I saw the news on Twitter and thought “how amazing!  A non-aligned, presumably free thinking organization focused on good ideas rather than tying themselves to some political or social dogma.”

And how relevant it seemed to me at this time, about to be interviewed for the “Ex Files” column in the Observer Women’s supplement.  Because when it comes to relationships, I’m becoming increasingly less influenced by conventional ways of thinking, and learning not to just take relationships and pop them into a nice neat socially acceptable box, and create a Cold War situation where once there was love and harmony.  Especially since the box for ex’s seems to be marked (and not without cause) ‘agent of destruction’.

The diversity of opinions on Twitter was interesting too.  Let’s face it, from a traditional PR point of view, me sticking my relationships into print and not knowing exactly what my ‘ex’ is going to say about me, would be a crazy thing to do and if I had a traditional PR agency managing the Starting Over Show I should be no doubt told to stop being so reckless.

But SOS is just me, and my PR queen is @SuziPR who is amazingly supportive of my desire to just be, well – real.

CourageousLover

@SuzyMiller Fascinating oppotunity – see how you’ve grown/he’s grown. And in print for the public. Good luck.

@CourageousLover has it right – even if I’m being reckless, my ex is being very courageous. It’s one thing to share your stuff with friends, but to have it printed with a full length photo in the Observer Magazine is quite something else.

NeilDenny

@SuzyMiller Wow, I hope that Observer article works out alright. Could be nasty.

@NeilDenny is a Collaborative lawyer and keynote presenter/trainer on how conflict affects us as individuals and organisations – and he was right to point out how risky this article could prove to be.

But somehow, going through relationship breakup leaves one with a certain amount of courage – how can anything else (apart from physical death) be as bad?  And of course, my ex and I are working – slowly – upon finding our way through into a different relationship.  Needing to mediate with ourselves as much as with each other.

The Non-Aligned Movement was born during the Cold War in 1961, aiming to unite countries which officially expressed the wish not to be allied either with the US-led western bloc or the Soviet-dominated eastern bloc.

It now has 118 member states, with 15 observer states, representing two-thirds of the members of the United Nations and half of the world’s population.  But it still struggles to have a voice.

Sometimes a relationship can crumble and bitterness and pain prevails, but given support, opportunity and courage, it can revive and become something else, something non-aligned and even uncomfortable to those who prefer things to stay in a nice neat box, part of a defined movement or belief system.

The interview is tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck.