SHORT AND SWEET

WELL... NO REAL TOPIC, NOT MUCH TO UPDATE, TIRED AND LAZY... SO THIS WILL BE ONE OF THOSE WEEKS WHERE THE POST IS REALLY LACKING MUCH SUBSTANCE LOL. ACTUALLY A BIG THING IS ONE OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS GOT ENGAGED. WE WERE ALL PRESENT WHEN IT HAPPENED AND IT WAS PRETTY COOL. MAKES THE REST OF US REALLY THINK THOUGH... WE ALL GETTING OLDER AND AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE GOING... I HAVE OTHER FRIENDS WHO ARE MARRIED ALREADY AND SOME OF THEM EVEN HAVE KIDS, AND ITS JUST SO WEIRD THAT THIS IS WHAT IM THINKING ABOUT THESE DAYS... THE DAYS OF PLAYING GAMES AND JUST HAVING FUN ARE OVER... GOTTA START THINKING ABOUT DIAPERS AND MORTGAGES... I REALLY CANT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS LIFE NOW... WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT... GOTTA BE A GROWN UP NOW... TRYING TO LOOK DOWN THE ROAD TO SEE WHATS NEXT AND I REALLY DONT KNOW... REALLY JUST DOING WHATEVER I CAN TO JUST MAKE IT TO THE NEXT STAGE. IVE SAID ALL THIS STUFF BEFORE BUT IT HITS YOU MORE WHEN THINGS HAPPEN AND THEN YOU START THINKING MORE ABOUT IT AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW YOURE STRESSING ABOUT IT... THEN YOU START STRESSING ABOUT STRESSING AND IT WILL JUST CONTINUE AS A VICIOUS CYCLE... UNTIL THAT DAY WHERE IT BUILDS UP SO MUCH THAT YOU JUST CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE AND YOU JUST BLOW... YOU REALLY JUST NEED TO RELAX, YOU CANT LET THINGS GET TO YOU, AND WHEN IT DOES THE RESULT IS NEVER PRETTY. JUST DO WHAT YOU NEED TO, TO KEEP YOURSELF HAPPY. REMEMBER... IN THE ENDS ITS ALWAYS ABOUT YOU :)

