Half the Distance

They say that jokes are half meant; a subtle way of sounding your intentions without the ramifications of, well, intent. The benefit is it will always be taken likely. Any awkwardness that arises will alert you to possible conflicts. Thank goodness it can always be brushed aside in favor of humor.

The best times for these kinds of jokes are in light and liberal company. They’ll laugh along and even play along if they’re game enough. Just as long as things don’t get carried away. It’s all too easy for one thing to be followed by another. Before you know it, you’ve tumbled down a slippery slope, with little or no recollection of how you’ve rolled down so far.

Situations like these are an odd mix of pleasant surprise and shock. On one hand you appreciate the other side for playing along. On the other, there was just a little too much revealing enthusiasm involved in it. Two half-hearted intentions meeting in the middle are still a half each short — the distance between them is there for a reason.

A certain scientific theory states that any destination can never be reached. Because you can cover half, and half, and half... and still have an infinite number of halves in between.

Perhaps the most frightening is the awkward silence that follows realization. Reverting to the light and funny path will only highlight the truth that’s already spilled. Jumping onto the other path that’s been gouged will be a bumpy preempted journey indeed.

While one is thankful for the path that’s been haphazardly put up, you can’t help but be wary of the expectations that come with it. The first few meters may be as smooth as freshly laid asphalt but who knows how far that will stretch. Inevitably, the bumps that impeded intention will undoubtably resurface.

As much as I’d like to thank a certain teacher for showing me the joy of pleasant surprises, I can’t help but wonder if coincidence is all it really is.