Break-up. Breakdown.

I never accept LinkedIn requests without checking out the sender's profile. And if there's something interesting or relevant, or if she/he has a strong common connection, I accept the request.

I have more yet-to-be-connected requests than the ones I've connected with. That's me. So, if you haven't got through, blame me. Just me.

Now, most requests come without a preamble; a few, with messages - including one who said he was looking for 'angels' for his venture. Those who know me, know that typos are immediate and irrevocable cause for rejection/ignorance. That's me, again.

But, today, on a long commute between the three states that constitute the NCR, and the many worlds I live in, I decided to clear the pending requests.

And, boom! This one hit me right where it matters: this gent (you know who you are) had heard my podcast, recorded last month by Karthik Nagarajan and wrote that message you see above in the screenshot: it seems I'd "soothed" his "post-breakup nerves/soul". The fact that he'd used a hyphen was good enough for me but there was no way I would ignore him. I wrote back. And then I wrote this...

You never actually break-up, you break down.

At that moment when an already fragile relationship cracks, everything seems lost. The world is not meant for you, you see yourself as a failure and you question everything and everyone around you. Especially yourself.

You crawl back into your cracked shell. And seek solace in song, spirits and solitude. Without success.

This happens when a partner goes away - be it a friend, a colleague, a co-founder... you feel it's the end of your world as you know it then.

But time is the ultimate salve. Believe it or not, you will forgive even if you never forget. And you must not forget because some moments must be cherished. A voice, a touch, a shared experience... keep these parked away and let them bubble up through the sub-conscious to remind you of what made you happy. For, those moments will return... I don't know when, I don't know how but they do.

And, when the day is done and the night threatens to scar your soul again, go back and pick up that 1952 classic called Desiderata:

"...With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy." 

Take care, my friend. And look after yourself... you're all you have.

And I'm just a storyteller though I'd like to be the saviour of souls.

Cheers!