Yu-chan no Megane

And I’ve learnt something valuable this past week.

It’s that regardless of how much you hold someone in high regard, they’re bound to disappoint you in one way or another. I don’t mean this in a cynical way, but it is pretty much Gospel truth. I’m just telling it like it is.

Human beings are fallible creatures. We aren’t perfect. The sooner we realise this, the less agony we’ll go through. At least, that’s what might occur in theory. But the best of us, who aren’t as jaded as the general populace, will continue to regard others with a wee bit of hope that they will live up to some expectations.

I find this particularly true of children. The more you expect from them, whether it be with regards to their behaviour, academic results, etc, the more they will try to live up to them. And as a result, there’s great growth.

Perhaps I should apply this concept to teenagers and adults.

I have been thinking about whether I was unneccessarily harsh this weekend. I was curt and sounded incredibly upset over the phone, which was not quite Christian of me. I’ve apologised, but yet I still feel things could have been handled better. Something needs to be done about my habit of verbal merlioning when I’m annoyed or pissed off.

The other party still seems to be brooding over it all. It doesn’t feel terrific to know that. No doubt he needed to be chastised over the incident that occurred. However, I somehow feel that it’s almost like an “us vs. him” scenario as there were a few of us involved. I realised that as adults we tend to show our disapproval in ways that teenagers don’t appreciate. I should know. I was one some time ago. I used to harp about how idiotic adults could be and now I’ve turned into one of those. What an irony.

I need to handle situations like these better.

Poor dude. I hope he puts it behind him soon and moves on. I will when I know he’s alright.

In other news, the new place is pretty fine and dandy. I’ve moved in comfortably and am in the midst of sorting out all the crap and getting new furniture to accomodate the volume of said crap.

I should never buy bags again. Or shoes.

A view of the kitchen. Because the other messes are far too embarassing.

I attended an old friend’s wedding today. After 17 years of friendship, he’s finally gotten hitched. He’s a real gentleman and his bride is a wonderful lady. I’m certain God broke the mold when he made those two. It was a sweet and quiet affair.

And I was, quite amusingly, keeping company with a young chap who was whining that there was no one his age (a month or so pre-NC16) to hang out with. But I’m kind.

As I met up with old acquaintances at the wedding, I couldn’t help but feel a little strange. There was some sizing up happening here and there, some courteous nods, an extended conversation or two. (Why do weddings always morph into such affairs?) However, it felt different. Everyone has moved on. Things you had in common with others a long time ago are no longer brought up as subjects for conversation. Instead, it’s merely idle talk, the requisite “how are you doing?” to satisfy your own curiosity. Not that you’d remember the moment you leave the acquaintance behind in search for another person to start the entire process all over again.

Over the years, my priorities have shifted. Perhaps I’ve become a little more of a recluse, a little more (for wont of a better word) elitist. I’m not sure how others perceive it, really. It’s just that after going through a number of things in life, I’m less interested in being the life of the party. I’d soon a quiet conversation or none at all, listening to jazz, than hobnobbing (even among people I know) and sharing the gossip. So I’m less keen on speaking with others.

I do so much better with children, who are (for the most part) without guile and so easy to get along with. Am I a child at heart then, or just unwilling to deal with baggage? I suspect it’s the latter.

I learnt a lot more about that young chap today than I could’ve in any other setting. Sitting next to one another throughout a wedding dinner will do that, but then again, perhaps I was truly interested in knowing more about what makes him tick. If only I approached everyone the way I do my school children… with keen interest and a willingness to listen to whatever they wish to say.

And a side note:
It’s strange that this wedding has started me on this train of thought… but has anyone also noticed that Facebook seems to be a great location to flaunt those studio wedding shots? Not that I have anything against that, but really… at such a moment in my life where I’m pondering whether I truly need to have a spouse to be happy… it gets a little… much.