Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Being jaded is something you earn, not something you can learn:

Recently I met some one. It's funny. You meet people and you think that you are compatible only to find out that the person you met isn't the person that you know. It's unfair if you ask me. I mean, you spend all this time only to prove yourself wrong. It's insulting to you and it's insulting to me. As the same time, it's not your fault. No one can tell the future, so you don't know what's going to happen. Also, you can't predict what a person will be like in five years.
My son is going to be a rocket scientist or a police officer when he grows up. He's going to go to the greatest college and graduate at the top of his class and marry a nice girl and they will live happily ever after.

We all have hopes and dreams. We all make predictions, but what is a prediction other than a guess that you have some facts behind? Nothing. You can use science and predict what is going to happen, but how many times have you gone outside dressed appropriately and then when you get outside, you notice that the motorcycle that you drove to work is covered in snow and has been moved to a different town in a tornado? I rest my case.


Back to my original statement only to lose it in a thousand word trail off again.

Meeting people. It's a task isn't it? You meet people everyday and what do you remember? 10% of the people? I've been working retail for years and have repeat customers that know me, but honestly lady, how many people do you think that I see every day? Enough to know that your sons name is Donald and I sold him a pair of shoes 6 months ago? Here's your receipt. Have a nice night. So I met someone. I don't know what did it either. She's marvelous. It's not everyday that you meet someone so completely incredible that you drive 4 states to see them. I'm also going to stress the fact that anyone can drive four states. It's not that hard, but anyone that has to drive through the lovely state of Ohio gets more points. That's all I'm saying. I met her through my roommate. Great friends for years. She came to visit out of the blue. I'm not going into details because I only do that in social situations. Blogging for me is like a sum up of long stories and great facts that would be perfect enough for any witty coffee cup or day by day calendar. Now I've got a question for you:


Q: How can you meet someone that changes things that you've taken for granted without saying a word?


This girl came to my house and I told her to pick out some albums to listen to. She looked and looked and saw my ridiculously elaborate and eclectic collection of music. She then proceeded to tell me that I listen to the worst music ever, but I do it so heartfelt-ly, that it actually makes bad music, good. I took that statement to heart. I have a passion with music. Often times I think that I listen to too much music, but then I remember what music has done for me and all the friends that I have made through it and retract anything that I have ever said bad about it.


So I have a couple days off and decide to drive to Chicago from Buffalo to see her.


I've am jaded, but with good reason. I've hated girls and I've loved girls. I've been deceived, slapped, cheated on, insulted, and even thrown up on by them. Somehow I keep coming back for more. It's like a masochistic cycle that I do to myself. It's like those pictures that you keep under your bed or your nightstand or in your wallet that you can look at that makes you tear up because of the reminiscence of the good times once had. It's like the though of a special song that no matter how many moons goes by, you still can't listen to it without thinking of that special someone. So she tells me, "Mike, bring as much bad music as you can." I can't turn down an offer like that. I filled an entire shoe box and CD booklet with albums. Some good, some bad, all awesome. I throw a few on, she wasn't feeling it. That's what it was all about. Letting people in on guilty pleasures and secrets when it comes to music. Then it got messy, and it goes like this. I play a record. I've listened to this record 50 times by myself, but never like this. I pressed play and all of a sudden, I found myself on the floor...I've never felt like this to music. She didn't say a word. As a matter of fact, she was walking around. Maybe it was the time, maybe it was the place, but I couldn't get myself off the floor. I pulled her down to the floor and made her listen to it. I think that she felt the same way. She let out an "Ooohhh." sound so I can only assume. It seemed that after that song, everything that I played after it was complete gold and glued me to the floor. How can one person do so much without doing anything at all?


Now comes the challenging part of any relationship. Admitting to one another that you like the other person. It's easy if you want to be a jerk, throw all these emotions on the table and say, "You can do with these as you please." I don't think that I've ever jumped the gun when it comes to talking about feeling, but something that I haven't done is let them sit for a while so that I can be sure that what I feel is what I really feel. Hatred and love are the same emotion. Sorry to have to be the one to tell you. You feel passion, you feel passion, brother. Whether it's good passion or bad, you've got it, and you've got it bad. I am very anxious to just open up and let her have it, but I know better. After all these years of heartbreak and love, I have learned a lot of things about them. You can tell a girl that you love her, but do you have any idea why? Sure, she puts out and the sex is great, but what else've you got? Fine, she likes you as a person. Can you talk? Probably not. It's not hard but no one seems to know how to do it. Let me give you a lesson in the art of dialog. You don't talk to people. Being a good listener is a great quality but doesn't mean a thing if you can't contribute anything back. A rock is a great listener, so is your favorite stuffed animal, but go ahead and ask it what you should do and see how far you get. You've got to have something to add to the conversation. You've got to leave them with something. You've got to leave them wanting more. I used to be the worst ever at telling stories and it wasn't until the other day that I realized why. The reason is because I wasn't doing anything with my life. I was holding back on myself and I was holding back on my actions. Do something with yourself and you'll be able to relive it over and over again. Somehow I can find something to add onto anyone’s stories. Spend a single day with me and I'll talk your ear off, but I'll need your help with it. Talk with people. I hear about people that leave their husbands and wives and boyfriends and girlfriends because there just wasn't anything to talk about anymore. There is always something to talk about; you just have to make some stuff up. Make up scenarios. If someone says, "I got fired from my job." tell them something along the lines of "Oh man. You should have flipped out and went to the coffee maker and thrown it in your bosses face and then thrown a handful of pens at him." Then you are talking and living in an amazingly cheerful fantasy land. You'd be amazed at how thrilled you are to see a person if you've got good conversation skills with them.


I'll leave you with that. It's been a long one, I know. I've touched many topics and you know what, I don't think that I even addressed the initial point, but it's not all about me. I'm not selfish.

Inside jokes help, too.

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