Taking a break from this blog was like a separation from a long marriage. Seven years and I needed a breather. It was my seven year itch, my seventh inning  stretch.

My hiatus began last June. But I’d been flagging since I began training to be a court reporter in February of 2011. In July, I embarked on a trip to Europe and I knew that I wouldn’t be writing from there. So the timing seemed right.

Indeed, it was well-timed and necessary separation from life with OTBKB. Here’s what I wrote on September 13, 2011:

Last Spring, for the first time in a very long time, I just couldn’t find the time, the will, or the interest to blog.  Because I was in school, OTBKB wasn’t the primary thing I was doing; I felt I had to step away to make room for the new. Stepping away was actually easier than I imagined it would be. I was spending more and more time in Manhattan and my non-stop attention to Brooklyn was waning

Marital separations can go one of two ways. In the best case scenario, they provide much needed time for solo reflection and a chance to explore what went wrong—and what went right.

They can also herald the end of a marriage.

Well, I’ve had my time away from the blog and I find myself kinda sorta missing it. I miss the daily discipline of it, the outlet for creative expression, the readers, the community connection, the ability to promote Brooklyn Reading Works and other local events.

So I decided that me and OTBKB needed to get together for coffee and talk about getting back together.  And that’s exactly what we did. We met at the Purity Diner in Park Slope. I had a cup of coffee, OTBKB was fine with just a glass of water. The conversation went like this.

Me: I miss you.

OTBKB: I miss you, too.

Me: I want to get back together. But in a different way.

OTBKB: What do you mean?

Me: Well, I want to be together but not like before. I need some space, some boundaries, some time for myself.

OTBKB: Does that mean that we shouldn’t live together?

Me: Not exactly. It’s just that I can’t post as often as I did. I can’t spend most of my day typing away on a hot computer (like at a hot stove) working on posts. I need to do some of my own writing, I need to make money, I need to do other things, too.

OTBKB: I understand…

Me: You do?

OTBKB: Sure, I could see that you were losing interest, that you were tired. That you were frustrated being with me all the time.

Me: Thanks for understanding.

OTBKB: So what do you want to do?

Me: I want to give it a try, again.

OTBKB: Sounds great to me. It’s been kind of  boring lately.

Me: I know.

OTBKB: Let’s not overthink this. Let’s just see what happens.

Me: Now that sounds like a great idea.

OTBKB: Happy Valentines Day, by the way.

Me: You too.