Shadow of A Man

If a man does not feel appreciated, survival becomes his prime objective.

When a man is not appreciated in the area of his presence, he becomes a version of himself that he can give you and still survive.

He becomes a shadow of a man.

That’s a man that’s hard to love.

You will not like that version.

That version is silent. The kind of silence that echoes loudly.

That version is frustrated. The kind of frustration that leaves the air feeling heavy.

That version is intense with his words. The kind of intense where the words spoken don’t matter - even a benign compliment feels like daggers.

He becomes short-tempered.

He doesn’t communicate beyond necessity (if that).

And he is cold.

That’s not the man you fell in love with.

That’s the man he’s had to become to survive to survive you.

I’ve become that man.

And I don’t like it.