Fall-mance

Romance seems to be dying out... well, it seems that way for the broke-ass college student. Whatever happened to a bouquet of roses being less than 60 bucks.

Is poetry corny... psh yeah, in an awesome kind of way! Try and be original is what I say. Sure, you can go off with Frost, Whitman, or Shakes, but when it flows out the top of your dome, be sure not to focus on how it came out. It is an art form, so let it flow. Rhyme like the love-thug you are. Represent!

I'm an old school kind of guy. Dinner, movie, parks, local spots, grassy lawns, star gazing, and if I'm up for it, a bit of dancing... but relaxing is more of my forte. Swimming is pretty romantic too... that is if the frat dudes aren't doing keg-stands nearby. Ah those crazy bro's, God bless them.

Grocery shopping, mall shopping... any type of shopping is still pretty good in my book... just check the account before you start buying things like billionaire Bruce Wayne. Oh, and if you can pull it off without looking so damn obvious, open doors and pull seats. You know what... just don't do it. Be mysterious, like a love ninja.

Hit the gym every now and then. If you have time to sit down and watch an episode of How I Met Your Mother ( great show by the way), then you can spend some time on the treadmill or the weight area.

Fall is such a good time for all of this. The air is fresh, right before the big holidays. If you don't have anyone special, spend some time with your friends. Be romantic with them... unless they're going to tease and make fun of you for bringing wine to watch the game. Don't risk it my friends. Stick with beer, chips, and dip.

Oh, and dress well. Dress to impress people. Don't go to far out there, though. If you are going to your girlfriend's nephew's 8th birthday party, leave the DKNY suit, and go with something a bit more laxed. You don't want the family to think your an even bigger scumbag. I swear, you forget to cancel the exotic dancer once and they'll have it over your head forever! Man, I wish my 8th b-day party was like that... THEY SHOULD BE THANKING ME!... anyways, I digress.

Well, those are some tips I have for romance in the Fall. Love life ya'll.

P.S.- Restraining orders are probably a good sign that you should move one. It should be obvious to most people, but you'd be surprised. I mean, Wow.... you know. Till next time my ravens.

Goldilocks and the Line

Out here, we are all like Goldilocks... yes the curious girl with the porridge and the three bloodthirsty bears who just happen to talk and live in a cabin where they all have their own way of doing stuff. We keep trying new things until we find the right one. This one is too hot, this one is too cold, this one is just right... wait a second... there's raisins in it!

Now the question is, do you eat the raisins and keep on eating the porridge out of respect for the work that went into it... enjoying the taste, but still knowing that the raisins are there messing with you... or do you go out there and find the right bowl of porridge? Settle, or do you keep on going?

Well screw the porridge. So I'm back to the same topic. The person you are currently seeing has all these great things about them, but there are just a couple of things that get in the way. Again, you put time, energy and patience into it, but where is that line where you say "that's enough".

Usually, when people like each other, they continue to like each other in the beginning of the relationship. If things should arise, hopefully, it isn't at the very start. If they do happen to pop up, then BAM! ... that's a sign that you should get the hell out of there... or you can work it out, whatever sinks your ship... or floats your boat- whatever.

Or... you can actually see where things take you. Have faith. In many cases, faith is the only thing that keeps you from going crazy. Have faith that it will get better. Overcome your emotions, talk it out... meet in the middle. Be okay with the bowl of porridge at an early age... enjoy the taste... you might even grow to like the raisins. Do you even know what kind of poridge you like- I mean really?

Can you go back to the porridge after you let it grow cold? Can you heat it up again? Do you even want to? Do you want to put up with the raisins? What do you want?... I guess you should take your time and think about it. Ask God for guidance if it helps.

Yeah, you just read a blog about porridge.

In New Lands

Comfort comes from all sorts of places in our lives. Some people delve in drugs to get away from reality. Food never judges. Dreams in sleep temporarily take us away from this world. Many of us get carried away by all this and completely ignore the fact that excess amount of any of these comforts may potentially be harmful.

It takes more energy to leave the comfortable than to be swept away by it. The same can be said about relationships, or the lack of one. Solitude for an individual is comforting in a time of "storm and stress", the life stage where uncertainty and growth take place. As emotional creatures, we seek happiness wherever it may be found, and avoid pain as much as possible. Our brains are capable of mapping out certain situations that we have experienced before so that we may welcome the good ones with open arms, and repel the negative ones with extreme conviction. Sadly, this survival mechanism that we have implanted in our being can morph into something sinister if left unchecked. Fear. Stagnation. Painful routines... all for the comfort of what we already know... of what we are already used to.

"No pain, no gain". True... true for almost everything. Unfortunately, there are a handful of confused individuals who fall for the same person, in the same situation, in the same geography (or not). And for some strange reason, they see the same signs, they feel the same pain, and feel the same trauma as before. Two things can happen afterwords. - Usually after morning the relationship and most of the numbness has subsided, one can find another person of the same character type with minor differences, or they can go for someone completely new, which can be twice as frightening. Like a bad game of poker, there is almost no way of knowing what the other person is holding in their palms. The anxiety can be unbearable.

Though, what is love without risks? What is life without risks for that matter? One might be comfortable knowing the pattern, but even if there isn't a higher level of love, there is great possibility in taking a risk. Just acknowledging the fact that life will most certainly have its ups and downs, one can enjoy the "up" of a new relationship with someone who is completely different from previous personalities, and learn from the "downs" that may appear. Though it might be uncomfortable at first, being in new lands may bring prosperity and joy down the road. One can nurture the exotic land into something more comforting, much like redecorating the the interior of a house with one's personality while still maintaining the true essence and structure of the home.

Be warned. It takes time, energy, pain, attention, and much emotional, psychological, and spiritual effort to truly be happy. The contradiction of this statement is obvious, but remember that life in itself is one giant contradiction as well. We are born, only to die. So we love, only to face the certainty of pain. Enjoy the "ups" in these new lands... try not to focus on the steep hills. For not knowing, temporary uncomfort, and new experiences can be some of the most exciting times one can have in this lifetime.