rest in pieces

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“Listen to what your heart tells you.”

And that I did.  I have always followed my head–sometimes my gut–since that has been the only way that has given me some sort of sanity in the things I’ve been doing these past five years since… since the last time my heart did say something which led to me–surprise, surprise–crashing and burning.  Again.

Since then, I never thought that I would feel that way about someone ever again.  Even though that experience was not as deep as the one prior to that (which reminds me, it’s Easter today and that experience with D still remains as one of the more unforgettable ones), it helped solidify the notion that I would never find a woman who I can possibly spend the rest of my life with; that I was really born to be single.  So after practically ripping C’s name and reputation to shreds online through my ranting blog entries, I started to pick up the pieces again (or what’s left of it) and moved forward; feeling a bit smarter and wiser, and not ever expecting to stumble anymore.

I don’t know if fate is playing another one of its bad jokes on me, but the events of these last few weeks led me to feel the extreme opposites of falling for someone.  And somehow, as difficult and painful it is for me, I took it upon myself to try and walk away from it.  Not because experience taught me to second guess what I feel (I’ve never been this concrete about what and how my feelings are) about someone, but it is the right thing to do… on all fronts.  But yes, after days of denying it myself, I can–and proudly–say that I have honestly fallen in love with her.  Yes, I’m that far gone.  But as mentioned, it’s something I have to move on from and pretend like it’s only air.

But I couldn’t have fallen in love with a far better woman such as her. I’m glad that I did. The times I spent with her, doing things for her, comforting her, treating her the way she should be treated, making her flash that perfect smile which would nearly make me faint, it was all worth it.  What I felt for her was at least twice more with how I felt for D eight years ago.  And yet, the results are still the same.  And yes, it truly sucks that tears fell from my eyes for the first time since only God knows when.  I still get to see her everyday, but pretending to be normal around her and having less interactions with her would prove to be a tough act to do; but it has to be done.  I suppose the Gemini in me will come into play… frequently.

Yet my feelings for her won’t change. Not now, and not anytime soon.  All I can be for her now is someone she can trust and count on whenever she needs a friend; though I’m not expecting she would even consider that option.  I just have to be contented with whatever interaction we may have.

So did listening to my heart brought any good to me?  I would say yes because it gave me the opportunity to do what I do best:

picking up the pieces.

poetic fifteen

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Today marks 15 years when I wrote my very first poem.  I was supposed to have a new blog entry about it sometime last week, but I thought it better to have it today when that first piece of creative writing I made was put in writing.  Granted, it’s not your typical poem with all that rhyming stuff (I think it’s called free verse or something like that), but I suppose channeling all my emotions into that literary work inspired me to express myself more.  And I would like to believe that if not for creating that poem, it would not have led to me creating and maintaining my own blog.

Back then, I wasn’t much of a speaker.  I was a timid, quiet college boy who minds his own business.  I could never carry myself well speaking in front of a crowd…  yet sometimes, I was forced to.  Still, I almost always end up making a mess out of what I’m supposed to say (I stutter mostly due to big time nervousness since I don’t like all that attention focused towards me) and I end up hating myself for not doing a good job.  I guess maybe that’s why I also developed the fascination of being in radio since everyone just hears me and not see me, but that’s a different story.

I remember writing this poem about two years after I broke up with my ex (yes, that was the last time I had a real relationship).  I was already over her and was also seeing someone else.  Despite that, I was also in the midst of re-evaluating my emotional state of mind and was reflecting on what went wrong with that past relationship and how it went wrong since I wasn’t really able to talk to someone about the break-up itself.  I kept my feelings and emotions of that fateful day under wraps until I decided to just finish it off by writing about it.  I don’t really remember how long it took for me to pen it down, but once I was done, I do remember having this heavy feeling being lifted out of me.

I originally never intended for the poem to “get out,” so to speak.  I was planning to just save and include it in my prized possessions box (yes, I do have that) as something to look back to when I got older.  But a friend of mine–God rest his soul–who was one of the very few people back then who I told about that poem was creating a website during the early years of the internet age, asked me if I would like to have that poem published online.  Initially, I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of my first literary piece being read by everyone on the planet, but I figured someone else might be feeling the same thing I felt at that time, and maybe that poem is something that person can relate to.  So I agreed to have my friend a copy of the poem and it was indeed published online.  The website lasted only for a short period of time, as unknown to us who are his friends, he was already battling cancer.  Still, that was the first time I saw my work on a website.  Who knows how many have probably copied it or used it as their own, but I felt proud that my friend took appreciation to what I’ve written and thought it was worthy enough for the whole world to see.

