Behind my Writing - Salty Love

“In a way he had destroyed what we had, wanting me to go where he knew I couldn’t. Wanting me to give up on all I held dear, to hold him. An ultimatum. Requiring me to sacrifice everything.

It had broken my infatuation with him. And when the scales flittered from my eyes, I'd finally been able to see clearly. All we had was salty love. Drinkable. In the moment. But nothing that could sustain. Nothing that could grow.”

— Excerpt from Salty Love

A long time ago, when I was in high school, my Mum got me to read a book called the Beauty and the Beast (non-fiction), that started off telling the story of about a girl and boy dating. Considering the book was written by the girl’s parents as a warning to other young girls, you can imagine the relationship didn’t end well. Eventually the young woman and young man were no longer compatible, if I remember correctly, I believe the woman was moving on to a different collage, or wanted to do something with her passion. At the same time the young man grew possessive and started to smother their relationship with a controlling hand.

With her parents support, the young woman ended the relationship and looked to the future in order to live her life. The young man was not so inclined, and began to stalk her. Which eventually lead him to un-aliving her.

While this story comes from the United States of America, in Australia, women are more likely to experience violence from someone they know than by a stranger (35% vs. 11%). In the year 2021/2022, 5606 women (averaging of 15 women/day) were hospitalised due to family and domestic violence.

Violence aside, both women and men, need to be aware of relationships where we lose ourselves. Cutting bits of ourselves off (metaphorically) to fit in the round hole of a ball someone raises up to us and tells us that their love is inside. The love is never inside. It’ll be just another ball, with a different shape we need to reorder ourselves for. Enough. Let us not become emotionally entangled with these types of people.

And if we do? The lucky ones will get out and know better for next time. The unlucky ones…

Well… that’s why I wrote Salty Love.

A warning.

xo A.R.Willow