Déjà vu

It's a face you haven't seen in months. 

        One you used to know so well, you could easily sketch it out if you had any artistic ability to do so. 

        But as time has passed, and memories have taken a variety of forms, it looks a little different from the last time you remember.

        Either way, this face has the same effect on you as it did from the moment you first saw it.

It makes your heart stop. 

         There's nothing like running into an old flame, no matter where you are, no matter what time of the day. But when you add or take away certain details of the encounter, it can make a world of a difference. 

          Surprise run-ins can be awkward, and if they happen during the mischievous hours of the night, the possibility of them going horribly is all the more increased. But it's important to keep a few things in mind:


1. Remember your environment. 

Unless you're in a peaceful meadow...

The bar is never a good place to have a serious heart-to-heart discussion, especially when both parties have been drinking.

 Emotions are heightened, there's no privacy, and overall, it's a conversation that should probably require further thought.

2. Read the last sentence again. 

Is this not how most people communicate?

   Emotions have the ability to drive individuals to say and act in erratic ways. Social science researchers believe that taking time to allow your emotions to settle down (which also allows you to reconstruct the situation in a healthy, rational way) can actually help the way you engage in conflict with others.

3. Keep your cool. 

Just imagine you're relaxing on a beach...

  Neither of you own the bar/house/place of encounter, so no one is "entitled" to be there. Just because you are both in the same place at the same time doesn't give you the right to erupt with rage at the sight of your ex. He didn't "have the nerve" to go to the same bar, he probably just wanted a beer.

4. Keep the peanut gallery on the sidelines & Don't read the signs. 

I thought heckling was a sports/entertainment industry kinda thing?

  Friends  are a blessing because they know you and the situtation from an objective perspective, and will probably keep you guided on the right track. 

At the same time, they can also be a total curse when you don't see eye-to-eye. Remember they're looking out for you-- but if there's something you need to take care of (like finding closure), then explain to them (through a sober heart-to-heart) why you must do so.