The Rules

My marriage ended cruelly. 

Months of unproductive silence ensued. 

Segued into years of unproductive wrangling. As if we'd both taken an oath to never agree. 

Nothing happened except more hurt. More money wasted on attorney bills. More depression. More anxiety. More gin.

Then one day I called him and he answered the phone. We went to mediation. And there were rules.

Something like this: no eye rolling, no sighing, no combative or demeaning gestures or body language.

At the first session we were instructed to prepare a statement of appreciation about one another or our shared past. 

And then, at long last, after the no eye rolling, no sighing, no combative or demeaning gestures or body language, after we delivered our statements of appreciation, after we sat at the table together, we agreed. 

It was over. We went forward.

Maybe if the TV pundits and talking heads, the news bloggers, spokespeople, the Democrats and the Republicans, congressmen and women, and senators followed same rules, a reasonable compromise on gun control might be reached.