lessons learned

You never make a lesson plan without a goal in mind.

What will the student achieve, understand, or remember by the end of this lesson?

I hate lessons.

Annoyingly, it's always what people tell you when a relationship ends. Just think of this as a learning experience, your friends say, as if that's supposed to make it all better. Granted, in a few months you will view it that way, and you'll begin to think about what you want in a new relationship. You begin to consider new relationships. You have new relationships.

Realistically, no one enters a romantic relationship thinking, "I just want to learn about myself and then move on." I don't know if it's society or genes or hormones or television but within minutes of meeting a man, most women will try to picture herself standing next to him in a white dress, making pancakes with him in the kitchen, doing crosswords on Sunday mornings and taking kids to the park. I'm guessing that within seconds of meeting a woman, most men just try to picture us with our clothes off. Tomato, tomahtoe? Who knows.

I suppose this "learning experience" approach works for someone who does not consider themselves a permanent student. But as a lifetime learner, I can't help but wonder why I couldn't meet the goal. I can accept it when a lesson plan fails in my 7th grade classroom, but not when one fails in my life. I always want to get the A+.

That elusive, elusive A+.