When a man showed up you didn't want to look at his face and he didn't want to look at his face and he didn't want to look at yours, because it's painful to see somebody so clear that it's like looking inside him, but then neither did you want to to look away and lose him completely. You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it may be, or you could relax and lose yourself.
The quote highlights the discomfort of deep emotional connections and the struggle between wanting to confront the truth and the desire to withdraw. When meeting someone, there is an inherent tension; both parties wish to avoid the rawness of vulnerability yet are simultaneously drawn to it. This reflects the dichotomy of human relationships where clarity can be both illuminating and painful, forcing individuals to confront their own truths.
Ultimately, the choice becomes a metaphor for life’s approach: to engage with the uncertainties and discomforts that come with genuine connection or to seek solace in ignorance. This duality emphasizes the complexity of personal interactions and the courage it takes to truly see and be seen by another, even when it challenges one's comfort zone.