RT

THE FIRST STEP IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST

JUST LIKE EVERYTHING IN LIFE, IT ALL STARTS WITH THAT FIRST STEP. THINK ABOUT IT... WAKING UP IN THE MORNING YOU CAN DECIDE TO SNOOZE IT OR WAKE UP AND GO BRUSH UP. DECIDING WHETHER TO EAT SOMETHING EASY LIKE CEREAL OR MAKE SOME BACON AND EGGS. DECIDING TO START READING A BOOK, LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE, OR TRYING SOMETHING NEW FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT FIRST STEP IS THE ACT OF ACTUALLY GOING FORWARD AND DOING SOMETHING. EVERYTHING STARTS OFF LIKE THAT AND IT JUST CONTINUES ON UNTIL ITS SECOND NATURE. A BABYS FIRST STEP IS PHYSICALLY THE HARDEST FIRST STEP WE WILL TAKE. LATER IN LIFE DECIDING TO GO TO SCHOOL OR GO BACK TO SCHOOL. FINALLY BUYING A CAR, MOVING OUT. DECIDING TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP, GETTING MARRIED, BUYING A HOUSE, HAVING KIDS, ALL THESE ARE STEPS AND NONE OF WHICH COME EASY. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU TAKE THAT FIRST STEP? THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A JOB? PERHAPS YOU HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO TAKE CARE OF AND ONLY YOU CAN DO IT. WHATEVER IT IS, YOU MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE THAT STEP TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. FOR ME, PERSONALLY, THE REASON IS CHANGE. I WANT A CHANGE IN SOMETHING, I CANT JUST KEEP DOING WHAT IM DOING. I CONSCIOUSLY KNOW THAT SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE BEFORE OTHER CHANGES CAN OCCUR. EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN STEPS. AFTER I FINISHED SCHOOL I REALLY DIDNT KNOW WHERE TO GO, I MEAN I GOT A JOB BUT IT WASNT WHERE I WANTED TO END UP. I STARTED LOOKING AT SCHOOL AGAIN AND IT WAS HARD TO ACTUALLY TAKE THAT STEP. ESPECIALLY AFTER BEING IN SCHOOL SO LONG, HAVING STUDENT LOANS, AND BASICALLY NOT LIVING MY LIFE THE WAY I WANTED. DEBATED A LOT, AND TOOK A WHILE LOOKING AT WHAT I WANTED TO GO INTO. EVENTUALLY FOUND SOMETHING I LIKED AND KNEW COULD MAKE A LIVING AND JUST WENT FOR IT. TOOK THAT STEP AND REGISTERED AND WENT THROUGH WITH THE PROGRAM. EVERYTHING IS ABOUT THAT FIRST STEP, IF YOU NEVER TRY, HOW WILL YOU EVER KNOW? PEOPLE THESE DAYS ARE JUST TOO COMFORTABLE AND DONT WANT TO LEAVE THEIR COMFORT ZONE. NOTHING EVER WORTH DOING WAS EASY... IF IT WAS THEN EVERYONE WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY. THEN AGAIN A LOT OF PEOPLE THESE DAYS ARE JUST AFRAID TO TRY ANYTHING, NOT KNOWING IF THEY COULD DO IT OR MAKE IT. THEY ARE JUST AFRAID OF WHAT THEY DONT KNOW, SO TO NOT BE AFRAID THEY JUST STAY WHERE THEY ARE AND NEVER TAKING THAT STEP. FEAR OF FAILURE, FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN, FEAR OF DISAPPOINTMENT... NONE OF THESE FEARS ARE REAL... THEY ARE ALL IN YOUR HEAD AND IF YOU CAN GET PAST THAT FEAR, THEN YOU WILL TRULY BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING YOU WANT. IF YOU ALL REMEMBER A FEW MONTHS BACK FOR MY BDAY POST I MENTIONED THAT I GAVE MYSELF A DEADLINE OF 1 YEAR. NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IT IS AND IVE ONLY TOLD A FEW PEOPLE. ITS A HEFTY GOAL THAT I SET FOR MYSELF, AND ODDS ARE THAT IT CANT BE DONE IN JUST 1 YEAR, BUT LIKE I SAID... IF I NEVER TRY, HOW WILL I EVER KNOW? RIGHT??? THE ENTIRE TIME IVE BEEN WANTING TO START AND I KEEP TELLING MYSELF THAT IM GOING TO START... AND A DAY GOES BY... WEEKS... MONTHS... I KEEP SAYING IM TIRED FROM WORK, OR IM GOING OUT, OR AFTER THIS TV SHOW, OR IM JUST LAZY... AND UP TO A FEW DAYS AGO I STILL HAVENT STARTED... THATS ABOUT 100 DAYS GONE... BUT NOW I CAN ACTUALLY SAY THAT I TOOK THAT FIRST STEP, I TOOK THAT HARDEST STEP AND MOVED FORWARD. NOW THAT I HAVE STARTED, ITS NOT THAT HARD TO CONTINUE, JUST HAVE TO KEEP ON GOING, AND KEEP AT IT. WHO KNOWS... MAYBE IF I KEEP THIS UP THAT 1 YEAR DEADLINE MIGHT ACTUALLY HAPPEN LOL. HAVING SPENT THIS MUCH TIME, MONEY, AND ENERGY ON THIS ALREADY MY ONLY CHOICE IS TO STICK THIS OUT AND SEE WHERE IT LEADS TO. IF IT WORKS OUT THEN GREAT, IF IT DOESNT THEN AT LEAST I CAN SAY I TRIED AND I KNOW. IN THE END NO ONE CAN DO IT FOR YOU. YOU HAVE TO DECIDE FOR YOURSELF IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT STEP. ITS GOING TO BE HARD, ITS GOING TO BE SLOW, AT TIMES YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE GIVING UP, BUT IN THE END JUST REMEMBER, HARD WORK ALWAYS PAYS OFF. SO NO MATTER HOW HARD THAT FIRST STEP MIGHT BE... WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION MAY BE... DO IT FOR YOURSELF AND TAKE IT.

