Hello, Love

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This Song Sums Up Divorce Perfectly

Processing relationship trauma via The Waterboys.

Jamie Jackson
Hello, Love
Published in
9 min readDec 1, 2022

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The Waterboys — Live at Rockwood Music Hall, 9.24.19 — Creative Commons License — Credit

A handful of years ago I got divorced. I experienced some trauma.

Trauma is a big word. It’s an impactful word too, if perhaps a little ham-fisted, the type of word to barge into sentences, to punch you in the arm, or disturb the ambience in a fancy restaurant with a loud voice and uncouth behaviour.

Though it’s a simple thing too. Simple but powerful, a beast grown from an emotional response to something negative that happened.

Trauma doesn’t have to be boisterous, it’s often quiet, insidious, tenacious. It seeps into the psyche like spilt ink on blotting paper and you’re left to process it numerous times over as the ink seeps deeper.

I thought I was more than over the meltdown of my first marriage and subsequent divorce in 2014. But such a monumental life fuck up sticks with you, it revisits when least expected, it knocks on your door during a busy afternoon and won’t leave.

I’m married once more. I tied the knot to a wonderful woman in August 2018, and I have a family. I’m happy.

My first marriage was nothing like my current marriage. It was tumultuous, impulsive and emotionally exhausting.

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Jamie Jackson
Jamie Jackson

Written by Jamie Jackson

Between two skies and towards the night. // Email me: jamiejacksonati [at] gmail [dot] com

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