34/40 - How Quickly Things Change

It was the best of times and then it was the worst of times, literally all within 18 months. When I think back on that period of time, it all feels like one month with a bunch of memorable days, instead of it being a period celebration followed by some "Huh - WTF?" that then was followed up by three devastation blows in a row.

When I look back on it, they were the most important sequence of things that ever happened to free me to become who I am today, but in the moment and at the time, I think it is safe to say my end state was closer to nihilism than enlightenment.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face" - Mike Tyson

This quote represented my life in 2013 and 2014. Not to drag out the narrative or bury the lede, here's a quick recap:

• May 2013 - Announce to our families, "We're eloping! You're not invited, but we're gonna have a party later this year to celebrate."
• June 2013 - Waze is acquired by Google for a billion dollars.
• August 2013 - Launch a new startup, BOND, and move to Brooklyn.
• September 2013 - Elope to Paris.
• October 2013 - Host our wedding celebration party in NYC.
• March 2014 - Go to TED in Vancouver with BOND, trying to save the company.
• April 2014 - Leave BOND to launch what would become Basket.
• August 2014 - Announce to our families that we're pregnant.
• September 2014 - Lose the baby.
• October 2014 - Acquisition offer for Basket falls apart at the last moment.
• November 2014 - We decide to get divorced and negotiate the terms in Berlin.
• December 2014 - I am sleeping on an air mattress in what used to be my dining room in Brooklyn and filling out divorce paperwork online alone on Christmas.

I just got exhausted reading that back. But yes, all of that happened really fast. Definitely some highs, but I mostly remember the lows. Especially when a couple of years later BOND was sold and my co-founder cut me out of the deal and I had to sue him to get anything.

When reeling from the divorce, my friend and attorney sent me this song:

"I hope when this song finds you lonely as hell
I hope you're as lost as I was when you left me
By the way - I guess I should probably thank you
Cause a broken heart is the only way to be set free!"

And that was the turning point for me. My heart was shattered into a million pieces, I never would have wanted to get divorced. My spirit animal was a Golden Retriever dressed as Captain America - loyal to a fault with a hero complex! The only way for me to have ever been set free from that stage of life was for it to be completely and totally blown to pieces and to have to rebuild.

The nicest thing my ex-wife ever said to me, even if not these exact words, was,

"I don't love you, you should go find someone who does."

No one could have guessed what kind of mayhem would happen next.