The "X" Factor

NO I'm not talking about acerbic British music mogul's Simon Cowell's hit television show. In fact its something that I am sure everyone in our generation has or will experience.

My sisters and I are very close and we pretty much talk about everything(that siblings do talk about) and that includes the close relationship I still maintain with my EX of two years(not that im counting or anything). Simply put, lets just say the lady in question is not their favourite person. This got me thinking, if I was the only person who thought it wasnt a big deal to have contact with a former lover.

Maybe i do have ulterior motives or our frequent conversing is completely platonic. Either way this raised the dreaded question: Why do we keep contact with the X??.

I dated this girl(which we shall name XX) for over two years. I mean it was one of those relationships that you thought would last for eternity. But that wasnt the case and beacause of many things it just did not work out.
Now that the relationship has fizzled out, can we make it as friends. My sisters have their own agenda when it comes to Miss XX but I am sre that they too also do have that X that they keep in contact with now and then.

Is this the norm when relationships fail of is it a way for people to hold on to something hoping that one day it goes back to holding hands in public, whisper sweet nothings to each and promise to be completely faithful to that one individual(as if). A lot of people think its wise and polite to be "friends" with your former flame but others think its just asking for trouble.

Answer me this. If you are in close contact with your X, what does your current squeeze think about this. If you omit this from him/her, why is that? Is it because your heart is secretly yearning for a reunion or you just want that person to continue playing a role in your life on whatever basis.

Love is not easy, and whats even harder is trying to forget that one X that you thot you wouldnt part with no matter what life threw at you. I am not expert at these things(if there is such a thing) but I do know what it feels like to not know what role your X plays in your life. Maybe X' can be just friends without the sex question coming to play, but what if it does. Do you ignore everything that caused your previous attempt to making a relationship work, or do you give into temptation and give it another go. As i have observed guys and girls are never comfortable with their respective others who are still talking to their X's.

Miss XX and me regard each other as friends but we definately not lovers. Yet there is still that need to talk to each other from time to time. Whatever that means, is for us to decide.

Deny it all you want, but there is that ONE person that will always be "the one who got away" to everybody.