Dear Orlando: How Do I Stop Feeling Strange When I See My Ex?
AMP Radio

Sooo Orlando,

Me an my ex broke up like SEVEN months ago and I still see him around.  The problem is, his friends are my friends and my friends are his friends, so it’s inevitable, ya know?? Now, every time I see him its totally weird and awkward between us because obviously, neither one of us want to be there.  I have no idea what to do cuz I’ve tried not to be around as often but it’s been seven months and things are still strange.  What should I do?

Thanks,

The 3rd, 4th & 5th Wheel

Dear 3rd, 4th & 5th Wheel,

Seems like you’ve got yourself in a bit of a community conundrum.  I suppose the right sort of advice to start with would be the old, do not crap where you eat.  This is why you do not date people in your group of friends.  It eventually makes things so awkward that someone gets dropped from the inner circle, either by their own volition or the group’s.  Now you’re faced with that crossroads.  You can’t stop things from being weird between the two of you, that’s a major part about the end of a relationship.  So the way I see it, you have two options:

• Option 1:  You get over it and grow up.  It’s over.  Part of the reason it’s really uncomfortable is because you’re making it that way.  Obviously, you can never have things go back to the way they used to be, so you’re going to have to man up and act like an adult.  This means realizing that you’ve got to move on.  Just do it.
• Option 2:  Reorganize your group of friends.  There, I said it.  Sometimes, that sort of weirdness is just not worth the trouble of the friend group.  I suppose this is the last thing you want to hear, but honestly, if you cannot deal with seeing him without making things horrific then you need to remove yourself from the equation entirely.

Hopefully you’ll take this advice in stride, as well as realizing that you’re obviously apart of the problem, so if you want it to end it’s up to how you behave in the future.  Either that, or you can keep on doing what you’ve been doing until your group of friends intervenes and let me tell you, that won’t be pretty.

Forever,

Orlando