Confessions

So every now and again I feel the need to share my thoughts, and these are pretty personal thoughts, not so much pet peeves or recent curiosities. I suppose these are what I keep in most of the time until the inevitable need to let go.

My mother and brother have moved back in, but no need for celebration, because my dad has moved out. Of both my parents I am closer to my father. He allows very little to bother him, and I love him and hate him and maybe even envy him for his ability to just I don’t know... survive perhaps. I suppose he is the one that cultivated my little ability to be able to talk to guys because he was always more approachable and practical than my mother. My father is one of the quietest people you will meet, borderline shy, brilliant and humble men I have even been exposed to. I miss him.

My anxiety comes with my mother as she can be I don’t know, maybe selfish. Let me expand; she wants things her own way and I guess everyone wants things their way, but she is willing to give up things for what she wants granted the things to be given up aren’t hers and usually mine. Perhaps growing up in rural St. James has something to do with it, she is from a big family and they weren’t exactly rich so maybe she had to sacrifice some of her wants and needs for the greater good of others and now it’s just my turn to pay the piper. I never gave it much thought before, I just take from her what I am offered and press on, I’ll get my attention from my friends and take from her conversations and instructions and even some laughs where possible. I used to tell people she was my big sister when I was younger, it’s funny how relationships change.

When I see my “lack offs” and my “how and I going to get/achieve this” moments, I could kick myself. It isn’t even because I couldn’t do it, Marketing wasn’t hard, I can work in an office, with a supervisor and lunch hours. I can wear knee length straight skirts and long sleeved jackets and attend meetings, whether or not it is for me isn’t the point, the point is that I would have been greater with that piece of paper from UTech, more accomplished and in a better position to help myself. I lost so much time, even though I learnt so much from just being out there working time spent doing something, time that isn’t spent chasing your dream is time wasted. I’m on borrowed time now, 25 and a first year student at a backward school, the hardest thing for me to do is slow down and hand over the reins of an assignment to someone else. So what do I do? I do group assignments on my own, and plan presentations on my own, and I bring print outs and cut them up so that everyone can get a grade, and I pull down grades I haven’t seen since maybe 5^th form, and I don’t listen to the doctor (and even some friends) that tells me I need to get some rest, painkillers for the head and body aches and aspirin for the bruises and I push and I fight and remind myself 3 more years. I am tired but somehow I’ve mastered the art of wearing my mask and only the closest to me see even the hint of sleep in my eyes through the smiles or hear the crack in my voice when I talk about valency shells or ecosystems. I have become a mosaic of sorts, colourful and detailed and bright and beautiful but still made up of tiny broken pieces arranged perfectly.

Baby sisters

I was there to see you crawl

and stretch and grow and do it all

and though I may have been distracted a bit

I was always mindful of where I'd sit

and how mean this world can be, but I knew how much you loved following me

So I whispered all my thoughts and dreams

and memories and all my "hope to be"s

And when I thought you were old enough I taught you what I knew of love

How it could hurt and make you smile

and prayed to God you'd wait a while

And not repeat my missteps

and you'd learn to respect yourself

Now that you're all grown

with secrets and dreams of your own

My hope for you will always be

to be able to face adversity with an air of finesse

and through it all true happiness

Why you're probably single...

Okay so I'm in the beginning stages of a project for school where I have to put a learner profile together. Basically, I have to take a student under 18 (I have tonnes of cousins to use) and based on their age I'm supposed to analyse them through the eyes of some psychologists. While reading though, I got to thinking about about today Valentine's Day and decided I'd do a little analyses of my friends. No, No Freud... even though he does make for some interesting reading; the little pervert.

The psychologist I'd like to look at is Abraham Maslow. In essence Mr. Maslow suggested that there is a hierarchy of needs that need to be met before one is self fulfilled.

Here is the model. Lets analyse. Now at the very bottom of the "Needs" Pyramid is your Physiological Needs: these include your need for somewhere to sleep, food to eat and clean water to drink... Mr. Maslow also suggests that sex should be at the bottom of this table. Above this is Safety and Security, Love and Belongingness, Self Esteem and then friends when you have met all these needs you become Self Actualized. This is you at your optimum! At the risk of really exposing myself as the mean girl I try so hard to shake... Doesn't this explain alot? We need sex more than we need to think highly of ourselves. We need sex more than we need to be loved. We need sex more than we need to know that no one is gonna come kick off our door at night, yes we need the house but it doesn't really need to be all that safe as long as we can have sex in it? With the equation of sleep to sex or even air to sex am I to assume that without it I will die? Or better yet since sex is equal to air or water or food does the quality sex aids in development since polluted air and malnutrition stunts growth?

