The Slinky Effect

Written by: Chereen

Recently, I was given the incredibly important task of fixing a slinky. You could say I was The Slinky Therapist, but the only problem was the slinky was messed up beyond repair.

This lime green slinky had been stretched out and pulled in a way that would not allow it to return to its original composure. Where there were once curves, there were now edges. If I tried to turn the edges back into curves, the slinky would have broken apart.

I’m sure you know a metaphor is coming.

This slinky had me thinking about relationships. Sometimes relationships change and can never go back to the way they were before. No matter how much you try to repair or improve them, you’re more at risk of messing them up. Sometimes the damage done to a relationship with words and actions can be permanent.

If you caused the irreparable pain: Anything you say from that point on can be taken the wrong way or interpreted against you. It happens. It’s the truth you so often neglect when your heart tells you something is incredibly different about the relationship after you’ve made an effort to apologize repetitively.

If you feel the pain: your heart, the feelings in it change towards the other person and it’s possible that it’s impossible for the feelings to go back to being the same way.

I can play devil’s advocate with my mind and say that sometimes relationships can be mended and become even better than before, but that’s not necessarily always the case. At times, a change of heart can be a permanent change. Because people can and will end the lease early and remove the tenant from their heart for the sake of their necessary sanity. They will demolish the room, light it on fire, and move forward.

If I were to use The Slinky Theory, simply attempting to bend the slinky in shape would break it in half. Leaving it be could salvage the relationship, but things would never be the same. And you know something? Sometimes, that’s life. You can’t save everything, you might have to be more cautious around a relationship after damage has been done, or it might be time to move forward and leave the slinky behind. It might hurt you or it might hurt them. Possibly, it could hurt you both. Pain is sometimes inevitable.

I want you to know that you go through many slinky’s in your life. We go through plastic slinky’s, metal slinky’s, wooden slinky’s, and I bet you anything there’s a biodegradable slinky out there somewhere. Some slinky’s remain undamaged through the years, and some don’t even have a chance to make it through the honeymoon phase.

Remember, there’s always the opportunity to be given a new slinky that can be long lasting. And the slinky’s you had for forever that are in good shape? They’re priceless.

Hold onto your good slinky’s.

Their timeless curves are valuable.