And so it goes…. no more being in limbo

25 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me

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“I will not try to convince you to love me, to respect me, to commit to me. I deserve better than that; I AM BETTER THAN THAT…Goodbye.” – Steve Maraboli

It is over.  I knew something was off, which I still don’t know what it is, but I know he has changed.  I had pushed for more information with the phone call yesterday and ended up more confused.

Last night he texted just good night and I replied to it in French, as I am trying once again to teach myself French. We exchanged a couple of texts about Paris and that was it.

Around 2 pm this afternoon he texted me just as I was struggling with a bleeding nose.

He texted 1 word: Hello

I replied about my bloody nose and that was it.

I know it is just one word, but I read so much into that.  I could tell that he had no intentions of scheduling any dates.  I hate being in limbo and feeling like I am at somebody’s mercy.

In my mind and heart I need things resolved, yes or no, I just want to know. This not knowing where I stand or what his plans are were making me ill.  I think my nosebleed was my body rebelling against this situation.

I have a lot on my plate at this moment to be wasting time and energy on somebody that is not giving me what I need, even after I explained to him exactly what I need.

This is a relationship that romantically would never work. The only way it would work is if I was able to relax and go with the flow.  Those are not in my DNA. I am trying but continue to fail.

So later I texted him later.  Here it is:

He has not replied after that, which surprised me, but also made me happy and have more respect for him.  I rather silence then some stupid reply to pacify me such as:  I care about you, I am busy, etc, etc.

I know I will not get the truth from him so I rather have silence and have it resolved in my heart.  I don’t have to wonder anymore if I am seeing him on Thursday or any other day this rest of week or next, or ever for that matter.

The “I try to get to city soon”  felt insulting to me. Why ask me what night I am free if he clearly is not free any night?

So in my mind it is all settled.  If he ever contacts me again I have no problem in seeing him again and being friends but I definitely don’t want a romantic relationship anymore.  I deserve more.  I deserve promises kept.

I was also becoming a person that I don’t like.  I was feeling like a complainer, like a beggar, like a victim.  I am none of those things.  I want somebody that will make me soar not crawl.

“It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.” – Paulo Coelho

Besides this total lack of concern for my feelings, there was already the kissing issue that I didn’t know if we could get over. There was also a lack of depth in our conversations that I had hoped that with time it would change.

But it felt so amazing for a little bit. The potential and possibility made my heart sing. All the compliments, the attention, the plans and the promises felt wonderful.  I was on top of the world. With Valentines Day around the corner and, lets not forget, the Opera I was feeling like a lucky girl.

I fell in love with the potential.  I fell in love with the idea of him, of us.

Life seems so cruel sometimes. But I know better.  I know that everything is to make me better and that things that are not good for me have a way of disappearing from my life.  I am not about to question the Universe, instead I just thank my Guardian Angels that are always watching out for me.

Our communication styles are too different.  I blame it on our astrological signs. He is Pisces and I am Aries.

They are both perfectly good signs but I struggle in communicating with real Pisces people.  I say “real” because some people have more traits of the signs that come before or after, and other details that go into it.  I am not crazy into Astrology.  I haven’t read my horoscope in years, but I do pay attention to the signs of the people I deal with and I have opinions formed based on those experiences.

The Pisces people that I know, and one is very close to me, are wonderfully amazing people.  They go out of their way to please people.  They are quiet and keep their feelings in.  They don’t want confrontation so they tell me exactly what I want to hear. They agree with me on a course of action and then they turn around and do whatever they please.  That is a Pisces that I know and love and have learned to deal with.

When P told me he was Pisces I thought about this Pisces man that is close to me and I hoped that P would be different.  He is not. Because I had some experience with his style I thought I would be able to maneuver it and make it work.

I failed.  I can’t betray my personality and my feelings and I cannot change anyone. I cannot extract blood from a rock.  I cannot get from people what they don’t have in them to give to me.

I am an Aries.  I tell you like it is.  I wear my heart on my sleeve.  I am impulsive, stubborn.  I want results and have no patience for details. I want to be in charge. I am a great person but I agree I am not easy to deal with.  I expect to talk about problems and resolve them and not sweep them under the rug.

He will be a great partner for somebody less fiery than me. He used to say I was a ball of fire and that he like that I am me.  He liked that we were so different.  That difference killed us.

I honestly hope that whatever is happening with him is not bad.  I know something is happening.  I still want to be his friend, but I am not ever contacting him again. If he texts me I will probably reply.  If calls me I will probably let it go to voice mail for awhile.  If he totally disappears that is okay too.  I said my piece. I am done!

Some of you may be surprised but I feel good and happy. I like things resolved and it feels resolved to me.  Do I want to swear off dating now?  Absolutely not! I actually feel I am closer to meeting the one.  The bigger the disappointment the bigger the reward.  This seemed so much like the real thing that I cannot even imagine how amazing it will be when the real one shows up.

I predict amazing things for my future with or without a man, but I know in my heart there will be one for me.  One that will put up with this ball of fire.

Today I opened an email from the Universe that read:

Have you noticed, Star, that sadness in your life has never, ever, not even once, lasted?
 
It’s impossible.
 
Whoohoooooo! 
  The Universe

How perfect is that for today?  And that is so true.

If you too want to get emails from the Universe go to http://www.tut.com and sign up.

I am so amazingly blessed!!

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” – Mark Twain

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to the amazing readers that I have!  You guys are the friends that I don’t have in my day to day life.  I wish I could have you right here with me.  You lift me up, you keep me honest, you set me straight.  I appreciate your honesty. I appreciate your kindness in telling me like it is. I am immensely grateful that you take your time and energy to read about my life and you kindly offer me your perspective.  You allow me to be me, you welcome me, guide me and embrace me.  Reading your comments I feel your love.  Please know that you are loved, valued, you are meaningful in my life!  I am so grateful and proud to call you a friend.

I will talk about all the lessons I have learned in this experience in the next post.  There are always lessons and this is no different.

And I know that it may seem to some that I am making a big deal and that his actions may not seem that bad, but what I have to say to that is:  Talk to my heart.  I follow it blindly, and it is telling me that something was not right.

Again this post was drafted in a hurry as I wanted to update everyone on the newest happenings or lack thereof.  So please forgive the mistakes.  I still have some office work to do before shower and bed.

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” – Frank Herbert

 

“How to mess up a potentially good thing” or “Just another day in my dating world”

23 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me

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“Between what is said and not meant, and what is meant and not said, most of love is lost.” – Kahlil Gibran

This is a very quick update, as I am swamped at work, but still want to relate how things are or aren’t with P and I. So please forgive typos and grammar errors.

I think P is playing some kind of head game that I am not aware of. I love games so I wish guys would tell me what game they are playing so I can play too, and hopefully win it, as I am very competitive.

He was all into me in the beginning. He pretty much said that he would move mountains to see me. He was making promises of trips we would take. He already talked about the need to reserve a romantic restaurant for Valentine’s Day and let’s not forget the tickets to the Opera that he already bought.

