Don’t even think of saying, “Hello.”

Hang up.

Delete the number.

Erase the text you were about to send.

“I was wondering if, after all these years, you’d like to meet.”

I know, I know. Adele’s lyrics are gorgeous—an emotional land mine tearing through your body. The music pulses with the possibilities of rekindling a lost love, old moments of fun and the bravery of reaching out.

The beautiful song is like a damn Pavlov experiment—you know, the experiment about the dog and the bell—but do you truly want a song to create a conditioned response to reach out to old lovers?

The transformative power of music doesn’t always mean that you need to change who you’ve become since you last saw that old flame—even if the words hit home—because you are stronger than that.

“Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happened?”

Come on, don’t give in!

But you do—and it hits you because the song comes on while you’re waiting for the bus, and you’ve got time, so you pull out your phone.

“It’s no secret that the both of us are running out of time.”

Stop, don’t do it!

Listen, here’s the undeniable truth for 99.9% of us—those old flings, lovers, boyfriends and girlfriends are over. It’s a chapter of life that’s closed. Finished. Page turned.

All those lovely moments live in the past.

You are alive now, not yesterday.

We can’t get those tantalizing times back, even with as much pleasure as those connections brought (as well as the pain they probably caused you, and the other person).

Trust me—I tried, once.

My cheeks still burn red when I think of that impulsive self-inflicting attempt, which turned out to be an epic embarrassment, because my curiosity about the fuzziness of past events were insatiable.

My “Hello” turned out to be a total foot-in-my-mouth situation that I’ve since learned to laugh (and still blush) at, instead of cringing with annoyance for being so pushy.

And yet, Adele’s “Hello” pulls at one’s heart strings—the music transcends the sense for practicality, encouraging an impulsive desire to reach out.

“To tell you I’m sorry for breaking your heart.”

Yes, the lines are stunning, but let’s be honest—-let’s really listen to her last line: “But it don’t matter, it clearly doesn’t tear you apart anymore.”

Hang up.

Delete the number.

Erase the text you were about to send.

Instead—listen to Adele’s mesmerizing voice, enjoy the memories and step into the now.

Bonus video:

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Relephant:

Adele’s Humorous “Hello” with Jimmy Fallon & The Roots.

Author:  Jessie Wright

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Flickr/Jhaymesisviphotography