Pussy Principles

Now, many of you guys know me on a personal level, we've had conversations you guys know what I'll put up with and what I wont. You know this is my venting spot and where I can"talk di tings" so if you don't like what I'm about to say you can hit that little red x at the top right hand corner of the page.Let me strongly suggest you read it through though.

Pussy Principles

Pussy Principles can be defined as a set of rules you follow as a woman to keep a peaceful relationship, a peaceful life and generally healthy relationships with the people around you including your friends, parents and associates because we all know relationships overlap and what is going sour in one may just spoil everything. These are things people really shouldn't have to tell you because deep down you know you're wrong and no matter what you told yourself while it was going on you know you were lying to yourself.

Allow me to expand:

When you are in a sensible, stable relationship DO NOT entertain other "offers." Yes the attention is nice and everyone likes to be admired but for the sake of all that is good and right don't call new guy to ask him to keep your company because you're bored or lonely or just because you have a phone and can, you know you're leading him on and you just going to make things worse for all involved. If you know you're not going to let it get any further than the flirting why bother rock your nice stable boat, and if you see it going further leave your boyfriend first and give yourself some time to "air." We all know the fable about the dog who drowned chasing the reflection of a bone he already had... Don't be that bitch!

Nobody likes the "ugly duckling" syndrome. I know your beauty may astound you at times. maybe your even new pretty, but fishing for compliments isn't attractive honey. You're gorgeous, move on.

Don't get yourself attached to an unavailable man. You know how it ends, you crying in your bed because he didn't call or didn't leave her or didn't see what the big deal is about playing FIFA with the guys on your birthday is about... if he just isn't doing what he promised he would the stress of you crying over it is a waste of energy. Don't cry to your girls either because chances are they told you to run from get go and it gets real old real fast.

Don't pick fights you can't win, not with your friends and not with your man. I don't think I need to elaborate on that one its self explanatory.

Don't ask for things you know you don't want. If you don't want to know if he's cheating and if you're not prepared to tell him how you got the information you have gotten don't go searching his stuff. Don't go through the phones/email/text messages/voice mail if you are not prepared to face the music.

Do not "look" the guy your friend is "looking", if she's your good friend makes matters worse. There is an underlying understanding, no its not all fair in love and war, it may seem so at first but honey, if you push too hard the claws may come out and if you know your file is fat don't run the risk of it being let out. We girls fight so dirty at times.

Do not believe that your friend should tell you you are wrong about anything. You have a brain and a conscience, and you we're raised by good upstanding people don't embarrass yourself and then wonder why nobody said anything to you chances are the boat was sinking so fast that no amount of them paddling the water out would have saved you from making the mistake you made. Besides, especially when it comes to relationships no matter what your friends are telling you you were going to do what you want to do anyway.

Really, pussy principles is about being graceful and taking everything into consideration before making stupid moves. It forces you to take a good long look at things as they stand and be objective about the repercussions of the things you may or may not be doing subconsciously. There are more to follow so stay tuned...

Chelle

Two Thousand Ten and Men

First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! I hope the clock striking 12 found you doing something you love with the people who count, me, it found with a cake plate of chinese spicy noodles and sweet and sour chicken and music blaring.

When I decided to start writing I made a conscious decision not to make it about men. To be honest, lately their importance has dwindled. I found so many other things to get into, things that will add to me, that most of the time I don't miss not having one but I stray.

Recently I spoke to one of my exes and he asked me what was going on with me "guy wise." When I told him that nothing was really going on, and that I thought there and just a few decent men left and the abundance of these female harbour sharks makes it too hard to even bother so I stopped looking he laughed, and when he realized I wasn't laughing with him the laughing simmered to a chuckle. I went on to explain to him that in my experience the "good" men are taken and since I'm not into the sharing that isn't and option, besides if the guy is any good for real he wouldn't be into the "juggling." He then said, and really this statement summarizes the reality that was our relationship, "well Chella, I dont know what to tell you, I guess you're going to be single then," seriously...

