Rush of Blood to the Head

Have you ever had a moment when someone you thought you knew so well suddenly seems like an alien? It's baffling to me how quickly my perception of a person can change, and yet, how they always stay the same. Perhaps it's the curse that love is blind to flaws and at some point, when the feelings begin to fade, you get a flash of reality. Suddenly all the small inconsistencies make sense and a person's true nature is revealed, but it's not what you expected to see at all. It's a crushing, numbing experience and the only response is to turn around, speechless, and just walk away.

One of my married friends once told me that the first year of marriage is always the hardest because you learn, "I am the most selfish person in the world and he/she is the second most selfish person in the world." I don't think I have to get married to learn that, my problem is that the other person will often hold the first-place position.