So what is a girl to think? That he is into me, right?

The best part is that I was into him too. Other than him being on the quieter side and the kissing not being exactly stellar it seemed promising. It was the first time in a long time that I was into someone that was into me.

Then all of a sudden he seemed distant and uninterested. The calling and texting got few and far between. I still texted and mentioned that I missed him, but slowly I was getting a picture of someone that was not that into me.

I figured I should keep an open mind. This is the very beginning, people get busy, people have different communication styles, etc. But still something felt off.

All of a sudden over one week has gone by and we haven’t seen each other. This from a guy that said he doesn’t mind driving. He works from home most of the days and makes his own hours so there is really nothing stopping him from seeing me.

He kept mentioning another date but never scheduling it. I felt like he kept dangling a carrot in front of me…not a feeling I enjoy.

On Friday night I told him that he didn’t seem interested anymore and he said it was not that at all. He mentioned perhaps we would go to dinner on Saturday night.

Saturday he was busy the whole day helping his son with home improvements and supposedly didn’t finish until very late.

Sunday nothing. He texted good morning, I replied, he went silent. Later on I inquired about his day and he replied with: “good, thanks”.

Yesterday (Monday) he sent me as text: “Good morning. Was wondering what your schedule looks like this week. Maybe we can go out to dinner if you like”

I replied: “I would like that. Free any evening this week”

He replied: “ok”

I figured next time I hear from him it is him scheduling a date, but instead this morning I get this:

“Hey. Haven’t heard from you so just saying hi”.

Perhaps I should have just played along and said hi. Instead I did what I keep telling myself that I am not going to. I told him how confused I was with that 1 sentence. I told him that I actually thought I needed to give him space as I was the one always texting and telling him I missed him. I told him that I thought I was even being annoying with my texting.

He said: “It is not annoying but we can at least say hello even if we are busy”

I reminded him that he said to me on the second date not to hurt him and that his actions, or lack thereof, was hurtful.

We exchanged a few more texts that were full of misunderstandings that ended with him saying: “Everything is good just been busy”

A man (or woman) is never busy when they want something. Everyone can find a second for a text even if it is in the middle of the night.

Because I cannot let things just be, I texted: “Can you talk for a couple of minutes?”

I actually didn’t even know what I was going to say, but this back and forth texting gets extremely annoying after a while.

After 10 minutes he said he could, so I called him. I told him exactly how I feel.  Exactly what I wrote here. That I think he is playing games even though he says he is not. I said his actions are not in line with his words.

I was nice but direct. My effort always is to avoid miscommunication. I can be wrong, perhaps he is not playing games, but that is what I am seeing and feeling. I said “it is me, not you”. And it is. My mistake is being me. Many people would be okay with this way of communicating and dating, but not me.

I am not sure he understood me. All he kept saying is that he had been busy, but he likes me and wants to see me, and that he is was very sorry. He seems to tell me what he thinks I want to hear. He said he didn’t schedule anything yet because with his schedule being so flexible he could work around my schedule so he wanted to know when I was free.

What? Can he hear himself? I told him I am free and he is still not scheduling anything. Perhaps instead of saying I was free the entire week I should have just mentioned one or 2 days. I gave him too many options. I was too available.

I told him that perhaps what he liked was the thrill of the chase and I ended that when I said I liked him and made myself available.  I opened my heart, but that shouldn’t be news to him as I wear my heart on the sleeve anyway.

After a few more minutes, we said good bye. I hung up the phone as confused as ever. I don’t know if I ever had a conversation that was more meaningless than this one. We arrived nowhere. I don’t even think he understood me. I am drained. I am have no energy for this drama.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

So, will I ever see P. again? I don’t know. I know that he still hasn’t scheduled anything. I know that every minute that goes by and he doesn’t schedule anything my desire to see him is diminishing.

All I know is that this, whatever this is, cannot survive if we are to continue to communicate in this way. If it is this difficult in the beginning what happens later on when real problems arise.

I am a talker, he is not. I thought we would balance each other out. I thought that because of our differences we would complement each other. Now I think our difference are just too big to work.

When someone is showing you who they are, believe it. Don’t make excuses. I am going along thinking that our conversations will improve, that he will be more open, but what if it never does. Can I live like this?

NO! I would be eternally frustrated.

I know in my heart something is off. I don’t know what it is exactly. There is something he is not telling me.

At the end of the day it is not a question of who is wrong or right.  He is a great person that will probably be a better fit for someone else.

It is a question of how much you want something and how much are you willing to put up with to get it. I don’t want him that much to continue to feel this way. Feeling in limbo annoys me. I like things that are defined, understood, agreed upon. I like directness. I like aggressive and not passive.

Lesson here: I don’t know! Perhaps you guys can tell me.

I see tons of mistakes on my part. Instead of telling him that I was free the entire week, I should have just mentioned one evening and that was it. I should have continued speaking to other guys instead of focusing only on him. I was too available, too honest, just too much. He actually says I am a ball of fire.

I know some of my friends here will tell me that I need to relax, take it easy, and have no expectations. It is all true I need to do that. But I also see it from another angle, I want to be with a man that will show me that I am important, that will not make empty promises, one that will follow through on his words.  I want to have expectations of someone and him of me. Expectation is not such a bad word.

If I expect nothing I will be happy with the little I get? I deserve and want more.

I am trying to change and slowly I am. I don’t want to change to fit is somebody’s world. I want to change to become a better version of myself. I am changed in the sense that I really don’t care at this moment if we are going on another date or not. In the past this would make me sad, disappointed, I would be crushed. Not anymore. I know that the Universe is on my side and whatever happens is for my benefit. I know that everything is teaching me and I always end up better than when I started.

So much for a quick update. Got run, work beckons. No, actually work screams and demands.

Accepting while kicking and screaming

21 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating

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“I’d rather be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right.” – Albert Einstein

My life is not all about dating, but in dating it seems is where I learn the most lessons.  Lessons about men, about the world and most importantly, about myself.  Dating keeps me vulnerable and keeps me honest.  It shows me my flaws and my weaknesses. It puts my ego in check.

Each man I date, and actually anyone I encounter, is a lesson.  It is never about them as human beings, as men.  It is always about them as lessons. Each person and situation helps me become a better version of myself, or so I hope. Otherwise the thought would be too dreadful. To think that some things are just meaningless and a waste of time is hard for me to live with that.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Dating forces me to look inside myself.  It forces me to confront my feelings, actions and reactions.  It forces me to try to understand why I feel the way I feel.  Why I do the things I do.  It forces me to look in an invisible mirror and see what is my culpability in a potential relationship when things don’t work out.  And, as you can tell if you have been following my blog for awhile is that things haven’t worked out yet.  Working out would mean I have a boyfriend, I am in a relationship.

Today I want to write about the need for Acceptance. 

I know I have written about that before, probably more than once. Actually, several times. I clearly struggle with that. I have read somewhere that the lesson only ends when we learn it.  I feel I have been in the same classroom staring at the same notebook for years.  And one of the lessons that persists the most is Acceptance.

