Brightside Entry | Mean What You Say

While I love reading and writing and all that literature jazz, I find that words can only express so much. I agree with Mark Twain--fact is stranger than fiction. I know a lot of people who say they miss you and say they'd like to see you but never go see you; there are also people who complain about their lives but go around doing the same things, expecting different results. I remember being 16 and wondering why my then-boyfriend who said he loved me kept yelling at me whenever he didn't like the way I was dressed and since then, I've realized that in relationships, people never really settle for anything. People do what they want and if they end up liking what they've done, they say they fought for it--otherwise, they'll say they didn't have a choice and had to settle for what they'd been dealt. 

The things people say are so rarely what they mean--"let's be friends" really translates to "let's not hate each other" and "I want to see what's out there" just means "I'm not having fun anymore"--and oftentimes the want to avoid conflict only makes things worse. So much is said in an effort not to ruffle any feathers.

And so I really value the people I know who mean what they say. And as much as possible, I try to do this myself. Today was a pretty terrible day to begin with. Keav & I were supposed to meet up at Shang EDSA and spend the day together from lunch to dinner. However, his aunt at whose house he had to fetch his little brother from was three hours late (she'd forgotten he was coming over) and my phone wouldn't function properly. I couldn't tell Keav where I was and so he had to spend some time scouring the Shaw area for me. And finally, he found me at Express Lane on the verge of tears. He was very, very frustrated at how the day had gone but said that the two hours of hanging out and having coffee was worth it. :) We had the best time catching up and talking about the most inane things. 

One of the things that I love about Keavin is his ability to bounce back from affliction and adversity--he'll get upset but try and make do with the situation. No tuition? He got a scholarship. No band? He became President of the chorale. No transpo? He'll walk. He also never lies to me--some days he'll say, "You look fat today." and it won't bother me because the way he says it is so sincere; I know he's saying it because it is what it is and not to make me feel bad or to insult me. And this particular trait of his made my day. 

You know those cheesy quote things that used to go around on I dunno, Friendster pre-FB and pre-Tumblr? Something like "One day, you'll meet someone who'll make you realize why it didn't work out with anyone else"? Well, that's how I feel. I've always made excuses for the men I'd been with in the past--his mom hates him, his home life is terrible, he's just a lost soul--and I've realized that isn't the way to go about things. You don't try and make people better or love people for who you want them to be. :) 

And Keavin is amazing. I really admire this quality of his and try my best to adapt it. Not to be rude or frank to the point of being unnecessarily hurtful but just honest enough to say what you mean and mean what you say.