As much as thinking this upsets me, I'm starting to see that I need the merry-go-round much more than it needs me, and in the end my choice is to hop back on or get left in the dust.

What I'm expecting is for you to behave like the gentleman I always thought you were.

There's no winning arguments with your parents

You got nothin' to lose but your self-respect.

Turn down a chance to feel magic for fear of a little dirt?

It was beyond embarrassing or humiliating or even mortifying. It was ego-slaying!

My heart stopped. It just stopped beating. And for the first time in my life, I had that feeling. You know, like the world is moving all around you, all beneath you, all inside you, and you're floating. Floating in midair. And the only thing keeping you from drifting away is the other person's eyes. They're connected to yours by some invisible physical force, and they hold you fast while the rest of the world swirls and twirls and falls completely away.