by Jennifer Lassiter

Created on: December 08, 2008

It is an unfortunate fact that people move on. In this world of hyper-drive sensuality and just in time gratification, it is difficult to keep a vacuum cleaner running, much less a connection with another person. Add to this any amount of distance, and it is bound to fail.

A long distance relationship is simply two people leading their lives in two places. There is no coming home and talking about their day. There is no glass of wine in front of the fire or spirited game of Mario Kart. This can be done online or over the phone easily enough, but over time, things are missed. No cuddling. No holding hands. No eye contact or body language. Eventually every story isn't told. Every person or situation isn't mentioned. Separate places become separate lives. Lovers become friends at best, and strangers at worst.

Three things can happen to drive a wedge between two of the most well-meaning long distance lovers - lack of focus, a fleeting heart, or resentment. In most cases, it is a deadly combination of all three.

There are big, loud and flashy things going on around us every day. Careers, car payments, family crises, friendships - even a good book - can steal focus at any time. A day is filled with a million little explosions, some good and some bad. Multiply this scenario by two, and you have our distanced lovers. If they were in the same town, seeing each other would bring them back to base, recharge their batteries and refocus that energy on each other for a little while. Unfortunately, without the recharge, the batteries that power that relationship will die...usually slowly and sadly...dolling out what once was a lively tune in long, off-key and warbling tones until eventually one of the two turns it off.

New people inevitably come into the picture to accompany those big, loud and flashy things that keep stealing our focus. Our lovers, while dealing with their daily explosions, may accidentally connect with one of those new people. Attraction is a dangerous and unpredictable thing, and it can hit anyone at any time. Without the intimacy (or, let's face it, the watchful eyes) of a local relationship, it can be easy to move from "innocent lunch" to "guilty breakfast" in the blink of an eye (or the turn up of a pint). A fleeting heart in one lover can quickly lead to a breaking heart in the other. Granted, this can happen to a 30 year marriage...the odds are stacked higher when those batteries haven't been recharged in a while, though.

Our lovers have planned a meeting

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