“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” – Albert Einstein

Hi, I am a Control-freak.

I need to accept what I cannot control.  Accept that things don’t go according to plan.  Accept that some things are over and they are never returning.  Accept that not everything can be fixed. Accept that some things will never be no matter how much I want them and how hard I fight.

I want to be the captain of my own ship.  I want to control my own destiny.  I forget that while I can control my boat, no matter how small or large, I cannot control the weather, the waves and the ocean.

A calm, peaceful voyage would not teach me anything.  A calm ocean would allow me to just coast. An ocean without waves would bore me to tears.  I would never be the best form of myself if challenges were not thrown my way.  I would never be able to prove the kind of captain I can really be if I were not tested with a violent storm every now and then.

“When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.” – Albert Einstein

As I am contemplating an impeding 5th date with a guy that seems very promising I am confronted with accepting that it is okay if he doesn’t follow the blueprint that I have in my mind.

I create mental pictures of the way I want things to go, to be. I have this perfect idea of a perfect date, the perfect kiss, the perfect words to come out of his lips. I know how he needs to behave, when to call, what to say.

No one, no matter how perfect is going to fulfill exactly the dream I created in my mind.  No one will be the perfect age, have the perfect profession, make the perfect amount of money, say the right things, and have the perfect actions.

That person doesn’t exist! People are moody, they do the unexpected, they change their mind, they disappoint.  I should know!  I do all of that and more.

One of the definitions of Accept according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is:
To endure without protest or reaction.

What?  I am not a doormat.  That if often how I see acceptance, as being a doormat and just laying there and not fighting for what I want.  Acceptance then becomes a betrayal to myself and my dreams.  I see it as settling.  Accepting less than I deserve. Accepting a dream less than perfect.  Accepting a flawed man.  I am deserving of more, I am deserving of all. I don’t need to settle.  I don’t want to settle.

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” – Albert Einstein

I create expectations that no one can fulfill. Sometimes I even think I want to be disappointed. In the end it is never about somebody else. It is always about me. It always up to me.

I have to tell myself that things can still be okay and good even if they don’t follow the blueprint I had on my mind.

Acceptance doesn’t have to mean accepting less than I deserve. Acceptance means accepting that not everything is under my control. It is being okay with things not being perfect at that moment in time or being perfect all the time.

I think the real key is not really accepting or not accepting, that comes after.  The key is getting to the bottom of what I want for my life, what makes me happier and what contributes to me becoming the best version of myself.

In dating I need to be clear in what type of man I want to be my life partner. What is really important to me, and what is only a teenage fantasy?

“When you trip over love, it is easy to get up. But when you fall in love, it is impossible to stand again.” – Albert Einstein

Sounds confusing, even complicated, but in the end is really simple.  We have that little voice inside ourselves that guides us to what is right and wrong, to what feels right and what feels wrong.  The crux is to listen to that voice.

Sometimes we can’t hear that little voice because we are too busy stuffing it down.  We go out of our way to silence it.  We surround ourselves with things that makes us momentarily happy and we forget that voice. We silence it with any distraction we can, tv, people, food, etc. Sometimes we hear it but we pretend we don’t.  If we acknowledge it than we would be forced to act, so it is easier to play deaf, to feign ignorance.

As I am putting the final touches on this post I realize that all I have written here has already been written before in a more concise way.  My whole post is the Serenity Prayer.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” 

So please forgive me if you wasted your time with my rambling.  Welcome to the voices inside my mind and my heart. I started this post out of confusion with my feelings.  Am I less confused?

No, I am as confused as ever.  I just need to be okay with things being confused for awhile.  I need prayer to guide me, I need silence to listen.  I need writing to keep my sanity.  I need this blog to keep me honest.  I need you to set me straight.

Today I was in a Albert Einstein kind of mood.  For a physicist I find him more spiritual than some so called spiritual teachers around.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

 

Don’t try to make sense, just dance!

19 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, EX Files, Finding Me, Food, Poetry

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“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” -Rumi

Last night I saw anxiety creeping in. Yes I actually saw it. I looked in the mirror and the face looking back at me was not the usual smiling face with bright shiny eyes. This face had dead sad eyes and the lips were just there, unmovable walls. Looking in the mirror only made the dark feelings intensify.

Nothing made sense.  Nothing felt right. I was alone. I was weak.

I knew that if I gave into those feelings I would soon be crying and feeling totally powerless and beaten. Crying is definitely okay in my book but when I have a reason for it. Crying out of pity for myself is not productive, it is not what I do, it is not who I am.

I felt hungry as if I hadn’t eaten in days. I wanted to head to the fridge and stuff my face in something sweet. I wanted to drown the sad feelings in a tub of ice cream. I wanted chocolate cookies to prevent my tears from falling. I wanted my best friend Sugar to assure me that I was going to be okay.

The problem with my friend Sugar is that it is such a sneaky weasel. It takes me to amazing high levels of euphoria and then, not too long after it has me crashing down. That is a roller coaster that tonight I refuse to get on.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”  – Rumi

I am smarter than that. I know this is not a physical hunger, after all I just had a great dinner of brown rice, vegetables and chicken. I even had a tiny piece of cheesecake for dessert. This is my being crying out for attention. This was my body trying to make my insides feel better by giving in to outsides urges.

Sugar is my drug of choice. For you it may be something else, alcohol, shopping, etc, Whatever it is, when used in this way it is not a friend, it is an enemy.

I knew exactly what prompted the feelings I was having. It all started 30 minutes before.

“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?”  – Rumi

Around 8:30pm I called P. He calls every night and last night I decided I should call for a change and to let him know that I do think of him. The call went straight to voice mail. Immediately I felt like I was punched on the stomach. How dare he not answer the phone and worse, why it is off.  It didn’t feel right. Immediately my delusional self starting conjuring up all kinds of thoughts.

That was on top of having gone this entire week without scheduling a date. We talked about meeting Saturday night and/or Sunday, and even me possibly going to his house, but there is nothing definite.  And of also realizing that he is still on the dating app.

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” – Rumi

The woman in me that got cheated on over 5 years ago came back full force and started connecting the invisible dots and creating stories. I vow not to be made a fool ever again.  I thought he was probably on a date and turned the phone off not to be disturbed. Not only was he on a date but he would probably start liking her better than he likes me. Soon this blossoming relationship would shrivel up and die.

The reality is that we have known each other for less than a month and have gone on 4 dates only. Even though we both feel this is different, we really have no clue. I realize that relationships need to marinated, need be tended to, need to have air to breath.

There is nothing really happening. We are both free to date other people. I like to say that competition is welcomed.  It only makes me look better.

I don’t believe that every guy will cheat on me. I also believe that there is a guy for me out there and I am not sure it is him. I am also not sure it is not him yet.

“The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.”  – Rumi

Where is this delusional, insecure, paranoid, jealous woman coming from?

