Farewell To Heart Attack: The Last Heartbreak
It's so hard... to say goodbye... to yesterday. Thanks, Boyz II Men. You hit the lyrical nail on the head, and while it's hard to say goodbye to yesterday, it's equally hard to say goodbye to today and tomorrow, too. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that this will be the very last Heart Attack column.
When I started writing Heart Attack, I was two years into a steady relationship and trying to figure out how to "stand tall at the intersection of food and love." For a shorter man such as myself, that's no easy feat. Fourteen months and 60 columns later, my life is completely different. I'm single, I'm fatter and I'm even more confused about my personal romantic future. If you've been a regular reader of this column, then you were there when I tried to get past my then-girlfriend's descent into veganism. You were there when I realized that the relationship just couldn't work anymore. You were there when I had a crush (that never worked out) and you were there when I decided to give long distance a shot against my better judgment (it's still working out!). As I've navigated my own personal trials and tribulations in pursuit of my heart's biggest goal, I've felt steeled in my resolve knowing that you were there to listen to me.
Heart Attack wasn't always pseudo-therapy. It was also a place where I could take a stand for the old-fashioned definition of the Romantic Man. I tried to espouse values of treating your significant other with respect and always putting him or her first, especially when it came to creating the perfect date. I tried to be a helpful resource to fight the same-old same-old, but I didn't always succeed. A column on foods to avoid on dates earned me the dubious honor of "worst food writing of 2012" from a douchebag New York food critic, which then turned into a post on Eater. Boy did I love that. Through all the good and the bad, though, it was good to know that I was impacting your lives in some way.
So what's next? While I won't be writing Heart Attack any more, I'll still be contributing to Food Republic on a regular basis. There's a new column in the works, but until we hammer out the final details, I'm going to keep it a secret. It's going to really fun, though, so be on the lookout for it in a few weeks.
Until then, keep eating, keep loving and keep trying to stand tall at the intersection of food and love. Now let's go get some {((())). That's sexy eggplant for those that didn't memorize my 20 Ways to Sext Your Favorite Foodie.
From the bottom of my non-attacking heart, thank you all for reading.
Check out some of Jason Kessler's favorite Heart Attack columns while you're waiting for his next wave of food-loving goodness: