.SOMETIMES RAW.

The older we get, the more baggage we carry. When I dated at twenty-five, I walked into the bar with a very neat, light carry-on. Inside you might find a couple of ex-boyfriends, a mild Oedipal complex or maybe even a slight fear of commitment. When I dated from thirty onwards, it is just natural to meet someone with a 250 kg of backpack absolutely brimming with history and children and houses that half belong to an ex; and dying parents and years of therapy and problems with addiction and jobs that take up all of their time and ex-partners they still have to see once a week because of a custody-battle. It can be daunting, serious, intense, grown-up and not very fun.

The older I get, the more baggage I carry, but the more honest, open and vulnerable I allow myself to be. In 2019, after my divorce, I officially declared it nearly impossible to meet a romantic partner in real life. But I also did not want to. Accepting this is crucial in realising I am not unapproachable or undesirable or doing anything wrong. I can acknowledge my bad patterns of behaviour in relationships. I can analyse how they developed. I can do the work to make sure I never behave like that again. But that is all I will ever be able to control. I cannot predict (or at least not all the time) how another person is going to behave in a relationship. I can risk-assess, I can be cautious, I can make sensible decisions about who I choose to trust and invite into my life and heart. But I cannot manage the unruly variable of another living, breathing being. To choose to love is to take a risk. Always. That’s why it is called falling in love. Head over heels sometimes.

It is so, so hard not to feel betrayal and let be put down by love and turn that into nihilism, scepticism or anger. But cynicism, while funny and self-protecting, is very easy. Finding trust, sustaining hope – that is the real artform. One of the hardest things about getting older and being in love is knowing when something is just reality and when it is too much hard work. Identifying what the quiet, joyful but often challenging sensation of long-time love is and identifying what’s just become a pain in the arse, is where I have to rally sharpen my instincts. After the divorce I promised myself to free up some space in my mind and schedule and see what life is like without being in a relationship. Being single and all the changes I have been through (moving to another country to name just one) made being single feel so peaceful, the thought of returning to the land of the loving started to feel impossible. Later, I realized that only shared interests are one of the most misguided considering factors when choosing a partner. Deciding that someone is a good person, or my soulmate, or made of exactly the same stuff as I simply because my partner and I both love to listen to Bob Dylan is ridiculous. Enjoying reading books and collecting them will not help me to weather the various unexpected storms of life together.

To me, a much underrated and incredibly simple considering factor when it comes to choosing a partner is how much love he can give. Since many of my friends are still with their partners and have at least one child, I have watched how they operate as couples. It became even more apparent the importance on how well we work as a team. I need to be really good friends with my partner to begin with. I am not wise when it comes to relationships but I believe I am never immune to romance. And lust is a silent disco. It allows me to dance and get lost in a song no one else can hear if I choose to. I try not to judge other people’s relationships and the way they conduct them. To each its own. Longterm romantic love is a feat. People should do it in the exact way that works for them, even if it doesn’t make sense to others on the outside.

Love should be about aligning my life with another person, not a place of make-believe. It should be a person I can escape to. Where I always feel good, am the star of the show and unquestioningly adored while giving all this back to my partner.

An old pro/con list of reason to have a partner. I found it in my online diary. Too funny.

Reasons to a have a partner:

• More likely to get a proper birthday cake
• Access to Amazon Prime
• Something to talk about
• Someone to speak to in the evening
• Sunday afternoons cuddles on the couch
• More sympathy when you do something really wrong at work
• Someone who touches my butt in the queue for anything
• Holidays together
• Reading together
• Sometimes I cannot manage a whole large pizza to myself
• Might have a car
• Might own an apartment/house
• Might have money so when there will be a huge wedding at a castle, all my female friends who will be invited can wear fancy hats
• Nice to make sandwiches or cook for someone other than myself
• Nice to think about someone other than yourself
• Regular sex isn’t that weird
• Warmer bed and cuddles
• Everyone else seems to have a partner, too
• If I have one, people will think I am lovable
• If I don’t have one, people will think I am shallow and dysfunctional
• The relief of not having to flirt with people
• Fear of dying alone, the void etc.
• Feeling whole with the right partner

Reasons not to have a partner:

• More laundry
• Debates/arguments
• They probably won’t like nightly mask-and nail polish rituals
• They definitely won’t like Dirty Dancing because they cannot dance like Johnny
• They might be in love with your dishwasher that you never use
• They might be cleaning freaks
• They might turn out as hoarders and collectors of weird stuff
• They might have crazy ideas like purchasing forty typewriters to then later sell but your apartment will turn into a storage unit
• They might leave tea bags all over the apartment
• Being told what you did the night before when you were drunk
• Having to watch any life or television sports

So, when you are looking for love and it seems like you might not ever find it, remember you probably have access to an abundance of it already, maybe just not the romantic kind. This kind of love might not kiss you in the rain or propose marriage. But it will listen to you, inspire and restore you. It will hold you when you cry, celebrate when you are happy and sing with you when you are drunk. You have so much to gain and learn from this kind of love. You can carry it with you for ever. Keep it as close to you as you can. And whenever your gut tells you, he is the one, hold on to this person and float away together.

ScreenPlay: Katarina (K) and Christian (C) sit on a bench at the playground. They both constantly gaze into their phones. Their kids play.

K: On my walk home from work I.....
C: Yeah?
K: I heard that...
C: Yeah, I am listening. 
K: I heard an intersting podcast.
C: What about? 
K: I don't know. It was Esther Perel talking about saving relationships or something. The way people deal with "issues". 
C: Esther Perel? No clue who that is. 
K: She is a therapist who works with couples to fix their relationshps. 
C: Oh....okay. I listened to a documentary today about the Neolithic or Stone Age. They had copper. Like a copper axe. 
K: That sounds nice. 
C: Yeah. Didn't we want to order this fancy pan that is made of copper? 
K: You ordered it? 
C: Yeah. 
K: I thought we decided not to order it. Or move in together or buy this house. 
C: We said if it was reduced; which it was. 
K: It is still money. Is this about the house or the pan? 
C: You were the one who wanted it. Both. The pan and the house. 
K: I know. 
C: It was reduced. I was going to surprise you. 
K: That's sweet. I am just wondering if we really need a copper pan. 
C: Should we get the axe instead?  

[They both sip on their coffees and gaze into their phones]

K: [playing some weird "sending-off-planes-to-countries" game] Ha! My God! That's amazing! I got all the coins. But I need passengers!! 
C: What is it?
K: Nothing. Where are you sending those planes? 
C: What?
K: Nothing. 
C: Oh. 

[Five minutes later one child arrived to ask for cookies and something to drink. The child left and they gazed at the phones again; C receives a phonecall]

C (talking on the phone and walks away but K can still hear him because he screams in the phone. Maybe K should tell him that this is a telephone and not a megaphone): "Finally I received it. That was my point. The contracts cannot go out until Sabrina looks at them. Where is Sabrina? (Pause). Are you sure? (Pause). That doesn't make sense. She usually goes for a run and then to the bakery and right back to work (Pause). Do you think it is weird that I know this? (Pause). I don't think it is weird that I know this (Pause). I am her damn supervisor. Yeah, both of them. I knew this will happen. Look, I have got to go. Again, yeah, both of them." [He hangs up] 
K: What was that all about? Do you need anything? Don't you have clients today? 
C: Nothing. Will you do me a favor? 
K: Of course. 
C: I need to be alone right now. 
K: I guess anything is possible. 
C: Okay, are you leaving?  
K: I will go for a walk now.  
C: You always go for walks. Always running away! Are you running away from us?  
K: You told me you want to be alone right now! And now, yes, I am running away from you. You suck! 
C: Is it even safe to be out there so much? I mean, there is still this virus. The kids may spread it like crazy. This virus is so much bigger than us, you know. Don't forget your FFP2 mask. 
K: Okaaaaaaaaay. Are you f***ing kidding me? What is wrong with you? [rolling her eyes and thinks about getting that axe to kill him]
C: You should go. I will stay here with the kids. We need wine. [He looks down at his phone again and received a Zoom call] Hi, Sarah. Hi, Patrick. Hi, Julia. The contracts are on the way I think. Oh, really? So, no contracts? What do you mean no contracts? We will talk later. Not now. I am at the playground. Talk later. [He hangs up and looks annoyed at his wife]
K: Okay, I will go to the store. See you at home. Don't forget to bring the kids.

[Scene: K left. C is again making phonecalls while screaming]
C: Just fire the others!!!! Enough is enough! [hangs up and curses nonstop]

[C calls K] 

C: When is dinner? JULIAN AND ELLA, STOP THAT. STOP HITTING OTHER KIDS AND THROWING SAND! What time is it? I will order some food to go. I will pick it up. 
K: I can pick it up, too. And I got the wine. 
C: I love you. I just realized and I hate to say it but I am grateful. Bad as everything is, we are doing better than most. We have a roof over our head and food. And I am grateful to have you. I mean that. You are a good person, you know!? I will see you at home then. Oh, also, I got laid off just now. 
K: WHAT? YOU LOST YOUR JOB? 
C: We all did. Sarah, Julia, Patrick, and I. 

[They are all together at home and it is evening. Everyone is in the kitchen, the food, the wine, the kids, and the conversation. Then the doorbell rings.]