Then it hits me:

PMS

I am glad I keep track of it.  I look at the app in my phone and there it is.  I am in the middle of PM.  I know these feeling are momentary and not based in reality. I know they will pass.  All I have to do is be okay with feeling uncomfortable and sad for a moment.

The feeling of doom. The feeling that the world is coming to an end. The paralysis. That is what PMS feels like to me. I even warn people about it, as I know I can be a little out of my mind at that time.

So it is just you, PMS, old frenemy! You don’t own me! You can mess up my hormones every now and then, but I will show you who the boss is!

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”  – Rumi

So I did the only thing I could think to do:

I DANCED!

I put some loud music on and I danced. I danced like no one was watching and no one really was. If they were they would probably want to join in as I was having so much fun. I danced as if I wanted the dance moves to shake the fears and anxiety away from my body.

I danced with my soul.  It was a freedom, gratitude, euphoria, wanting to live and love dance!!

IT WORKED!

I felt instantly better. I felt alive! I felt energized! I felt grounded and centered! Life returned to my eyes, the smile to my lips. As in a miracle, the dark cloud lifted.

To continue on my good mood trajectory, I started thinking of all the blessings I have in my life. The list is so huge and amazing,  it is impossible to be sad or down when confronted with that knowledge.

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

At 9:44pm he texted me to say sorry. He said he had fallen asleep without saying good night. He said he had laid down for a minute and didn’t wake up until now.
I said that I thought he was out and about and had the phone off not to be bothered. He said the battery had died on his phone.

Do I believe him? I don’t know! At this point I don’t care. There is nothing going on. We are getting to know each other. So I am keeping an open mind and will trust until I have a reason not to. I will also not create problems and be overly dramatic or clingy.

The odd thing is that getting his text didn’t make me feel happy or relieved.  It was indifferent.  Proving to me that at the end of the day, we are in charge of our emotions and well-being.  No one can make you feel better or worse, loved or unloved.  Only you have that power.  The sooner we realize that the happier we become.

“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.” – Rumi

This is the first time I use dance as a coping mechanism, as a pacifier and medication.  I normally go to gratitude and prayer.

May I offer everyone that suggestion?  Next time you are down, how about you get up and dance.  While dancing you can make mental lists of all blessings and say a prayer thanking for all of those blessings.

***

The dancing reminded me of one of my favorite poets and scholar: Rumi. His poems and teachings really resonate with me. They touch my inner being. They make life make sense to me. They make me want to love with abandon.

“Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.”

With Rumi in my mind I peppered this post with his quotes and I offer everyone this poem. I hope that everyone at some point in their lives get to love with abandon.

“I want to see you.

Know your voice.

Recognize you when you
first come ’round the corner.

Sense your scent when I come
into a room you’ve just left.

Know the lift of your heel,
the glide of your foot.

Become familiar with the way
you purse your lips
then let them part,
just the slightest bit,
when I lean in to your space
and kiss you.

I want to know the joy
of how you whisper
“more”
Rumi

 

I believe I have broken a record: 4 dates with the same guy!!

17 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me

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“A good place to meet a man is at the dry cleaner. These men usually have jobs and bathe.” – Rita Rudner

Here is a summary of the dates I had with P., the finance guy.  I am not going on dates or speaking to anyone else or checking online profiles at this time.  I want to give him my full attention and a fair chance.  I also don’t have much time lately.  I am not sure what he is doing, but I don’t think he is online anymore.

At this point it would not bother me if he is dating other women as I am free to date also. I am just choosing not to do it for lack of time and energy. But when the time comes that we are intimate then we will have the commitment conversation. I don’t like the idea of sleeping with someone that is sleeping around.

Date 1 – Posto 22 – Italian Restaurant in my town – I had eggplant and angel hair pasta and we shared the tartufo for dessert.

He chose the restaurant after I gave him the names of 5 restaurants near me. I wanted him to choose.

I was expecting a nice guy but nothing else.  My investment in this date was minimal.  I just left my building and turned the corner and the restaurant is right there.  He drove over 1 hour in a car with no heat in below freezing temperature.

I liked him right away.  He seemed a bit nervous and shy but totally interested in me and all I had to say.  I often have a lot to say.  I didn’t think I was going to like him so much, but I did. At end I was excited and dreaming of the possibilities.

He asked me on a second date that night.

“A thought, even a possibility, can shatter and transform us.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Date 2 – Lea Wine Bar – Tapas/Sushi place in New York City – I had a couple of Lychee Martinis, sushi and empanadas

I chose the place, I didn’t want to and almost canceled over having to choose.   Later I explained to him that I rather have the man choose the place.  He said that he thought it was thoughtful to let me choose but that he had no problem in choosing from then on.

We held hands. We kissed for the first time.  It didn’t blow me away, but I think he is shy and being extra cautious not to scare me away by being overly enthusiastic and being too physical.

He complimented me on my hair.

He walked me to the train and sat with me until it was time for the train to leave.

I was relieved that I still liked him on the second date as much as on the first.  That rarely happens.

“And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.” – Kahlil Gibran

Date 3 – Naples 45 – Italian Restaurant in New York City – We had pizza with no cheese and chicken Milanese, prosecco and wine, cheesecake and tiramisu.

I think he completely forgot he told me he would start choosing the restaurant and again he asked me to choose.  For a second I was extremely annoyed over it.  Is he paying attention to what I am saying?

I stopped and chose non-reaction. Nothing. I let those feelings wash over me and I concentrated on the work I was doing at work.

Later I told him we would meet by the clock inside Grand Central Station.  When I met him there I got my phone out and we chose the nearest Italian restaurant together.  Italian is his favorite cuisine.

I decided not to bring up the choosing the restaurant issue. I consider that a huge shift, and growth moment for me.  I am choosing to do what is uncomfortable:  not speaking all that is on my mind.  Perhaps being the one choosing the meals is not such a bad thing.  He is the one paying.  I decided to change my view on that.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.”  – Alphonse Karr

He had on a suit and tie as he had gone to a meeting in the afternoon and looked very handsome.  As usual he kept complimenting me and saying how beautiful I was.  What girl doesn’t like to hear that? I am a sucker for it.  I am independent, self assured, professional and confident, still I want to hear a man tell me that I am pretty.

We talked about the stock market since that is the business he is.  It was nice to hear the passion for it in his voice.

He mentioned Valentine’s Day and the need to choose a place and reserve it soon.  Again he said I can choose whatever I want.  One of the reasons I don’t like to choose is that I don’t want to seem I am choosing expensive places.  Since he is not choosing I am going to make a list of all the restaurants I want to try and start crossing them off my list.

During dinner he asked me what I was doing the next evening (Saturday) and if I wanted to get together for dinner and movie.  I said yes.

After dinner he walked me to the train station.  When we got there I saw that my train was about to leave so I ran for it leaving him in mid-sentence.  I barely gave him a peck on the cheek.  I felt so stupid afterwards.  I always do that.  I run for trains even though there is always another one after.

I apologized later.  He said he was left confused but ended up seeing the humor in it.

Date 4 – Patrias – My favorite restaurant in my town -Tapas Spanish place – We had the pan com tomate, cod fish croquettes, fried chicken and a vegetarian paella.  

