Yet another relationship with a girl recently disintegrated before my eyes, over reasons that seemed stupid and adolescent — even though our teen years were behind us.

“You sure it was all her fault?” my old pal Jimmy asked a little too glibly.

We were out, and he’d bought me a beer to commiserate. Before I rebuked him for his question, I actually considered his words.

Finally, I shrugged.

“I guess I got caught up in the problems. But I swear I didn’t start any of them. I wasn’t playing games with her. I liked Nora.”

Jimmy wasn’t entirely unsympathetic. I’d seen him through a few breakups himself.

“Nora was great,” he said. But … ”

“But what?” I wanted to know. I was... Read More