“I’ve evolved Karen, I’m a different person.”

He said as the two of you ‘talked it out.’

You forced him to try the grown-up approach to handle the situation you were faced with. You wanted to save the relationship. But at 3 am he wanted to sleep, and was tired of answering your questions.

You talk to him while he’s half asleep, pester him to work when he is awake, but you still find him over at the reception desk, his back turned to you, laughing at every word that she says.

You came to Scranton because of him. You hate to admit it to yourself, because you always prided yourself in being above that, in being a career minded woman. You faltered in climbing your ladders that day, and now you want to take them two at a time.

When you met Jim at Stamford, he wore a full suit, jacket and all. He was newly promoted, fun to talk to, and a relief to you from the uptight surroundings of the branch.

Even if the Jim Halpert you met at Stamford was a fine form of evolution, he had reached his peak while he was there, and had begun to move down in the other direction.

It was a progressive decline, but you noticed every step.

You had thought that you were both together once, walking in perfect step, climbing every ladder that you came across, nothing but success ahead of you both.

But you see now what you couldn’t see before. That while you were walking confidently, Jim was struggling to put one foot in front of the other. You were accustomed to breathing, and Jim wasn’t used to the fresh air.

He had been submerged for years, while you had been running circles around the sea.

While you climbed the ladders, he was only looking down.

“Why don’t you go out there and sell some paper so we can take a trip?”

You had given him so much time to adjust, given him the benefit of the doubt, but you see now that you have to push him to continue walking, because that’s the only way the two of you can survive.

You saw him falter with his breaths, and you made sure he kept up the normal rhythm. He tripped with his steps, but you did your best to make sure he walked in a forward direction, and that he recovered quickly.

But he’s fallen too far behind you. You stand at the base of so many ladders waiting for him to join you there, but he keeps taking one step forward, then three steps back towards the shore.

You stare at him now, and as he laughs Pam turns to meet your eyes. She doesn’t hold your gaze long, and turns back to look at him to continue the conversation, as they both fall into another fit of laughter.

You begin to get up, to walk over to remind him of the ladders he has to climb. To remind him that he is wasting his time looking down into the sea.

Your phone rings, catching you, and you freeze for a moment thinking of the decision that has been in front of you for months. You pick up the receiver and turn towards the ladders once again. As you speak to your client you take your own steps, quickening your pace. It hurts you to leave him behind, but you can no longer carry his burden.

Jim has turned his dreams in a different direction, and you can no longer carry him down the entire path. Only the strong advance to where they want to go, and your dreams are still in front of you, so you choose to leave him behind.

You don't look forward to the break up, but you know that only the strong survive, and you have too many ladders waiting in front of you to take the time to fish him out of the sea.