C: Didn't you hear the doorbell? This package just got delivered. 
K: Can I open it? (C openes the package and takes out a copper saucepan). Shiny. I like it. This would look good in the new kitchen in that house we looked at. But let's not rush into anything. 
C: I think so, too.  
K: I love you. We will get through this. Everything will be okay. We will figure this out. We can figure anyting out. If we want. 
C: I agree. Together, forever, my love. Off to the next chapter and challenge. Life is not easy. 

My son and I went out for our daily walk when we got caught in the middle of a huge “Anti-Corona-Demonstration” in Vienna. Thousands of people screamed, music, whistles, climbing on things, beer, burning trash cans, smoking, and telling the world how fed up they are with this lockdown and the virus while using curse words from A to Z. Oh, this weird lingering uncertain situation since November 2020. Many lost everything. Many will never recover from this. What will happen to the economy and how and when will it be back to “normal”? One man screamed into a megaphone, “I want my control back. I want to be free and make my own decisions again!”

There are times in our lives when we are confronted with the reality that we are not in control of the world around us. As hard as we try, and as much as we would like to think we are in control, the reality is, we are not. We never were, we never will be. And there are seasons and circumstances that remind us of that fact. For example, a government telling us that the lockdown will be extended and certain stores and restaurants will remain closed. Or you are desperately waiting for your appointment to finally get divorced and the judge is sick. A natural disaster, a terminal diagnosis, an unexpected layoff, a store closure, and many more. At this current moment in time, almost everyone in the world, simultaneously, is being confronted with the reality of lost control through the spread of this damn virus. A tiny virus, invisible to the naked eye, has brought the world to a screeching halt, disrupting everything in its path. Our control has been upended. No doubt about it.

We, of course, never had as much control over our lives and the world as we thought we did, but still, it is hard to lose the little that we had. Like simply deciding to go to a restaurant. Remember a “restaurant“? That was a place where we used to go to to eat. We dressed up sometimes. Like make-up and nice clothing. I know, it was a long time ago so here is a little reminder in case you forgot. What is a restaurant you may ask? Words in italics are important for possible future use if these facilities will open again.

A “restaurant” is a place where you were able to sit down with other people at the SAME table. No (FFP2) masks, no hand sanitizing. When you sat down, you could order something from a, wait…. what was the word…. a “menu“. A “waiter” came to your table to take your order. Then the waiter would write your order down and tell the “cook in the kitchen” to prepare it for you. Amazing, right?! And so surreal! Then the “waiter” would bring the food and drinks to your table where you sat and had a great time with your “friends“. Laughing and singing was allowed. You were able to sit in this “restaurant” until 1 a.m. and talk and talk and have a great time. Sometimes, you and your friends went out “dancing” after to a “bar” or “club” where “a band” on occasion played “live music“.

The world, it feels, has spun into chaos, riots, demonstrations, and more uncertainty. So how do we respond when the world is in chaos? How do we begin to move forward? For one, we take back control of what we can control. Even in the smallest of ways. We have been reminded that we are not in ultimate control of the universe. But that does not mean we have lost all ability to maintain control over our lives. Even if our usual day-to-day opportunities have been taken from us by others, there is still much we can control.

We can always love our family and friends and meet them. Even if it is outside sometimes.

We can wait for another appointment for our divorce and have fun in the meantime.

We can choose to be afraid of this virus and the news or not.

We can choose to not wear this damn uncomfortable FFP2 mask when we are outside, or in the car. WHY are people wearing this mask when they are outside or driving a car?

We can control what time we wake up in the morning and are even more fortunate if we still have a workplace to go to.

We can still choose to get ready in the morning for the day ahead. No need to wear sweatpants and let yourself go.

We can eat and live healthy. We can remain physically active and fit.

We can read and be creative.

We can make our bed in the morning, and have a clean and comfortable home.

We can rearrange, donate, and enjoy our stuff and things. I have never sat in my reading chair as much as during this lockdown.

We can enjoy the things we have and haven’t had time to focus on.

We can choose what we watch and listen to, and we can control what time we turn off the news.

We can buy what we want even if online. We can always buy food. And toilet paper.

We can always control our attitude and our response to the people and events around us.

We can choose kind words in conversations and offer help to others who are in need.

We can declutter our apartments and houses.

We can think about all the things we used to do all the time and if they are still meaningful and necessary.

If you are faithful, you can choose to rely upon it during this time. Or meditate. Whatever helps you.

We can still decide to make the most of each day in front of us.

Controlling what you can might not seem like much, but it is something. Actually, it is a lot more than just something. It is an essential strategy for each of us going forward. It is the first step in moving from a reactive life to a proactive one. And it is the first step in making the most of our current circumstances. So, focus your energy there, even if it seems like very little. When the world is in chaos, control what you can.

Stay healthy, stay sane, and stay focused. We will all get through this.