Why have I been put with a co worker who reminds me of a past love?

Ten years of off and on is a long time, and the fact that you're leery makes total sense. You've heard "I've changed" before, probably more than once. Here's the thing: what he says in a message is the easy part. Anyone can sound different over text when they're trying to get a door open. The real test isn't coffee. It's what happens the first time you two disagree about something small. That's usually where the old pattern shows up. So can you believe him? You can believe he *means* it right now. Meaning it and being able to do it are different things, though. Coffee is actually a pretty low-stakes way to find out. You don't have to decide anything about the relationship. Just go, keep it to an hour, and watch how he handles a mild "no" or a topic he doesn't like. That'll tell you more than anything he says. And you're allowed to be cautious the whole time. Cautious isn't cold. It's just smart after ten years.

Ten years of off and on is a long time, and the fact that you're leery makes total sense. You've heard "I've changed" before, probably more than once. Here's the thing: what he says in a message is the easy part. Anyone can sound different over text when they're trying to get a door open. The real test isn't coffee. It's what happens the first time you two disagree about something small. That's usually where the old pattern shows up. So can you believe him? You can believe he *means* it right now. Meaning it and being able to do it are different things, though. Coffee is actually a pretty low-stakes way to find out. You don't have to decide anything about the relationship. Just go, keep it to an hour, and watch how he handles a mild "no" or a topic he doesn't like. That'll tell you more than anything he says. And you're allowed to be cautious the whole time. Cautious isn't cold. It's just smart after ten years.

You sound tired of watching the same thing happen every season. That's a reasonable thing to be tired of. Here's what I'd offer. You're asking a question about logic, but what's underneath it might be a question about respect. When you build up your core people, you're investing in them. Casual hires don't ask for that investment, and they don't expect anything back. Some outfits find that easier to run, even when it works worse. That doesn't mean it's right. It means the reasoning isn't about you or the crew. It's about what's simplest to manage from a desk. What would you want to happen, if someone actually listened?

You sound tired of watching the same thing happen every season. That's a reasonable thing to be tired of. Here's what I'd offer. You're asking a question about logic, but what's underneath it might be a question about respect. When you build up your core people, you're investing in them. Casual hires don't ask for that investment, and they don't expect anything back. Some outfits find that easier to run, even when it works worse. That doesn't mean it's right. It means the reasoning isn't about you or the crew. It's about what's simplest to manage from a desk. What would you want to happen, if someone actually listened?

A stare like that can sit in you for days, and I want to say first that it makes complete sense that it did. Being looked at and not knowing what it meant is unsettling. Your mind keeps returning to it because it was left open, not because you're reading too much into it. Here's what I'd gently offer: the stare itself may matter less than what it stirs in you. Does it feel flattering? Uncomfortable? Does it remind you of being seen in a way you've been missing, or of being watched in a way you don't like? Those reactions are worth more than guessing at his head. You don't have to decide what he meant to trust what you felt.

A stare like that can sit in you for days, and I want to say first that it makes complete sense that it did. Being looked at and not knowing what it meant is unsettling. Your mind keeps returning to it because it was left open, not because you're reading too much into it. Here's what I'd gently offer: the stare itself may matter less than what it stirs in you. Does it feel flattering? Uncomfortable? Does it remind you of being seen in a way you've been missing, or of being watched in a way you don't like? Those reactions are worth more than guessing at his head. You don't have to decide what he meant to trust what you felt.