Effin A.

I've pretty much came to the conclusion that trying to understand the male and female species is like trying to understand advanced quantum physics. I mean seriously. Why is being verbal with someone so hard for people?

Granted, I used to be shy as fuck. I didn't speak up when I should have and it landed me in a very unhappy relationship. Twice. It also left me feeling taken advantage of by friends and once I got tired of it, well fuck that friendship ended shortly after. 

I guess now, my patience is shorter and I've learned how to cut my losses. No matter how much you care for someone (boyfriend, girlfriend or friend). If you honestly don't think the relationship is going to work, more than likely you're right. Call me jaded or whatever but if you feel like you're putting yourself out there more than the other person, then is that really fair to you? If you see little red flags that you learned to recognize waving in your face do you give the relationship the axe or the benefit of the doubt? 

I've gone out of my way more than once for friends and significant others who have never done the same for me. I've also been lucky to find those that have reciprocated the actions. For the most part however I've ended up feeling incredibly drained. I've watched friends I care about go through the same thing, same pattern and also winding up hurt and in the same damn position I was in. 

I guess the main question is...if you're doubting a relationship is that a red flag? If you feel like you're putting yourself out there more - especially emotionally is it worth the risk? 

If it's one thing I've learned from all of my relationships (friends and significant others) no matter how much you love a person; it's best to count your blessings and cut your losses. 

FB and Expectations

After a morning of poking around on my Facebook friend's profiles, I've decided that FB may just have been created to make a mockery of me. I'm having mixed feelings about it at this moment....Page after page of old friends and acquaintances and their "happily married" and "picture perfect families" splashed all over their walls and photo albums.

I am very much aware that my FB profile shows that I am not married, not in a relationship (although I am) and does show that my birthday is right around the corner. I am inching that much more closer to the big 3-0 ( 29 next year) and I have yet to decide what the hell I want to be when I grow up.

Granted, I am a young mom. I have an amazing 8 year old son who I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. He is my light and my reason for living. However, I am reminded by all these faces from my teenage years that my plans weren't exactly this. I wasn't planning on getting married until I was 25, nor having kids until I was at least 27. My life's choices had been set in mental stone: graduate high school, go to college and graduate by the time I was 21, live life by traveling and hopefully meet the person I planned to marry along the way. Get married at 25, etc.

Hell. That sure didn't happen and now as I'm left starring at all the smiling faces of my past with their beautiful children in tow, I can't help but wonder - did I fall behind, fall off track, or refuse to settle? After all, it wasn't that long ago that I was some one's fiancée which ultimately ended up as a broken engagement. I have yet to graduate with my Bachelors degree, although I am nearing that first hurdle. Man, did I do everything backwards! =/

Regardless, I can only feel blessed for having an amazing son who thinks the world of me and vice versa, a wonderful family as support and an awesome boyfriend who treats me just how I should have been treated these past few years...

I do realize where it was that I went off path but I can only appreciate that time frame that involved that. It turned me into a much more appreciative, caring soul and that is something that I know makes me who I am. I can not measure myself against anyone else, nor allow myself to live by someone else's standards if I am to be happy. After all, everyone's story is different and uniquely their own. I just need to remind myself that I'm still writing mine and all of my characters are still being introduced or edited...