Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen — A Garratyverse Reflection on Memory, Music, and Emotional Truth
There’s a moment in the closing voiceover of Summer of ’42 that lingers long after the credits roll:
“Life is made up of comings and goings. And for everything we take with us, there’s something we leave behind.”
That line, tender and unassuming, became the emotional compass for Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, a standalone short story set within the Garratyverse. Though it unfolds quietly—no grand revelations, no sweeping plot twists—it carries the weight of a formative night in Jim Garraty’s life, one shaped by music, memory, and the fragile courage it takes to be truly seen.
🎵 A Story Between the Notes
Set in the spring of 1984, Comings and Goings finds Jim at a party he never wanted to attend, surrounded by noise, strangers, and the kind of social energy that leaves him feeling more alone than connected. What follows is not a dramatic escape or a romantic whirlwind, but something gentler: a moment of emotional recognition between two people who understand each other’s silences.
The story’s heartbeat is music—not just as background noise, but as emotional architecture. From the harsh rock that alienates Jim to the melodic sanctuary of Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man, music becomes a language of longing, vulnerability, and quiet connection. It’s no coincidence that the story’s emotional climax unfolds not in words, but in the soft presence of melody and mutual understanding.
🎶 The Art of Being Heard: A Playlist Companion
To accompany Comings and Goings, I’ve curated a playlist of songs mentioned or alluded to in the story—each one chosen for its emotional resonance and narrative weight. From the chaotic pulse of Twisted Sister to the aching beauty of ABBA and Beethoven, these tracks reflect the inner landscape of Jim Garraty’s night of quiet transformation.
You can listen to the full playlist here:
🕯️ Thematic Threads: Vulnerability, Memory, and the Courage to Be Seen
At its core, Comings and Goings is about the subtle bravery of emotional openness. Jim, a character readers may recognize from the Reunion duology, is not heroic in the traditional sense. He’s introspective, awkward, and haunted by memories of past heartbreak. But in this story, he allows himself to be present—to share space, music, and vulnerability with someone who meets him where he is.
The themes echo those of Summer of ’42: fleeting intimacy, the bittersweet nature of memory, and the way certain nights stay with us long after they end. Like Hermie in the film, Jim doesn’t find resolution so much as emotional truth. And like Dorothy, Kelly Moore—the story’s quietly luminous co-star—offers kindness without expectation, presence without pressure.
📚 A Garratyverse Companion Piece
While Comings and Goings stands on its own, it deepens the emotional landscape of the Garratyverse. Readers familiar with Reunion: A Story and Reunion: Coda will recognize the emotional logic that drives Jim’s choices—the echoes of Marty, Kathy, and the longing for connection that threads through his life. But new readers can enter here, too, drawn by the story’s gentle pacing and emotional clarity.
This isn’t a tale of grand gestures. It’s a story about the quiet moments that shape us: a shared cassette, a hesitant kiss, a conversation that lingers. It’s about the kind of night that doesn’t change everything—but changes something.
🌙 Final Notes
Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen was released in early Summer 2025. Whether you’re a longtime Garratyverse reader or someone discovering Jim for the first time, this story offers a tender meditation on what it means to be known, if only for a night.
Because sometimes, the most lasting impressions come from the briefest encounters.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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