I’ve written some more other poems after that.  Some were published, some were not.  But all of them are in my prized possessions box.  I believe this will be the third time I will be re-posting that poem since I started blogging (2007 was the last time).  I’m not sure if it will be re-posted again, but on this special occasion, I thought of posting it again for the benefit of my new blog audience–especially those who don’t want to backtrack until when I last posted this.  Looking back, yes, I sometimes find it a bit too cheesy, but hey, it was raw and pure emotion; of course it’ll end up cheesy.  Again, it’s free verse so don’t expect for it to sound all that catchy like other poems.  And I still can’t believe it has been 15 years.  Okay, so here we go:

casualty of love

by markie – written:  11:32 pm, March 12th, 1998

I’m a casualty of love
in a battle that I fought
where you have everything to gain,
and everything to lose.

I’m a casualty of love
brought by hatred and darkness,
of torment and anger
of the ever-changing foe.

I’m a casualty of love
I fought with all my strength, all my life,
with all my heart, with all my will
and yet, I failed.

I’m a casualty of love
amidst the pain repeatedly brought to me
I stood on open ground
and faced it with integrity.

I am a casualty of love
fought with odds against me
yet I never gave up
and fought till the end.

I’m a casualty of love
forever wondering what went wrong
knowing what I did was right
with the noblest of intentions.

I’m a casualty of love
with wounds that run deep
forever changing my life
with scars only you can heal.

I’m a casualty of love
dreaming of victory
and a life of happiness,
but only loneliness will come my way.

I’m a casualty of love
as I lie in defeat,
I knew I gave it my all
for her to be with me.

I couldn’t give myself to another
for she is the only one that I truly desire.
Yet there is a next time, next life perhaps
where we can be together.

And yet if I am called once again
to fight from the very start,
God only knows that this casualty of love
will never hesitate and will rise and fight once again.

not your typical valentine post

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I felt the urge to write today, as well as realizing that I haven’t made a new entry in ages so here goes:

“The heart is like a vase.  You entrust it to someone you love, hoping that he or she won’t drop it.  When that happens, it shatters to pieces.  You try to piece it back together once, and it may still serve it’s purpose.  But if it keeps on getting dropped, it will shatter into tiny little pieces that you won’t ever put it back together again; yet if you do, it’s purpose is lost.”

It’s ironic that this particular saying I came up with years ago suddenly popped in my head as I was having breakfast this morning.  Ironic in the sense that, obviously it’s valentine week.  And for the 17th consecutive time, I’ll be spending that occasion as I have always done:  alone.

But I’m not about to dwell on that.  I think I’ve done that many times on my past entries.  What I want to wrap my mind around is something I suppose everyone (almost) is familiar with.  Something that has been the subject of movies, soap operas, poems, songs, and even art.  Something that I have “given” on multiple occasions which always leaves me asking myself if it was worth it (which I always answer with a yes).  It’s a little thing called:  unrequited love.

I have always believed that if you fall in love with someone, you should give your whole heart to that person because there’s no point in saying, “I love you with all my heart” if you ain’t backing it up.  But does that bode the same for loving someone who you know doesn’t love you back, or is incapable of doing so?  One would immediately say no (i could hear the phrase, “you’re insane!” already being shouted at me), but emotional persons–and hopeless romantics like myself–who can relate to what I’m saying would say otherwise.  You never choose someone you fall in love with, it just happens over time.  Friendship does play a part, but whoever told you that in time, you will end up head over heels for this person you met last week, last month, or even last year?  And yet because of things beyond your control, whatever feelings you have will never, ever be reciprocated back to you.  Others would say “you know the situation, yet you let yourself continue to fall for the person; so you got yourself into this mess.”  True enough, but tell me, is one really ready and willing to just give up and walk away from a close, personal friendship because of deeper feelings being felt?  Is it about choosing the “lesser hurt,” so to speak?  Is one being selfish by doing just that?  Then, of course there’s coming clean to that person about what you feel.  Now, being honest is one thing; but losing a valued friendship (some of which took years to develop) because you “fell in love which is crossing the friendship line” is another which most people I think are not ready for.  Pondering on all of these (yes, I’ve experienced all of them) makes me think that I’ve fallen in love over and over again with the wrong women.  Or in some cases, it’s the cliché’d right-love-at-the-wrong-time situation.

