My Top Two (Part 1)

During one of our weekly management meetings’ chikahan/hotseat portion (which is usually at the tail end of the meetings when all the serious stuff have been discussed, poked, answered or delegated), we had this who’s-your-top-two-in-the-process question. It elicited a lot of laughs, some surprises, kiligs and revelations. Of course I won’t go Bvlgari on this (that’s what we call those who snitch on our hotseat sessions’ discussions) but it got me thinking on what would be my top two on  a lot of things.

So these are all random stuff that juts popped into my head and answered with not much thought, haha! But I’m sober I promise, just bored. 🙂

My Top Two…

… commuter pet peeves. Of course, traffic jams! Nobody likes being stuck in traffic anywhere. And sleepy seatmates whose heads keep bobbing up and down, up and down and would finally settle on my shoulder. Urgh! I usually make sudden, jerky movements to rose them awake. Get a pillow! Get a room! Or simply just lean on the window or whatever’s on the other side, please?

… make up items I can’t leave the house without: cheek tint (personal fave is Bench’s or In2It 8-Hour Wear) and tinted lip balm (Chapstick and Maybelline Baby Lips are okay but I’m so inlve with Human Nature’s minty summery shimmery organic lip balms).

… tear-jerker movies. Wow this is tough because heck, I cry at songs, books, even random quotes! But okay: One More Chance (who wouldn’t cry when Popoy tells his suicidal friend, tears, not and all, “Minsan kaya tayo iniiwan ng mga taong mahal natin, kasi may darating na mas okay… yung magtatama ng mga mali sa buhay natin” or something to that effect, para hindi halatang saulado ko ang lines!) and A Walk To Remember.  Cried over the book too. That Nicholas Sparks is such a wiz at making even sensible, rational people (not me) bawl like a hungry baby at a drop of a hat (that’s me). When Shane West read the ever-famous 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 verses to Mandy Moore while she was on the hospital bed… Waaaah!

… cop-out lines from guys.“I’m not ready for a relationship.” Don’t get me wrong: I truly believe if said honestly and with utmost sincerity and respect – not to mention timed perfectly at the very start of any promising friendship/relationship – this would be entirely truthful and responsible. But if the guys says this after stringing a girl along for months and then after saying this jumps into another relationship shortly after… Well.  Another one is: “I need space.” Go take a space shuttle. Or stand in the middle of a corn field. That space enough?

… videoke piyesa. “Stop” by Spice Girls because I can’t sing this and not dance, and the others (especially my ka-generation, nyaha!) can’t listen to this and not jump up and dance. And anything by Britney Spears or Backstreet Boys because 90’s pop never goes out of videoke-style.

… no-fail OOTD. First, a long, fitted shirt (not a fan of baggy or mini-shirts), skinny jeans and flats or sneaks – comfort all the way. Perfect for long commutes, rainy days or any other lakad. Next would be a mini-dress (mostly floral or printed) with flats, heels or wedge depending on my mood. This is for when I want to feel all girly and too lazy to try to pair up a top and bottom.

… drinks. Green mango shake, always my first choice anytime, anywhere. And rootbeer, preferably ice cold and smothered with ice cubes. Yung tipong pag ininom ko maluluha ako sa fizz and coldness.

… chores I hate: magligpit ng pinagkainan (bussing and scraping leftovers and stacking them dirty wares in the sink) and ironing (I get bored plus I don’t have the patience to wait a while after ironing before washing my hands, hence, pasma. Yes, I’m a staunch believer of pasma even if I don’t know what it is in English and whether it’s scientifically proven. Just hold my pawisang kamay and you’ll know).

… TV shows. “How I Met Your Mother” because while I love Barney’s wise cracks, I actually see some of myself in Ted’s seemingly unending quest to find The One. I also absolutely loved CSI (Las Vegas) before Warrick (the black guy) died and Grissom left. After that, I was like, meh.

… frustrations. Singing and dancing. Watch me “perform” my top two videoke piyesa and you will see why. Cringing not encouraged but highly probable.

… Bible verses. A lot! But two very close to my heart is first, James 4:8, which just really spoke to me when I first started my walk with God. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” The other one is from 1 Corinthians 13:6. I got this from a wise and godly man. How would you know you truly love a person? Ask yourself if you make each other better people. “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.”

… vacation destinations. Hands-down winner; the BEACH! Any beach but preferably peaceful, clean and very naturey resorts. Not really into crowded beaches with too much music or clubs or activities. Runner up is: my bed, in front of the TV and DVD player, a stack of movies or TV series DVDs and bags of groceries. I could stay there for days.

Well, that’s it for now. I’m sure I’ll come up with more soon but it’s a school/work night so have some stuff I need to prepare. Like right now my daughter is going around in circles trying to find her sewing kit. Later!

P.S. Some pics grabbed from the Web. No copyright infringement intended, okay? Thanks! 🙂

Love

A P.S. entry I was going to publish earlier, but got side-tracked by a lot of stuff, sowee. 😉

 

Good to know I’ve learned quite a few points about this wonderful, perplexing emotion – from a friend’s break up, other people’s (esp fellow singles’) own views and perceptions, couples’ love stories, the preachings at church during the 3-week “Will You” series about biblical love, friendship and relationships, the “Seasons of Love” talk we attended. I’m not saying I became an expert (ha! Far from it!) but it did open my eyes (and yes, my heart) to some new principles. Old mindsets were broken, previous notions debunked or validated.

We’re all too familiar with the 1 Cor 13 verses. Heck, I knew it by heart when I heard the dying Mandy Moore say it to reformed bad boy Shane West (cue sniffles and tears). Years later, I came to appreciate its deeper meaning because I know now that the love being described there is also God.

Because of our innate desire to love and be loved, we often jump into relationships too soon. We want the first one that comes our way to be The One. I know I did. And because I was still insecure, incomplete and had a distorted concept of love, I failed. We failed. Many times.

In my three decades I realized I’m not yet ready to be 100% to love someone in the unconditional, selfless kind of love we all should aspire.

I did an exercise our pastor showed us couple of weeks ago. I asked myself:

Am I patient? Am I kind? Do I not envy? Do I boast? Am I proud? Am I rude? Am I not self-seeking? Do I get angry easily? Do I keep a record of wrongs? Do I delight in evil or find joy in the truth? Do I protect always? Do I trust? Do I hope? Do I always persevere?

I know I can’t love as perfectly as God does; even I can’t love God as perfectly as He does me. I can’t do all these all the time, but I’ll hold on for that someone who will make me want to be all these not just to him, but to other people as well.