The Long Goodbye - I hate it

Not the book or the movie...the act itself. I hate long goodbyes. When I say something like "Well, I better go," that means I want to leave - now. I am not one of those people who plays the "No, you hang up first," "No, you" game. Chances are after I have said goodbye, the phone is already away from my ear and my thumb reaching for disconnect. I'll probably hear you say goodbye back to me but it will be from a distance. I am this way on the phone (both personally and professionally...I know they say that customer service agents are never supposed to hang up first but I always did) as well as, in person. Yeah, I'll stick around for a quick goodbye and hug and kiss (depending on our relationship) but I really don't want this to last longer than a minute or two and if it is only 30 seconds then all the better.


Unfortunately, the GF-Unit has a problem with this...dragging out goodbyes for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, even an hour or more. She has no idea how much this irritates me. When I say "I (or You) should probably go," that means just that. Go. It could be many reasons - I need to do other things, I am tired, I am frustrated, I have had enough of you for today, etc... but it all comes down to: I want to part company as soon as possible.


The other week this came up when GF-Unit was over one night. It was a night we hadn't planned of seeing each other, so I already had a list of stuff in my head that I wanted to accomplish. Circumstances brought us together and I thought we had a decent night together but eventually I was in the mood for no more that night. I knew the longer she stayed the more annoyed I would get, not at her...but at the situation and that she was there. I suggested that she should go. She started to go but then was all sad about it, so started dragging it out. We tried talking about it and I was urging her to go while trying not to hurt her feelings. It wasn't working too well, so it got to the point where I just said "I don't want you to be sad...I just want you to leave."


I know, I know, I am not the most sensitive person in the world. At the time I was about 60% joking, 40% serious. It made me crack up when I said it...and I think it made her laugh a little after the initial shock. But it was true, I didn't want her to be sad (really), I just didn't want to deal with her any more that night...I wanted to do some of the things I already had planned. I knew we would be spending plenty of time together over the coming weeks - more days than not, and I never get the things around the house done like cleaning, dishes, laundry, repairs, improvements,etc... So I really wanted to use this night to get a little bit done.


No lasting harm done (I think)...and a Classic Quote from me (I think), so it is all for the best. But really, I do hate long goodbyes. If I had more to say, I would have said it earlier before I felt spent with the whole deal. If you keep it short and sweet, I will go away much happier and start missing you. Long goodbyes are just mentally draining and numbing.