Preface of "Passion and Discontent" by Mary Teske

Her past had been one full of scars in the form of memories. Each time she fell in love, blissfully under her belief in fairytale romance, merely to be crushed when the curtain of her love's disguise had been pulled. Feelings of happiness from her dreams were shattered, she was shown that trust was nothing more than a word, and self-doubt had taken over her inner beauty for quite some time. Some call this depression or rock-bottom, but for her it became the most important turning point within her quest for a knight in shining armor.

She gradually attained the perspective of her past as learning opportunities, rather than moral, character defining mistakes. She reconstructed herself, only to become stronger with newly found confidence in her beliefs and dreams. She opened her eyes to inner gifts and talents that had been neglected by others. After releasing her outward, society morphed shell, she was ready to give herself and to love again, in the purest form of the word.

***

He was uncertain of which path in life he wanted to take, but he knew fully well of the direction he did not want to steer his course. He took care of his health, enjoying strolls through the outdoors and preparing nutrient-rich meals. He carried himself well, and presented a character of balance and discipline. The majority of his time was spent alone, only keeping company when he felt pressured to attend social events. The truth about this man is that he really enjoyed his time to himself, and filled his life with endless works of literature, diving deep into his own writing.

At the end of most days, he felt happy and peaceful enough inside to achieve a full night of rest. His daily life did not have much variety, consequently meaning that his stress levels were slim to none. That changed after he began to question how long he could sustain this lifestyle.

The pressure from society to "settle down" and have a family of his own kicked in, disturbing his peace and distracting him from his love of writing. He was led to believe that if he did not set down his books and papers, then nothing would become of his own story. He developed a fear of feeling lonely, continuously growing anxious and losing focus.

***

Tonight was set to be the time for our two characters to meet. Each one's background on the opposite end of the spectrum. One had been broken and healing, feeling so confident in her new perspectives. One had been so content and satisfied, yet feared that he would inevitably be alone and grow miserable. The feelings behind the events that are to transpire between our characters create a mystery for now, but allow me to clear the skies as I tell you their story.

***

Her self-confidence radiated a beautiful glow from within her heart, and she felt happy again in believing she was going to be successful this time. She was living proof of the new standards she had set for herself, and she sought love from one who would fit into her picture perfect, romantic idea.

She had the events of tonight all perfectly planned out in her mind, while she was fussing in the closet, desperately trying to put together an outfit that would instantly win a man's heart. Her hair was in order, her makeup was beautifully set, and she was decorated with the sweetest scent of perfume. The last thing on her list was a coordinated dress and shoes that would seal the deal on sight.

***

His poor, anxious nature consumed him to the point of confusion. He was unsure of the details, what to wear, what to say, how to act, and he was unsure of what he was doing in the first place. He sat near the front door of his home, well dressed and clean shaven, wondering if he was making the right move for his life. He had been happy with his life before questioning it, and now he was double questioning his choices.

He pondered through the idea of skipping the blind date altogether, and grasped at any convincing excuse he could think up. Would it sound believable if he suddenly became ill, or maybe he had an urgent family emergency. His mind was racing, and his heart was nearly pounding out of his chest with overwhelming anxiety. Then he questioned the need for an excuse at all, for what did he have to lose, and he could go right back to his happy place within his books.

***

Let me remind you of the passionate hearts owned by our characters. They are different, yet also equal when it comes to discontentment. We are all driven by something, whether it be out of love and pleasure, or fear and avoidance, there is a fire within each of us. This lights our path and leads us to from one door to the next, learning lessons along the way.

Her heart was broken time after time, by the most undeserving men, destroying her initial romantic innocence. She has put in a great deal of effort in discovering self-love, and redesigning her values for a partner.

His heart has been spared from destruction throughout his happy life of solitude. His passion is for reading and writing, which consumes his time, and has created a pleasurable life until paranoia of loneliness took over.

Both hearts are powered by their passions, with the occasional feeling of discontentment taking over their steering wheel. Her discontent was first measured by her feelings of failure, which set her into overdrive on a mission to overcome it, and succeed in her dream of finding true love. He began to look too far ahead of himself, creating discontent within his current state. This was a new feeling for him, so he was unsure of how to handle it. His response was stacked anxiety, rendering him to a halt without any sense of direction.