When to say when

There’s probably no better ex-Beatle solo album than George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. Paul McCartney has certainly sold more records and made more money, but most of his stuff is pop fluff compared to this great Harrison effort. We lost a tremendous artist when Harrison died in November 2001; give The Concert for George a watch and you’ll see that a lot of great musicians feel the same way. It, and he, are classics.

I’ve been thinking a lot today about the idea that all things must pass. My friend Edward ended a relationship Saturday night; not a romantic relationship, but an every-Saturday-night-for-years dinner date. For ten (more?) years Edward had gone out almost every Saturday night with the same guy. They were never lovers, they were once co-workers, they became little more than weekly tablemates.

It was the fact that they were no more than that which prompted Edward to make the decision. There were, of course, other reasons, but what interests me is the question of what we do when we realize it’s time to move on.

My friend did the honorable thing. He told his tablemate the truth, or at least as much of the truth as was kind and polite. He didn’t make up an excuse, he didn’t lie; he simply ended it, as gently but directly as possible.

It strikes me that this is all too rare in our day-to-day commerce, both with each other and between nations. The truth is often avoided. It is easier to keep doing the wrong thing than to speak the truth and make a change. Look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. How often have we heard that we must continue to support the war effort because of what we have already invested? Rather than say "no, no more," we continue on, throwing away good lives after good lives.

We keep going to the table, Saturday night after Saturday night.

I’m an Army brat. I know from experience that all things must pass. Nothing lasts forever. The best of things, the worst of things -- all have a lifespan. It is far nobler to let things go than to pretend all is well and start faking it.

Would that we as a nation could behave as honorably as my friend.