Ok so I get it, some of us as females have our standards set so high that it would be hard to find someone of that calibre it isn't impossible ( I'd hate to think its impossible) but if you were to stick to your guns, you'd have many lonely nights. I also am well aware that some of us carry around so much baggage that it makes it hard to really see a situation for what it is because of this haze of mistrust and that knot in your stomach that forms from fear of the familiar (this I KNOW I am guilty of).

If it were for sex alone, this game would be a whole lot different, you'd jus' boots up and cross your fingers that homeboy knows what he's doing and actually I don't know, takes some pride and isn't only after his own pleasure. Guys, in general, like that game a lot. They sometimes try to turn other situations into that game. But no, it is not for sex alone, at least in my case which makes it that much more difficult for me. So this year, like last year and even the year before that, I'm going to see what happens and have the men fall as they may.

Around the corner.

So tomorrow will make it one week before I turn 25, and I have to admit I'm not where I thought I'd be. If you asked me 10 years ago I would have told you that by the time I reach 25, I'd be working in a Marketing firm or up and coming company, married to the love of my life maybe even thinking about having a baby. Alas, here comes 25 and I will prove myself dead wrong.

I suppose I shouldn't feel too bad about not being some Marketing Manager because I could have had that but I wouldn't be happy. As for the marriage... I don't even know if marriage in on the table for me. Lots of issues to work through I guess, and since men are such a sore spot for me the babies may be another feat.

Instead, I have no idea how I am going to spend it or even with whom. Somehow I already know it isn't going to turn out the way i want it to. My birthday are becoming to be more and more of a burden than anything else, I used to get so excited wake up in the morning and put on a tiara and just bask in the love I was getting from my friends. Now celebrating my birthday has become a chore and I hate that it has. I loved the excitement; even if all I did was sit at home smiling to myself.

My biggest fear is that I've disappointed people I love. I'm pretty sure my family and friends thought that I would have had a different life than the one I live now. I'm still a work in progress I guess. Don't start bugging yet this isn't a mid life crisis, and even if it was I dont think they'd call it a midlife crisis. I'm pretty sure you'd have to be atleast 40 to have one of those and I will DEFINITELY have things sorted out my then. New goals and new adventures are still to come. But isn't it funny how we think we have it all sorted out when we're younger and things never play out the way you thought it would.

Open Doors

“I stood there is total amazement wondering if my eyes were deceiving me,” she said as she told me the story. “Can you believe that?”

Tina walked down the hall and into her living room when it suddenly dawned on her that she didn’t use her key to open the door. She quickly turned back to check the door; no signs of forced entry. She thought for a moment maybe her sister had left the door open in one of her hasty flights from the house. She thought to herself it’s a wonder she remembers to put clothes on before she leaves. Nothing seemed suspicious at first, as she took her heels off and headed to her bedroom, she was dying to get out of her work clothes and into her nightshirt and bed slippers. She had a book she was half way through and was dying to know how the story ended. She jumped out of the shower and into her nightshirt, her favourite, a man’s shirt that seemed to be made for an American football player and not for someone as petite as she.

She made her way down stairs into the kitchen when she realised that the kitchen door was ajar as well. In a panic she hurriedly bolted the door and called her sister. The phone rang a few times but to no answer. She tried again but to no avail. At that time she decided maybe she should put some pants on and leave the house, it would be of no use to stay there and be so scared and all alone at that. She ran upstairs and pulled on a pair of blue jeans she had owned since college, pulled her hair into a ponytail, grabbed her keys and headed to the door.

“Tina!” her sister screamed from the darkness with frustration in her voice. Tina spun with such momentum that she flung her hands around and hit a vase from the hall table. She carefully followed little giggles and shuffles until she found herself back at the kitchen door. She pulled the door slowly and realised candles lined the walk way to the patio and as she followed them. “Surprise!” There they were; most of her friends from work, her family and some of the girls she went to school with. “Happy Birthday, Tina!” and out came the cake. “We were pretty sure you were on to us” said her sister, “I thought for sure we were busted when you realised that the kitchen door was open but how else would everyone get in the back yard?” She was so engrossed in her surprise party she didn’t even realise she was still in her nightshirt and bed slippers.

There you go guys... my first short story :)