I Grew up Playing with Red Flags

By Christine Zangrillo

The title, I Grew Up Playing With Red Flags, is a literal and metaphorical representation of how the author has experienced red flags during athletic games and her dating life. The author explores the irony of playing capture the flag and the dangers of chasing those same flags off the field.
Similar to the author’s first book, My Origami Heart, this book is based on the author’s past relationships. Through descriptive language and poetry, the author takes the reader on a journey through the depths of her heart. She delves into the tales of seven men. The names of the characters have been changed for privacy reasons. Although this book is not a traditional sequel, it includes references to characters in My Origami Heart. It also includes a more thorough narrative of the last character in My Origami Heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984584045

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Christine Zangrillo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 06/17/2020

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1   Love Isn’t Always Enough

Chapter 2   Not All Clowns Wear Makeup

Chapter 3   A Red Flag Fortune

Chapter 4   Fake News

Chapter 5   Deleting Facebook is the New Breakup

Chapter 6   An Unexpected Valentine

Chapter 7   Diamond in the Rough

Conclusion

Dedication

This book is for my big hearted warriors. People tried to make you think that you were weak for being sensitive. They told you never to show your tears in public. They convinced you that you deserved the pain you felt. They convinced you that you were to blame for ignoring the signs. They didn’t understand how love blinds us. They didn’t understand that our ability to always look for the good in people is still a strength. Our golden hearts put us at a greater risk for deception, but they allow us to love deeply. It is why we are so compassionate, caring, and giving. The world would be much darker if our glittering golden hearts were locked away.

We’ve spent too long thinking we were weak for feeling. We were the brave ones. To let yourself feel and be vulnerable is greater strength than having a heart of stone. Our hearts are made of glass, but even broken glass can sparkle in the sun.

I want to thank my parents for their unconditional love and support for all of my aspirations. I want to thank my twin sister Jessie for showing me that we all have the potential to accomplish things we never thought we could. I want to thank my grandparents for always believing in me. I want to thank my best friends, Colleen, Erin, Jackie, Melanie, and Melissa for always being there for me. Lastly, I want to thank the men who have misused or abused my heart. You’ve not only inspired my poetry, but you also helped remind me that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

Introduction

I grew up playing with red flags. I played soccer for many years and it was pretty common to see red flags on the field. I also played capture the flag, where the sole object of the game was to go after that red flag and bring it back to your base at all costs. Little did I know that it would cost my heart a lot to play with red flags off the field.

Isn’t red the color of passion and romance? Do people always stop at red lights and red stop signs? Despite the sign telling us to stop, we’re not always inclined to do just that. Maybe you were distracted that day, and didn’t see the warning sign. Maybe you saw the sign, but you were in a rush. You didn’t want to bother worrying about the potential danger. Maybe you thought that you could reach the destination you desperately sought without suffering any damage. Maybe you ran one too many red lights…Now you’re paying for all the times you ignored those glaring red signs.

-Her favorite

color was red

You saw him wearing red,

Yet you couldn’t keep him out of your head.

They should have taught you in gym class.

He’s not the red flag you want to capture.

He lied once or twice,

Yet you still threw the dice.

They should have taught you in gym class.

He’s not the red flag you want to capture.

You’ve always played games well.

It was hard to tell, that he was a heaven so close to hell.

They should have taught you in gym class.

He’s not the red flag you want to capture.

His words and actions don’t add up anymore.

Why don’t you let him walk out the door?

They should have taught you in gym class.

He’s not the red flag you want to capture.

You saw him wearing red,

Yet you couldn’t keep him out of your head.

You’ll be the one to blame if you keep playing this game.

Your harmonic heart will never sound the same.

Like my first book, My Origami Heart, the chapters of this book will be personal accounts of past relationships incorporated with my original poetry. These are real