He showed up looking like a rock star in a leather jacket and spiky hair. He definitely looks younger than his age.

We talked, flirted, and ate wonderful food.  He chose to drink water, I had sangria.  We were supposed to go to the movies after but I decided against it because I thought it would be too late for him to go home after, and I wanted him to stop by my apartment also.

In the afternoon I had gone to an Italian bakery and gotten his favorite dessert to surprise him: Ricotta cheesecake.  So I said that we should go back to my place for dessert.  Even though it is only the fourth date I trusted him enough and felt comfortable enough to have him over to my place.

He was pleasantly surprised that I took the time to go and find his favorite dessert. I made coffee and he had the cake. I put American Indian music on, something he enjoys – It was nice and peaceful.

And oh yeah, I put pajamas on.

I am so used to getting in my apartment, removing my shoes and either putting in exercise clothes or something comfortable. My apartment is on the cold side so I felt more comfortable in my cozy long pajamas.

He is so nice and he is going out of his way not to do anything to scare me away so I knew that he wouldn’t even try to kiss me.  When I mentioned something about that,  he said:  “I am not going to spoil this, this is a long term investment. I have time and I have patience“.  I just thought it was an adorable answer and shows me where his heart and mind is.

It is great not to feel pressured to do anything I am not ready for.

“Being male is a matter of birth. Being a man is a matter of age. But being a gentleman is a matter of choice.” – Vin Diesel

He didn’t make any moves on me.  I initiated.  We just snuggle and we kissed.  The kissing was still awkward and not that exciting to me.  Is that a sign of things to come?  If the kissing is this lackluster what about all the rest?  I am hoping that is just because he still seems nervous.

He said I looked great in the blouse I had on before I changed, which showed some cleavage.  He said my arms also looked great in it.  It seemed like an odd compliment.  I don’t like the way my arms look as they lack muscle tone at the moment. Plus I would have thought that my cleavage would blind him to everything else.

I almost forgot a detail.  The restaurant I chose didn’t take credit card, so instead of telling him to bring cash, I figure I could buy dinner this one time.

When he asked for the check and pulled the card out, I said:  They don’t accept credit card.  His face fell.  He said: I don’t carry cash, I have to go to an ATM.  I said: Don’t worry, I brought cash.  He continued to tell me that we would find an ATM after.

By the time the waitress came with the check she said that now they do accept card.  He was relieved.  Then it turned out that there was a problem with the chip in his card and had to be swiped instead but the waitress seemed flustered so I insisted on paying.

Immediately after leaving, he saw an ATM inside the Mexican Restaurant next door and insisted on going in and paying me back.  He said:  There is no way I invite you to dinner and let you pay.  That is my kind of guy!!

***

I have additional comments and observations about him, well, us really, but I will have in a next post.  I am trying to post more often and not make such long posts, which I clearly failed again.  Oftentimes I write and write and by the time I am finished the material seems stale, so I am trying to change that.

“Daughter! Get you an honest Man for a Husband, and keep him honest. No matter whether he is rich, provided he be independent. Regard the Honour and moral Character of the Man more than all other Circumstances. Think of no other Greatness but that of the soul, no other Riches but those of the Heart. An honest, Sensible humane Man, above all the Littlenesses of Vanity, and Extravagances of Imagination, labouring to do good rather than be rich, to be usefull rather than make a show, living in a modest Simplicity clearly within his Means and free from Debts or Obligations, is really the most respectable Man in Society, makes himself and all about him the most happy.” – John Adams, Letter of John Adams, Addressed to his wife

 

Speaking my mind, speaking my heart

14 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, EX Files

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“The problem that we have with a victim mentality is that we forget to see the blessings of the day. Because of this, our spirit is poisoned instead of nourished.” -Steve Maraboli

I have been having issues at work that have been making me feel unappreciated. I know that is the victim in me speaking.  I know I am being sensitive and emotional about it.  But in this battle between mind and heart my heart is won.

I am not going to go into the reasons for feeling the way I feel,  it is long, boring and ever changing and still never changing.  I am NOT talking about any form of harassment.  If anything, I am the flirty one at work.  I am talking about not feeling included and part of the team/management.

I work with self-absorbed, arrogant, egotistical, entitled men.  This problem is not isolated to my office.  It is the entire financial/wall street industry.  I am not sure they realize how insensitive they can be to the support personnel, to the people that are there to help them succeed.  I am not sure if they are just clueless or if they just don’t care about others. One thing I know is that they are shortsighted.

To me the sign of a great person is in how he/she treat others.  If they only treat well and acknowledge the people that are able to benefit them or improve their status while ignoring the ones that are not able to do much for them and/or are beneath them in some invisible social caste, that to me is a small poor excuse for a person.

“I never meet a ragged boy in the street without feeling that i may owe him a salute, for I know not what possibilities may be buttoned up under his coat.” – James A. Garfield

I should be used to it by now after having been in this industry for over 25 years.  I am not.  I don’t think I ever will.  I think that I am extra sensitive because I am an immigrant.  I feel invisible often.  I have major issues with not feeling included, with feeling overlooked.

I wish I would just keep thoughts and feelings to myself in the workplace, but I can’t.  I have to say what is in my mind, and more importantly, what is in my heart.  So, once again I did.   I had a couple of different issues with a couple of different people, one of them my boss.  I told them how I felt.

There were looks of confusion, explanations, excuses and apologies. Some men really don’t know what to do when a woman starts talking feelings and emotions, specially in the work place.  They both had the look of a deer in the headlights.  To their credit, they both acted quickly to apologize and correct what I perceived was a wrong. They tried to justify the situation, to tell me that perhaps I didn’t understand the whole story.  As I explained to them, separately, what is important here is how the they should realize that their actions or lack thereof have consequences and may make others feel bad.  I wanted them to be more aware.

I accepted the apologies and appreciated my boss’s attempt of correcting a wrong and show me how important I am to the firm.  Sometimes everything seems a little too late.  Nothing will change, nothing ever does.  I wish I didn’t have to say anything.  I wish they would realize things without being told.

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” – Albert Einstein

Still I don’t like this complaining side of myself. I hate portraying myself as a victim.  There is nothing I hate more than people portraying themselves as victim instead of being pro-active and correcting the problem.  I am a firm believer that instead of complaining I should be correcting, changing, moving on.

Perhaps the time has come to make a change. Perhaps I should work on my resume and see what else is out there.  Perhaps 17 years in the same office is enough.   I am an impulsive Aries and at times I feel like just saying good bye to my job.  At times I feel I am just a second away from that.

Then, after crying and feeling helpless.  After I let my heart and emotions go insane.  After I said all I had to say and dealt with the aftershocks.  After, in my mind, I am already bagging my bags, I then stopped and took a breath.  I took a step back and shook myself aware.

A new job in the same industry would only change the location.  The attitudes would be the same, plus I would probably not be able to speak my mind as freely as I do now.

