Before there was eBay there was (the attic and then) Public Storage. We used to buy things new and once we didn't want them anymore we would put them in Public Storage. We didn't throw anything away. What you bought was yours for life. That's how antiques get made; Antiques are things that we stop using, but end up valuable to us or someone else later.

We think of love in the same way. We get possessive. That's "my man" or "my woman". Even when we don't want them anymore we hold onto them and put them in Public Storage. They share our living space for a while and then it comes a point that they have to go..."to the left to, the left"!

With the eBay model, everything is always on the market. Goods have the freedom to find their way to whoever they add the most value to. In the same way, our partners and ourselves are always on the market. Do you really think that the same energy that attracted you to your partner just shuts off once the two of you start dating? No...As a matter of fact it probably gets stronger because now that you're "off the market" the market tends to value you more.

Relationships aren't meant to bind people. Unlike goods sold on Ebay, people should be free to explore other "buyers" who may be interested in them. The challenge that I face and most people face is being honest about when our interest in another person is stronger than our commitment to our current "owner". Through my own relationships, I've discovered that it is easier to trust and set free (like eBay) than it is to control and limit (like Public Storage).

I'm not sure how I'll know when I've found "the one". As a matter of fact, I don't think that there is just one; I think that the possibilities are infinite and we have the freedom to choose a partner from that infinite possibility in hopes that they will choose us back. That which we fear losing is the very thing that we ultimately lose. If you love something let it go; if it comes back to you then it is yours.