| 7/09/2008 |
WISH YOU WERE HERE
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Airports are emotionally charged places for me. A trip to an airport is usually connected with the arrival or departure of someone I care about. Generally, I like airports because I enjoy people watching. But I'm a sappy guy. So taking Mark to the airport was emotional for me. More so than I thought it would be. He is only going away for a week. He's gone before. What I wasn't expecting the number of things that had become commonplace that I was suddenly missing. It's not one of those "Don't know what you've got til it's gone" things, because I know what I have.
I miss the seemingly random things. I miss talking to him while we watch TV. I miss him singing random musical numbers from shows that I probably don't know. I miss our 'tuck-in' calls at night. I miss telling him about my day. I miss the random conversations. I miss the way he smells. I miss encouraging him. I miss him comforting me. I miss giving him hell about vehemently not liking corn, or seafood, or cellphones.
Come home soon, hon.Labels: love, mark, sad |
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I posted this @ 7/09/2008 05:00:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 2/14/2008 |
FELL IN LOVE WITH A BOY
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On this, the day for love and couples it may seen odd to talk about exes, but hear me out... I'm going somewhere with this.
I think that people can learn from most situations. Whether things turned out in your favor or not, we can learn something from it. Relationships are no different. Looking back at people that I've gone on a date with they've each helped me get to where I am now. From them I have a clearer idea of the type of guy I want to be with. I want someone who is honest, trustworthy, and sincerely kind. I like the strongly opinionated. I don't like the strongly oppressive. I like the creative type. Music-minded. Make me laugh, and I'll do my best to make you laugh too. I like the Thinkers. Speak your mind. Deep, get-lost-in eyes and a great smile go a long way. Combine that with an infectious laugh, and you've got a winning combo. Sure this just scratches the surface, but it helps paint the picture. It draws the outlines at least.
You could say that I wouldn't have to date someone to figure these things out. It does help to refine the overall idea. In their own way, good or bad, they helped me realize that I have an amazing man in my life. He's thoughtful, fun and funny, caring, strikingly handsome... he's the one that tucks me in with a good night call and the first person I think about when I get up in the morning. He's the one that is probably a little embarrassed right now reading this. Which... sorry babe. You know me. Sometimes I just gotta say what I gotta say.
Happy Valentine's Day!!
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I posted this @ 2/14/2008 04:12:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 2/22/2007 |
YOU'RE GONNA FIND OUT WHO YOUR TRUE FRIENDS ARE
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As I've mentioned before, part of my job involves working in various local schools for short periods of time. This is nice because I get to see a wide variety of environments. You might recall, at one point I wanted to work in a school setting (or at least with kids).
ANYWAY... In the latest school that we're working in they recently gave all the students a compatibility test. The results were then sold to the students as part of a fundraiser for FBLA. Ok. Nice idea. Great way to make money. But... I have an issue with such a survey. Are you surprised?
The school isn't that large. A mid-sized, small town school for the area, about 500 kids. What we witnessed was high school drama at it's best. Friends laughing at who the computer picked as compatibility matches. Many kids 'grossing out' over having a geek or dork ranking high on their list. Boyfriends and girlfriends questioning relationship stability over a test. A test! A survey more appropriately...
I'm sure the intention is way different from what I see. Yet, it seems like just another way to reinforce cliques and stereotypes. Liking someone (friend or otherwise) for who they are as you get to know them, having been replaced by a simple 40-question survey. Saves you the time of possibly making a new friend.
Granted, I'm probably a bit more worked up over this than might be rational, but I don't think it is a good message to really send out. "Don't be friends with this person... Instead be friends with whom you've been selected by a lifeless emotionless computer algorithm."
It even happens in the dating world. There are several personals sites that offers compatibility matching. To a certain extent I can understand a desire for such a thing. Why waste your time one someone for whatever your reasoning might be? Yet... I think there is a certain amount of close-mindedness in only going by results. And this is what saddens me. High school kids seeing this in school and not fully appreciating the 'entertainment' value of it. Going on to possibly use dating sites and once again not fully appreciating the 'entertainment' value.
