We May Be Through With the Past, But the Past Wants Us to Watch Its Videos

I got an email from an ex the day after my birthday. We had dated, or whatever you want to call it, for about a year and a half. It was always sort of unorthodox, but finally, in August of this past year, I had just had enough. So, because among our problems was his persistent inability to return phone calls, I wound up having to break up with him via email, and then it irritated me further that he had turned me into a person who breaks up with people via email.

The breakup email was, I thought, pretty nice, its main points being: (i) goodbye, (ii) good luck, and (iii) if you want to discuss this in rational fashion, we can.

Months passed. I heard nothing.

So, my birthday comes and goes, and the day after my birthday, I wake up, and there is an email from the guy, really short, wishing me a happy late birthday and saying he hopes I'm well. I replied, thanking him, and left it at that. It was nice of him, I guess, though I couldn't help but wonder at his motives. This is a person who, even when things were good with us, couldn't be bothered to communicate with his voice most of the time, and this wasn't a tendency that was specific to me. Certainly, had he remembered my birthday this year and had no access to email, he would not have called. He has given no sign that he seeks closure or wants to be friends or anything similar. Nevertheless, the magic of email is allowing me to occasionally hear from someone who would otherwise have faded from my life through his own sheer inaction. Bizarre.

As a postscript, I may have found out his true motive -- broadening his audience. Earlier this week, he included me on a mass email linking to a new video he made. Aiiieeee! I am a content recipient!