“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” – Winston Churchill

At the end of the day I realize I do have a great job.  I know I would be hard to be replaced.  In their own clueless way my co-workers and partners appreciate me.  I get paid well and have a say on a lot things.  So, it is not perfect, but what is?

I am blessed and have no right to complain about anything. Many people would love to have what I have.

Still I think that having an updated resume and being open to hear other opportunities is not a bad thing.  What I cannot do is make decisions out of hurt and anger. Decisions should not be made in haste but with a clear and calm mind.

Even though I often wish I would not speak my mind and my heart, at the end of the day, to me it is not about hearing apologies and having actions done to correct the matter, but it is the fact that I talked about what was eating me up inside.  I am free because of that.  I am free because I no longer harbor the feelings of mistreatment I had.  And feeling free is amazing.

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” – Paulo Coelho

On the next post I am talking about the guy I had 2 dates with and that by now I have already had dates 3 and 4. This is a whole new territory for me.

Can beggars be choosers?

11 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Food

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You probably heard the saying “Beggars can’t be choosers”, but can they?

This morning as I exited the train and was walking through the lower level of Grand Central Station I noticed that there was a man next to the ordering line at Zaro’s Bakery.  It seemed he was asking people in line for something.  I assumed he was asking for food.

I will stop dead in my tracks if I see someone that I think is hungry.

I approached cautiously as nowadays I cannot be sure of somebody’s mental state.  I have been yelled at before.

The following exchange ensued:

Me: Can I get you something?

He seemed unsure for a second but then he said:  tea with sugar

Me: Would you like something to eat?

Looking at the food cases displaying all kinds of pre-made sandwiches and other items, he said:  perhaps 2 boiled eggs.

Me: That is it? What about a sandwich?

He answered:  Perhaps some cheese.  If I get one of those (he pointed to a wrap sandwich) it will be a waste.  I don’t eat meat, lettuce, tomato, and those other stuff.

Then he added: I am homeless but I am a picky eater.

I smiled. Before I could say anything, the server, who had been waiting and listening to this exchange said: What about a grilled cheese?

He seemed thrilled with that suggestion and responded:  yes I like that!

I paid for the tea, eggs and grilled cheese and gave him the change.  I wished him a blessed day and walked away as he stayed and waited for his grilled cheese.

A choosy beggar made my day!

Now looking back, and perhaps if I was not one of those New Yorkers always in a hurry, I should have asked him the reason why he eats what he eats.  I should have asked him his name and his story.  I am always curious about how a person arrived at a certain situation.  I also want them to feel that someone cares.

Next time…

“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy.”  – Kahlil Gibran

 

“WTF What the Health?

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life

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I watched the Netflix documentary “ What the Health”.  My friend A. who is a naturopathic doctor asked me to watch it and give him my thoughts.

I have a feeling he thought it would make me decide to stop eating meat on the spot. He mentioned that many of his clients are going Vegan as a result of watching it.

I want to state that my opinions about this documentary are just that: my opinions. I have not studied nutrition, I have not read any of the studies, I have not spoken to any professionals about it.  My opinions are based in what I have read, experienced and noticed in all my years in this planet. So please take it for what it is: the ramblings of an unapologetic occasional meat eater.

I didn’t like it! I felt Veganism was being forced down my throat.  It tried to scare people into stopping eating all animal products. I believe in a more sensitive approach.  I appreciate some of the message but I don’t like how it was done.  Here are some of the problems I had with it:

  • I don’t feel it was a documentary.  To me documentaries are not this one-sided.  This felt more like propaganda.  It had an agenda: to turn the entire population Vegan.  It chose studies that were intended to prove their point and not to educate the viewer.  We can find studies to support any type of statement we are trying to make.  It doesn’t mean it is the absolute truth.
  • I don’t like scare tactics. It was too much in your face.  It drove-in the message that if you are eating animal products you are killing yourself.  It was meant to scare and not to educate.  Scaring people into a healthier diet is not the answer.
  • Throughout the documentary it would show people with different illness such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, etc.  They would talk about their confusion and frustration with their their situation and having to take countless medication and still not feeling any better. Towards the end of the film it showed the same people after no eating animal product for 2 weeks.  They miraculously were cured.   It seemed too far fetched to me to think that the answer to all medical problems would get resolved in 2 weeks. That claim to me is just not credible. Also it didn’t provide any information on what the people were doing before.  What was their diet before?  Did they exercise?  Smoke, etc?
  • It showed a comedian from the show Jackass talking about walking out a charity diabetes benefit luncheon because there was chicken served and he equated that with serving alcohol at an AA meeting. That was a bit too silly and dramatic for my taste.
  • It showed body builders and athletes that achieved great results without eating meat.  Some people will achieve whatever they set their minds to no matter the circumstance so I really didn’t see the point of showing those people.
  • They made some statements that seemed just too wild and even irresponsible such as:
    • The cause of diabetes is not sugar but meat
    • Eating eggs is as bad to our health as smoking
    • Milk and cheese causes cancer
    • Institutionalized Racism -the government promotes milk to African Americans knowing that they are lactose intolerant and will get sick

The documentary had some valid points and it highlighted for me some real problems that needs to be addressed.  Unfortunately some of the message got lost in the fear-mongering. It talked about the unfair treatment of animals, toxins in our food, environmental concerns in the raising of the animals for our food, the role of government and corporations and charities accepting money from big corporations.  I think it could have done a better job of presenting a more unbiased view, but those topics cannot be discounted and we need to be aware of them.

I believe the following:

  • There is a health crises in America.  As a nation we are getting sicker and sicker.  I believe more effort needs to be placed in Education.  We need to have better nutrition in schools and at home.  Parents need to stop thinking that McDonald is an acceptable dinner every day of the week.
  • The lives of kids are becoming as sedentary as workers in a office.  Kids sit in front of the computer the whole day. When not in front of a computer they are getting calluses on their fingers from playing on the cell phone.  Kids shouldn’t have calluses on their fingers, they should have scraped knees from running around in the park and from riding bikes.
  • There needs to be transparency in what organizations are receiving money from what companies. Are the information being divulged to the public being compromised?
  • We as nation need to have a more human and ethical approach to the way the animals raised for food are being treated.  The way they are treated, where they are kept, what they are fed, that all affects their well being and it will in turn be absorbed by us as we eat their meat. We need to respect, value and be grateful for the meat they give us and treat them with that in mind.
  • We must not forget how the environment is being affected by meat processing plants, etc. We need better regulation so that our waterways and air is not being polluted.  We need more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. We need more assistance to small farmers and producers.
  • We all benefit from eating a more balanced diet with more plant and less meat.  We need more greens and less reds.  We need more natural and less artificial.
  • We need documentaries that empower people. That presents both sides of a point and let’s the viewer form his/her own opinion.  Don’t tell me what to do.  Give me education and empower me to do the right thing.

I think it is irresponsible to vilify an entire food group.  I think that wellness involves a more moderate, inclusive and overall approach.  I believe it should include body, mind and soul.  Food is extremely important, but one must not forget to include enough exercise, adequate sleep, stress control, etc.

