Feeling: Pensive

Sometimes, you make one mistake and the Sudoku puzzle is messed up beyond all repair and recognition. You can either graciously give up and declare it a lost cause, or draw out the whole puzzle by hand and try again.

Sometimes, despite the messy appearance, you spot where you went wrong and make the relevant moves to correct it. You will either successfully complete the puzzle, or make the situation worse by committing another offence and failing once more.

The question is: Do you keep trying to look for your errors in the hopes of a vague chance at reconciliation, or do you accept your weaknesses and admit it a fruitless endeavour? What criteria dictates which option you should choose, and which you should ignore? Where is that fuzzy, skinny-as-fuck line, and what does it look like?

Feeling: Horrible

B -

It seems it took two months of distracting myself to suddenly feel a humongous wave of guilt come crashing over me.

I treated you disgustingly, and it really does make my skin crawl. You deserved a lot more courtesy than I had given, and you were so important to me.

So, I feel like I don't deserve anything good, at all, ever again, but now it sounds like I'm making this about me again when this has also been about you from the beginning.

I have been incredibly selfish, and indeed, perhaps people should be allowed to be selfish (since it appears that's what happiness is about - satisfying yourself in some way). But now, I think being recklessly so isn't the right way to do it. And that is exactly how I've done it.

I wish I had handled us with a lot more grace, but things on television are too perfect for real life and my script isn't pre-written and proofread and guided by a team of Hollywood writers.

Oh, I am so confused, but I was so sure, but I was so confused, but I was so sure about being confused, but I was so sure, but I was so confused.

Why do I treat people the way I do? And not just any kind of people; people who treat me perfectly but who I repay by being ungrateful and conceited.

It's like I have unfairly robbed you. Of feelings, of time, of money, of effort, of everything you could have possibly given that you unquestioningly gave. Without very much in return.

And I am so, so, so, so sorry. :(

As persuasive as my newfound beliefs are, I still don't know what's "right".

And I don't know what's wrong.

- S

You will be given love;
you will be taken care of.
You'll be given love;
you have to trust it.

Maybe not from the sources
you have poured yours;
Maybe not from the directions
you are staring at.

Twist your head around;
it's all around you.
All is full of love;
all around you.

All is full of love;
you just ain't receiving.
All is full of love;
your phone is off the hook.
All is full of love;
your doors are all shut.
All is full of love.

♥

Some relevant notes on human nature that I relevantly took down from some relevant reading I had to do for my relevant Spin Unspun: Public Relations and the News Media class (back in the day):

From "The Effect of Worldviews on Public Relations" by James E. Grunig and Jon White in Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management edited by James E. Grunig (1992, p. 46):

Tuleja (1985) pointed out that the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) works because it is a selfish rule: "The Golden Rule works not in spite of selfishness, but because of it. Jesus, that supreme psychologist, was also a supreme egoist. That is why he understood love" (p. 24). The rule is selfish because it mandates that people should think of how they would like to be treated by others and then treat others in the same way.

From "Crisis and Transition" in In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Woman's Development by Carol Gilligan (1982, p. 127):

The truths of relationship, however, return in the rediscovery of connection, in the realization that self and other are interdependent and that life, however valuable in itself can only be sustained by care and relationships.

Make the most of now.

Make the most of now.

Not tomorrow or next year - they might not even come.

Not yesterday or the day before - their moment has passed.

Fucking NOW.

It's all we really have.

Feeling: Proper
Listening to: Down by Kutless

Conventions should be broken more frequently. That way, people would realise that there aren't any rules set in stone when it comes to life and living - it's different for everyone.

Just because some person a long time ago decided everyone should follow a convenient set of steps, doesn't mean you absolutely have to. You will not die horribly unhappy if you don't and goddammit if I have revealed myself to be as self-righteous as I really am. :D

Some ideas I propose more people should challenge:

1. People can be perfect for each other, but marriage isn't for everyone. If you are perfectly fine making that kind of commitment, then that is great - but don't expect every other person to want to do the same thing.
   
2. Not everyone needs to become a parent to find purpose in life. Having a child is a huge responsibility, and it is something that should change your life forever - but some people just aren't designed to be parents.
   
3. It's okay to not masturbate. I don't get why the media continue to emphasise how normal it is to touch yourself, but fail to provide any support for the idea that it is equally natural not to.
   

In a similar vein, not everyone will agree that being unconventional is advantageous. And that's cool, too (although much less so, for obvious reasons (such as, I said so)).

Just keep in mind, a lot of these customs have been around for years and years. And although the status quo may suggest success, it doesn't exactly mean progress.