It has been said that being in love or falling in love is the most wonderful feeling in the world.  It has also been said that love is a double-edged sword.  The latter may hold true to the unrequited kind.  Being someone who has been in that situation more than twice, you think that I’d repeatedly learn my lesson.  Yes, I did.  And yes, I am quite cautious about it too.  But when a situation arises that would require me to give the love and attention that a woman deserves the way I know how, even if it ends up leaving me empty-handed again, I think wouldn’t second-guess it.  That’s how I am.  I suppose that’s the mystery of love–unrequited or not.  I just have to continue to give my entire self until someone finally comes to do the same for me.

hitting the ground running

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First off, happy new year to everyone!  🙂

This might be considered a reblog since most of the material came from a previous entry.  The only reason why I wanted to post this again is to remind myself of these 13 guidelines to help me get through the year.  Of course, being the first day of 2013, it is but proper to start off by setting your mind straight on how you want your year to be.  Despite 2012 being a bad year for me, without this list to remind me, it could’ve been much, much worse.  Who knows, maybe having these guidelines can help others too.  So, instead of listing down new year’s resolutions, have this instead.  You won’t get tied down, and have some elbow room to work around should you have an exact goal in mind to achieve this year.

1.  Be positive and stay positive.

2.  Repeat number one.

3.  Say what you feel, as long as you know it’s the truth, or at least has some semblance of it.  Be it about a person, situation, or anything that tickles your fancy, strikes a chord, or messes you up.  Don’t hold back.  Being tactless is something people who can’t handle the truth came up with as an excuse.

4.  Dream big and aim high.

5.  Do anything and everything within reason to make number four a reality and hitting it.  Anything falling short of them or settling for “the good that came out of it” is not an option.

6.  In every undertaking for number five, remember these words:  “discipline and focus.”

7.  Flirt, date, get laid.

8.  Fall in love.

9.  Do not do the latter part of number seven to just to get to number 8.  You should know better than that.

10.  Screen your opportunities carefully.  While most others say grab every single one, remember that opportunities are generic in nature.  Some may help you, while others may look like to help you, but are really to doom you.

11.  Pray.  Whatever religion you’re in, or even if you’re an agnostic or atheist, it doesn’t hurt to ask help from the forces of good…  and thank them once in a while.

12.  Pamper yourself.  However, whenever.

13.  When all else fails, go back to number one.

For those who really know me, you might notice that my “lowered expectations” belief is not included on the list.  Well, it’s simply because that has been my mantra for several years now.  I am what you would say, an “eternal optimist, yet staunch realist.”  Though I try to see things in a glass half-full kind of way, I also try not to let things go way over my head.  In my experiences, this has helped me keep my feet on the ground and makes me appreciate more the little things in life.  Strange as it may sound to others, that’s how it is for me.

Hope 2013 will be a good year for you.  With how things went down for me last year, I’m hoping this year will be way better.  And with the help of these guidelines, I’m sure it could not get any more worse.

two zero one two

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The holidays have always served as a thanksgiving of sorts for me.  More so, a time to reflect on what has happened to me during the past 12 months, especially as the last day of the year approaches.  This year is no different.  Although I must say with all honesty, this has been the most challenging year for me…  so far.  From being screwed over by a colleague I thought I trusted, to taking a chance at chasing a lifelong dream, to making the worst professional decision I’ve ever made, and–surprise, surprise–to still being single.

Yet unlike previous year-ender entries I have made, I’m not going to spend much time recanting stories and experiences simply because they have already been told here…  well, at least most of ’em.  Those untold ones may find their place on this blog someday, somehow.  It could be in a form of a story, or a blunt recollection of actual events.  Still, it doesn’t mean that those events are far less significant than the others.  As they say, there is a time and a place to tell everything.

I may be a bit biased when I said that this year was the most challenging for me due to events that happened during the latter part of the year.  True, but prior to those events, it was already challenging as it is.  The degree of difficulty just went up several notches.  But, being the glass half-full kind of guy that I am, I try to see what good–no matter how small–it brings me.  And much to my surprise, I discovered something in myself I never thought I’d see.  Or maybe it’s a rediscovery of something I had; that being lost along the way either because I took things for granted, or simply just got lost in the scheme of things as time went by.

At the beginning of this year, it was said that 2012 is a lucky year for those born in the year of the Dragon.  With everything that has happened to me, it was the exact opposite.  Still, things could’ve been much worse, so I’m still thankful for all the good things that came my way.  And despite what I’m going through right now, I could say that I’m still lucky in some ways.  Maybe I was destined to be where I’m at; or maybe I needed to go through what most others would not have done in a heartbeat; maybe this is all just a precursor to bigger and better things, but I don’t want to get my hopes too high just yet.  Remembering my mantra, “lowered expectations;” it’s better to be surprised in a very good way, rather than expect good things to happen, only to come crashing down hard in defeat.

As 2013 enters, I may have to make some changes to and for myself.  These are stemming from what I have learned from the previous year.  I got my hands full as it is, but these changes are well needed.  So hopefully–and with a little luck–things will go more of my way this time.  I hope that whatever changes you may need to make for yourself also bring you better things.  Let’s all welcome the new year with hope and positivity of greater things for all of us.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration, and I’m wishing everyone a prosperous new year!

By the way, for those keeping score, I still have not yet forgiven myself.