The film does a disservice when it says that meat and not sugar is that problem when it comes to diabetes, and everything else for that matter.  If that was true I would be in heaven as I much rather eat sugar then meat.

People shouldn’t automatically remove from their diets all animal products (meats, cheese, milk, eggs), instead they should take a look at what they are not eating that they should be eating instead.  I struggle with carbs and sugar.  I know I should be eating less of them and more fruits and vegetables.  I have been trying to keep a food journal so that I can better see what I am really eating and the changes I need to make. Perhaps I can get to the bottom of the chronic hives I have.

My friend and I spoke about the film a couple of nights ago.  He sounded disappointed that I didn’t like it as much as he did.  I was disappointed that he gave it a free pass on the exaggerated nutritional statements and total biased approach.

I approached it from a nutritional point of view. He approached from an ethical, moral treatment of animals view.  I agree with him that the conditions that some animal are raised and farmed are appalling, but that was not news to me.  It is naive for anyone to think that every meat consumed comes from happy animals roaming free in a pasture listening to music and eating fresh grass.  I had watched different documentaries and have heard many stories since I was a child of how the animals are raised.

I think that if I was a person that ate meat on a daily basis perhaps this documentary would have a bigger affect on me.  Growing up in Brazil meat was expensive, so we never ate a lot of it. Now I rarely make meat at home, so sometimes when I go to restaurants I indulge and that is what my friend sees when we go out.  Perhaps that is why my friend thought I needed to watch it.

At the end of the day I am glad I watched it as it made me think more about what I am eating and not eating and about the animal industry.   Anything that makes us think and be more aware of the world around is a good thing.

As I like to say:  I believe in moderation and balance in all things, except love!

“The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world. ”  – Michael Pollan

The second date was a success! Now what?

06 Saturday Jan 2018

Posted by in Daily Life

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“It is not uncommon for someone to be a self-saboteur and compound that by also having a victim mentality. It is as though they are holding their own breath and then blaming others for their inability to breathe. If they can break free from this cycle, everything in their life changes for the better.” – Steve Maraboli

Now I start getting scared and I either run away or I try to scare him away.  I will say something I shouldn’t. I will find faults.

He made the mistake of telling me that he likes me and that there is nothing I can do that will make him go away. He is smitten! I am scared!

What am I afraid of?  I am not sure. Perhaps I fear getting hurt or hurting someone.  Perhaps I fear being cheated on again. Perhaps I fear losing my freedom.

I have been trying to sabotage this potential relationship ever since. My mind is working overtime trying to find problems with him and reasons why it is not going to work.

Even before going on the second date I was already trying to sabotage it. He texted me to ask me which restaurant we should meet at.  I had a problem with that. I wanted him to choose the place.

I know that is a pretty bitchy attitude. Since I am not a bitchy person I think it is my subconscious attempt to mess things up.

I stopped, thought about what I was doing and decided to choose a restaurant instead of telling him that he should choose the place.

I chose a place I had been to before, Lea Wine Bar. It is a nice Tapas and Sushi place with a great atmosphere.  I had 2 lychee martinis that were amazing.  I even had Sushi for the first time.  Even though I have been to some of the best sushi places in Manhattan, I always ordered something else.  This time I tried the eel and it was good. I had some other tapas dishes, empanadas and bruschettas.

I told him at dinner that I like the man to choose the restaurant and that I was initially upset that he had asked me to choose.  He said that he wanted me to choose so that I could choose a convenient location but that from now on he is happy to choose it every time.

He is one of the nicest guys I have ever been on a date with.  My EX (the one that broke my heart and was what caused me to start this blog) was one of the nicest men too. He adored me from day 1. He treated me like a princess.  Then I found out he was cheating.

I don’t want to let that experience prevent me from giving this guy a chance, from giving me a chance. We are both excited about each other and the future, even though we have met only twice.  Unfortunately the weather here in the Northeast is brutal, so we are not sure when we will be meeting again.  Saturday and Sunday the cold will be record breaking and I don’t want him traveling over 1 hr to take me to dinner in such a weather.

He is very thoughtful and wants to take me anywhere I want to go.  He already got tickets for us to go to the Opera. His favorite Opera is La Boheme and he thinks that I will like it too. It is for February 16, which means that we have to be together until then. That is our joke now, that we have to put up with each other until then.

He is respectful, perhaps a bit too respectful. He kissed my hand a couple of minds and finally kissed me when I made it clear that it was okay.  The kiss didn’t blow me away. It was mostly a couple of pecks on my lips. I can tell, and he has told me, that he doesn’t to rush anything and upset me.

I didn’t want the date to end.  It felt comfortable and easy.  We both feel as if we have known each other forever.  It feels right.  But then the minute I step away I start questioning it, dissecting it, looking for problems.

Nothing is happening and I already have visions of missing being single. He is 59, and perhaps he is too old for me.  He lives too far, and I don’t like to drive.  Maybe he doesn’t know how to kiss and I will have to tell him that.  He is a laid back Pisces, I am a in your face Aries.

Now what?  Perhaps I can learn to be quiet and enjoy the moment, and not talk him and myself out of giving this a chance. Perhaps I can learn to not let my past interfere with my future. Perhaps I can just turn off my mind and be here now.

Perhaps I should just breathe!

***

“Closing The Cycle – Paulo Coelho

One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through. Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters – whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished.

Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end? Did you leave your parents’ house? Gone to live abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden?

You can spend a long time wondering why this has happened. You can tell yourself you won’t take another step until you find out why certain things that were so important and so solid in your life have turned into dust, just like that. But such an attitude will be awfully stressing for everyone involved: your parents, your husband or wife, your friends, your children, your sister, everyone will be finishing chapters, turning over new leaves, getting on with life, and they will all feel bad seeing you at a standstill.

None of us can be in the present and the past at the same time, not even when we try to understand the things that happen to us. What has passed will not return: we cannot for ever be children, late adolescents, sons that feel guilt or rancor towards our parents, lovers who day and night relive an affair with someone who has gone away and has not the least intention of coming back.

Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away. That is why it is so important (however painful it may be!) to destroy souvenirs, move, give lots of things away to orphanages, sell or donate the books you have at home. Everything in this visible world is a manifestation of the invisible world, of what is going on in our hearts – and getting rid of certain memories also means making some room for other memories to take their place.

Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them. Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Do not expect anything in return, do not expect your efforts to be appreciated, your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood. Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, the one that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is only poisoning you, nothing else.

Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that are broken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date, decisions that are always put off waiting for the “ideal moment.” Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back. Remember that there was a time when you could live without that thing or that person – nothing is irreplaceable, a habit is not a need. This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important.

Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.” 

– Paulo Coelho

Anticipation that makes me giddy and Confrontation that makes my blood boil

03 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Dating, Finding Me

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“The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting” – Andy Warhol

A great date!

On December 30th I met someone that drove over an hour in a car with no heat to take me out to dinner.  You probably have heard of how cold the Northeast is now, so he deserves an A for effort alone.  All I had to do was walk out of my building and turn a corner.

