I had planned on writing this before seeing the last comment. I wanted to skipped ahead just a bit to spare folk confusion in my next series of blog posts.

John and I walked a long and often difficult journey in our relationship. We are now friends. As a mutual decision between the two of us, we realized that a longterm romantic relationship would never work. That was a good and right decision that we came to after a lot of talking through issues. It was fully mutual and fully rational. No one had to persuade the other or hurt the other when that decision was made. We are now friends and, as friends, care deeply for one another.

As to the other question, I've not specified the time sequence on purpose. I'm not writing a chronicle or a history. I am telling my story and am trying to unfold it in a storytelling fashion.

Further Addendum
The sixth post that I had planned I've decided not to post. It was to be entitled "The Happiest Moments of My Life." But I've decided that I don't want to share those with an audience this broad. Some of my friends were privileged to the story of my relationship, its high points and low points. For the rest of my friends who want to know that story, I'm sorry, but I'm not sharing that right now.

So I have to adjust course, meaning that a new number six (probably the planned number seven) will be a while in coming. Seven was going to be difficult to write anyway.