her it was a good idea to walk down here in those shiny flower print shoes, I’ll never know. But the fragility of it all cut a bit close to how I was feeling. Things had not worked out. As they had a tendency to do, these things, they sent a cascade of sorry feelings my way. The cascade would not be complete until both potential dates had flamed out and my kids left for the weekend away.

Nothing.

Darkness. Rainy day. And wait… still… hope.

It’s the hope that pulls us upright again after a sickness or minor depression. It’s the imagining… The hope of a kiss, an eventual kiss, again.

So the trail forks in the dark, once again. And like a hungry tiger I find my way back onto the path of self-discovery. Alone as the weather begins heading towards a rainy Fall. Wishing for one or another of the women who come into view to make up their minds. Or perhaps, the lesson is in the loneliness again. I am pushing too hard, again. The striving again, without the easy job, the easy money.

Perfecting my roll again. Slowing it down to keep from frightening the tentative yeses. Getting an “Easy Tiger,” again. And heading back onto the trail alone. In the dark.

Always Love,

John McElhenney – life coach austin texas
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I am a relationship coach and a dating coach. I coach women in small groups as well as individual 1 x 1 zoom calls. If you have questions about life coaching I am happy to talk to you. Please schedule a phone call HERE.

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Single Dad Seeks: Dating Again After Divorce: Advice and Strategies on Learning How to be Loved Again
Fall of the House of Dad: My journey through divorce, from loss to joy, again and again
A Good Dad’s Guide to Divorce: One father’s quest to stay connected with his children
The Sex Index: Getting Our Love Languages Right in the Bedroom
Here Comes the Darkness: Surviving and Thriving After a Mental Illness Diagnosis
The Third Glass: When Drinking Becomes an Issue
The Storm Before the Divorce: When One Parent Wants Out, That’s the End