By his pictures and short profile I didn’t think we would be a romantic match.  Not that he was ugly, but he had only 3 pictures that were just weird. One of them was a selfie in front of a mirror without a shirt.  I don’t like such pictures.  On another he had spiky hair and looked a bit off.  He looked like an old rocker that perhaps had a little too much to drink. I hope he never reads this lol.  His profile didn’t tell me much, it was just a couple of generic lines.

What made me decide to meet him was his emails to me.  From the first one he took his time and wrote meaningful things.  He asked me interesting questions about things I mentioned in my profile.  He asked me about myself.  I detected openness and honesty.  I was intrigued.  I thought that we could have a nice evening and that the worst it could happen is that I would make a new friend.

He chose a great Italian restaurant.  Extra points for not being cheap.  Upon meeting we just clicked. I saw that he was a bit shy and unsure in the very the beginning, but I think I disarmed him with my friendly attitude.  I really never met a stranger.  He turned out to be so real and open.

“… We need the sweet pain of anticipation to tell us we are really alive.” – Albert Camus

We stared and smiled at each other the whole time.  He was so different than what his pictures had shown.  I told him that.  The hair was still a little spiky but tame. I wanted to touch it but refrained from it.  Some people can be very touchy about their hair. 🙂

Before the night was over he asked me on a second date.  He told me how beautiful and funny I was and that he was having a great time.

We ended the night with a quick hug.  I would have been okay with a kiss, but I so appreciate him being respectful.

We are going on a second date tomorrow. This time we will be meeting in Manhattan. Again he is being considerate and said he will be meet me near the train station so I don’t have to go out of my way.

We both seem equally excited about this second date.  Stay tuned, I am hoping for fireworks.  If you have been reading my blog you know I have gotten excited before and things haven’t always end up well, but I am not letting past experiences curb my enthusiasm.

This anticipation is priceless so I am going to dwell in, marinate in and enjoy every second of it. I am going to be stupidly giddy and happy with butterflies in my stomach.  I am going to hope that holds my hand and that he kisses me.

I hope he is real and I have not dreamed him up.

“Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Work’s important, family’s important, but without excitement, you have nothing. You’re cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what’s coming.” – Nicholas Sparks

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“It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.” – Herman Hesse

One of the worst dates ever!

Even with a second promising date scheduled I decided not to cancel a previously scheduled date I had tonight.

I didn’t like that he was a little evasive about work.  He said he was taking classes at the moment and writing a play.  I wanted to have an open mind and give him the benefit of the doubt.  I am a sucker for people that are passionate about something and he seemed passionate about the arts.

In my conversations with him he seemed a bit awkward. How wrong I was!  He was not awkward, he was just a jerk! And I don’t use that term loosely.

For starters, picture this: We are standing in line at the coffee shop and while I am asking the server a question about a pastry, he orders and pays for his coffee.  I should have said good night right then and there.  If I a guy cannot be courteous enough to pay for the lady’s cup of coffee on the first date then he should have no business attempting to date.

After finding a table and sitting down with our coffees he took a piece of a donut I got after I asked him if he wanted some.  He took a piece, ate it, then started to lick each finger more than once.  I offered him a napkin.  Then he took another piece and repeated the same finger licking exercise.  All of a sudden I didn’t want any more of this amazing coconut cream donut.  Strike 2!

He started talking about a play he wrote about religion.  It seemed interesting and I told him that.  I agreed with him that there are religious fanatics out there and people can get insane about religion.

He sneezed and I said: God bless you.  He responded by saying he didn’t believe in God.  When I opened my mouth to say something he immediately said:  “Here comes the questions”.  And from there things became confrontational.

I asked: What questions?  He said that people normally start questioning him on why he doesn’t believe in God.  I could sense his confrontational tone.  I said that there would be no questions from me as I respected his beliefs and hoped that he would respect that I believe in God and didn’t want to talk about it at that point.

He clearly was disappointed that I didn’t want to engage on a debate over the existence of God.  He ignored my wishes of not wanting to discuss the subject.  He kept going on and on trying to get a reaction out of me.  I kept saying that I could debate it but was not interested in it.

One thing I dislike most is when people try to change my mind about some belief I have.  Specially when I say that I am not interested in discussing it.

He said: “But I should be allowed to say why I don’t believe”.  I said: “Go ahead”

He mentioned that the main reason that he couldn’t believe in God it was because he couldn’t understand if God exists why he chooses to only help some people and not others. And if that is the case God is very incompetent. He said that with a smirk as if he expected that word “incompetent” would make me mad.

At some point in response to something he said I said he had a simplistic view.  He got up got his jacket and said I offended him.  I said that my words were not meant to offend but that if I offended him I apologized.  Truly, I never want to offend anyone and my comment was not meant to offend.  I also said that that was one of the reasons why I didn’t want to discuss it.  The moment I said something he didn’t like he was ready to go.

He sat back down, but instead of changing the subject he continued trying to push me to talk about my reasons for believing in God and to explain that eternal question: “Why bad things happen to good people”

I mentioned that I didn’t have all the answers and I felt it was a deep and long conversation as I would have to talk about all my studies since I was a child and being exposed to all sorts of religions and different philosophies of life, including topics such as spiritualism, reincarnation, karma, etc.

While I don’t have a problem talking about why I chose to believe in God, a Superior being, the Universe, The Light, or whatever name people choose to call it, I felt he was intent in proving me wrong.  He seemed to want a debate and not a healthy discussion.

“Tolerance isn’t about not having beliefs. It’s about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.” – Timothy J. Keller

I know people with different beliefs and have had many great conversations on our different believes.  In the end we end up getting even closer understanding our differences.  I think it is important to try to understand each other, with always having respect at the forefront.  But he seemed intent on proving a point and not open to listening.  I am not interested in that.

It is not only the fact that I said I didn’t want to about it.  It was also not only about what he was saying but how he was saying it.  He had a smirk on his face as if he held the knowledge in his hands and I was this poor ignorant being in the darkness.  I didn’t like the cynicism in his voice and his ironic tone.

Towards the end he started saying that I had issues if I was not willing to discuss different topics.  This is a first date and I think I am allowed to refuse to discuss any subjects I don’t want to discuss. After putting up with it as much as I could and not wanting to be in that negative energy any longer,  this time I was the one getting up and leaving. It never felt as good and freeing walking away from someone.

By the way the whole time there was guy sitting in a table across from listening to our conversation.  He would from time to time just shake his head in disbelief.  At one point I thought he was going to come over. I should have walked to his table when I got up.

Once again, for the record, I am a firm believer in God.  It sustains me, it grounds me and it gives me wings.  But I don’t need people to agree with me.  I am respectful of people that hold different beliefs. I don’t profess to have the right answer and I would be leery of anyone that think that they do.

The only thing that I hope for is the universal belief in the Golden Rule.  Let’s do no harm and let’s strive for peace, understanding and respect.

“What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.” – Robert F.Kennedy