It's like believing in horoscopes. At the risk of sounding hypocritical I will admit to having read and compared horoscopes of the Cute Teacher and myself. The difference is, I don't take it to heart. I don't believe that just because it's written in the stars that it is true.
To all this I just have to laugh. As I hope others do. I hope the majority of the people who take any such compatibility survey not only realize that results aren't written in stone. Just because a computer says you're a good match with someone doesn't mean you actually will be. Vice versa... You might be passing up a gem of a fella just because you don't have the same taste in music.Labels: compatibility, friendship, life, love |
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I posted this @ 2/22/2007 01:14:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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| 2/14/2007 |
I FEEL LOVE
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I have been thinking about this topic for sometime, but I thought I'd save it til I had a clearer thought fleshed out in my mind. Valentine's Day seems like the perfect time for such a thought.
Boyfriend. Girlfriend. Lover. Hook-up. Steady. Main Squeeze. There are a lot of terms and terms of endearment that a person might be called. Some people don't like such pet names. Some people see them as labels, ineffectual ones at that. Some people do nothing but exist to be someone's boyfriend... girlfriend... husband... wife...
Personally, I don't mind the term boyfriend. While I admit it does have an immature feel to it. Thirty-two years old and calling (and being called) someone boyfriend? Seems silly, right? Is the term boyfriend a label, a title, a term of endearment?
When you think about what two people, who are exclusively dating, there are many terms that you might apply to them. Using my own situation here... Saying "a couple" seems fine, but non-descript at the same time. A couple of what!? Life Partner is too politically correct. Too sanitized of feeling and emotion. Significant Other falls in the same category as Life Partner, no emotion. It's what you say about someone and the person their dating when you aren't sure what exactly you might properly refer to them as. Husband comes with some legal implications and while the term is fine, I think it really should be used carefully and not easily tossed around. Someone I Have Strong Feelings For And Enjoy Spending Lots Of Time With... is a mouthful, but accurately gets the point across. Which brings us back to boyfriend. Is the Cute Teacher a boy? Hardly. But Guyfriend doesn't really sound right. My best friend, Mike, is a 'guy friend'. That is more of a term for friends. Manfriend sounds like you're speaking Caveman-ese. "This Cute Teacher. He Cris Manfriend."
So we're back to boyfriend. Which I'm perfectly ok with.
I think it's similar to how we feel towards public affection from our parents as we grow up. There is an awkward middle age where most people shy away from such overly sappy type displays from our parents in front of friends or relatives. Similarly, I think there is a middle age that the same thing happens with the term boyfriend. It's cute when a child has a boyfriend or girlfriend. It's also kinda cute when someone who is retired, perhaps widowed, has found a boyfriend or girlfriend. But that area in between... not so much. I guess you can either embrace it or shun it.
As for Valentine's Day itself, I once was a hater of it. Mainly in high school and early college. At some point I just didn't care anymore. I wasn't a big dater back then anyway. So being single on Valentine's Day wasn't an issue I really gave any thought about. I could be just as depressed about being single anytime of the year. I didn't need a special day to remind me.
Conversely, being un-single on Valentine's Day is nice, but not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I don't need a special day to remind me of my feelings for someone. I can say how I feel any day of the year, and typically do. Having said that, I will say that it is nice to be thought of though. It's not hypocritical of any previous statements I just made. Simple put, whether you are single or not, it is always nice to know that someone is thinking about you. Hopefully it doesn't take presents or flowers or chalky candy hearts with trendy sayings. Hopefully someone is thinking about you on other days besides holidays. Or let someone know that you are thinking of them. It doesn't have to involve romance. It could be something simple as a card or a phone call or a surprise visit. So while I'm not a flowers and presents type of guy, I really do think it is the thought the counts. Be thankful for those people in your life that you care about and the ones that care about you. Let them know it.
I am thinking of you!
Happy Valentine's Day!Labels: cute teacher, holiday, introspective, love |
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I posted this @ 2/14/2007 12:51:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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