Success

The key to success is not caring or worrying about if you will succeed.

Longevity

One of the keys to longevity in a relationship would be respect. If you don't respect the person you're with, you shouldn't be in that relationship.

Before I Make Popcorn

2 lyrics and 3 thoughts from deleted entries; references encoded to protect my innocence.

Alone Again, Naturally (Gilbert O'Sullivan)
May I never forget what it is like to share a life with someone, to be with someone. Is there anything sadder than purposely choosing loneliness? It is one thing to be comfortable living on your own, and quite another to choose to stay that way. J2

Bombs Away, Dream Babies (John Stewart)
Once you've had beautiful, smart, kind-hearted, self-aware, wonderful... even for a month or two... you won't settle for less. I've been spoiled. J1 C1

Her Majesty (The Beatles)
If someone is too attractive, she may have attracted some bad experiences into her life. The resulting scars show up at some point... D1 A1

Seen and Not Seen (Talking Heads)
He wonders if he too might have made a similar mistake. V1

Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads)
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife. And you may ask yourself, well... how did I get here? V1

Dream World (Midnight Oil)
Reality is subjective. V1

Rejoice

Ok, people, I just realized what I've done with my MSN weeding (2nd this week).

I've chosen quality over surface attributes. Scary. I thought men couldn't do this sort of thing.

:-)

I am spoiled though. Once you've had beautiful, smart, kind-hearted, self-aware, wonderful... even for a month or two... you won't settle for less. Even out of desperation! That's good, you know.

There are three levels, three categories that come to mind.

#1: Friends only. People that you like well enough, but no attraction, no chemistry.
#2: Potential Significant Others: The whole package. See "spoiled", above.
#3: The "what was I thinking" category.

Now there are already many caveats occurring to me. Someone can be in the #2 category, but only be a friend because (a) the feeling must be reciprocal and (b) the circumstances of life prevent them becoming an ongoing significant other. And, as you can imagine, you can goof up and not realize someone should be in category #3. Well, whatever I guess... too many numbers and letters in this post. Feels like a memo.

The point of this entry to me is that I've been spoiled twice, and I plan to be spoiled again, and then stay that way. Everything else is just paddling to reach the other side.

The Order of Things in the Dating World

Some men try to impress women, some women try to impress men, some don't worry about it so much.

This bears some thought...

Is it good or bad to want to impress someone who likes to test you? Is it good or bad that they want to test you? Or just the ways things are?

I think I'm a little overwhelmed this week. For the first time I'm experiencing the "too many people trying to chat with me" state of affairs that I gather is normal for the other gender.

Then again, this upset stomach stole enough sleep from me that perhaps this feeling is a reflection of that and nothing more... I also feel scatterbrained, a bit...

I am removing a few people from my MSN though... on grounds of questionable stability and/or personality issues. The anecdotal evidence so far is leading me to believe that supermodel looks are a very bad sign. Sometimes a chat or two let's you know just enough to know you don't want to know even as much as you know.

:-)

Goodbye, "Hot Nurse".

:-)

Disillusionment kills

I was reading an article in the November 2005 National Geographic about longevity, and one aspect that I noted was that having religion gives you an additional 2 years in life expectancy.

I don't think atheism is dangerous per se, because I think it depends on how you apply your beliefs. I have a family down the street who are devout fundamentalist Christians, except they don't apply any of the love thy neighbour tenets, or really live up to Jesus' examples in any way that I can tell, sadly. They have a scowl and swear words for myself and my kids and have always ignored the smiles and waves they've received. I, on the other, am a happy guy. At least today, anyways.

:-)

So... I fully expect I'll get those 2 years, and they won't.Be happy - your life depends on it!

Days gone by

I don't regret any relationship I've had so far since being separated. That includes the ones where I still have feelings for the person long after they are gone from my life. I may wish they were still around, but I wouldn't trade the experiences I did have for relief from wishing. It also includes the one unpleasant relationship I've had; my regret there isn't that I tried it, but that I didn't catch on faster as to what the situation was. I also don't regret those one-off dates that went nowhere; not every person will be your soul mate, and you can't get to know people solely by what they are like online. A pen pal relationship does not tell you what kind of chemistry you will have with someone.

It is or it isn't

You can't spend your whole life waiting for it to happen, or for the right person to show up. You need to be pro-active.

You have to be ready to jump in when the right person comes along.

You have to be ready to jump out if it turns out you were wrong.

Waffling is a waste of time.

Thanks, kid.

My eldest turns to me and says,
"Are you ever going to find someone?"

In Memoriam

It struck me again, as I watched this section of the Oscars last night, that it is critical to live life fully, completely, as often as possible, because there are only so many days to do so.