RT

THE FUTURE'S NOT OURS TO SEE

IVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE PAST AND THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE QUITE A BIT RECENTLY... ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS ON MY TRIP A FEW WEEKS AGO. ONCE AGAIN IVE REACHED THE AGE WHERE ITS TIME TO SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING AND WHERE I AM. IVE BEEN GOING THROUGH MY POSTS THAT IVE WRITTEN OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS AND YES, SOME ARE RANDOM AND DONT REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING WHILE BUT THERE ARE THOSE THAT MAKE ONE THINK MORE DEEPLY. IVE WRITTEN ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOPICS BUT THE SAME THOUGHTS KEEP COMING BACK UP OVER AND OVER. I DONT REGRET ANYTHING IVE DONE IN THE PAST BUT THERE IS THE THOUGHT OF ALWAYS WONDERING WHAT IF... WHAT IF I DID THIS INSTEAD, WHERE WOULD I HAVE ENDED UP THEN? WOULD I STILL BE HERE DOING THE SAME THING? WOULD I BE BETTER OFF OR WORSE OFF? THESE QUESTIONS WILL NEVER BE ANSWERED. THE SAME NOW GOES THROUGH MY HEAD BUT MORE OF WHATS NEXT AND WHERE WILL I BE? I THINK IT JUST HAS TO DO WITH MANY OF MY FRIENDS GETTING OLDER AND EITHER GETTING MARRIED OR HAVING KIDS. THINGS WERE SO MUCH SIMPLER BACK THEN... LESS WORRIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT NOW IT SEEMS THAT IM ALWAYS WORRYING ABOUT SOMETHING. THATS JUST PART OF LIFE I SUPPOSE. WHATS NEXT FOR ME? DONT GET ME WRONG, IM HAPPY WHERE I AM AND WHAT IM DOING BUT SOMETIMES I REALLY WISH THERE WAS A CRYSTAL BALL TO SEE WHERE I END UP. I HAVE A PLANS AND GOALS FOR MYSELF, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO FIND OUT IF EVERYTHING THAT I WANT AND AM WORKING TOWARDS REALLY DO COME TO FRUITION. I GUESS ITS JUST THE WANT... NO, THE NEED TO KNOW IF I AM GOING TO ACHIEVE MY GOALS OR IF IM ACTUALLY JUST WASTING TIME. I REALLY HATE WASTING TIME THESE DAYS, I REALIZE THAT THERES NEVER ENOUGH OF IT... I GUESS THIS IS REALLY SHOWING MY AGE NOW... I REALLY HAVE TO START ON MY PLAN TO GET THE FUTURE I HAVE PLANNED AND ENVISIONED. THEN AGAIN... WHO KNOWS... THE FUTURES NOT OURS TO SEE...

WORK, TV, FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND THE REST IS THE SAME OLD. WE DID HOWEVER START A VOLLEYBALL TEAM :) LOL THE LAST TIME I PLAYED VOLLEYBALL WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL GYM CLASS... DECIDED TO MAKE A TEAM SO WE CAN KEEP ACTIVE UNTIL FOOTBALL STARTS BACK UP AGAIN. VOLLEYBALL IS THE ONE SPORT THAT WILL HURT ME THE MOST... MY SHOULDER IS SO SCREWED UP THAT SPIKING THE BALL WILL BE INTERESTING. YOU ALL KNOW THAT IVE DISLOCATED MY SHOULDER MORE THAN I CAN EVEN REMEMBER AND ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES ME TO THROW OR HIT A BALL IN THAT MOTION IS JUST ASKING FOR TROUBLE HAHA. JUST GOTTA BE MORE CAREFUL THAN NORMAL. THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN SINCE THERES ONLY A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY PLAYED BEFORE. OH WELL LOL.

ITS STARTING TO GET DARK PRETTY EARLY THESE DAYS AND ITS ALSO GETTING COLDER TOO... STARTING TO FEEL LIKE DOING LESS AND LESS AND EVERYTHING SEEMS QUIETER AS WELL... EVERY YEAR THERES LESS GOING ON AND PEOPLE JUST DONT WANT THE HASSLE ANYMORE, OH WELL. LIFE GOES ON... C'EST LA VIE

RT

KEEPING IN TOUCH

I SORTA TOUCHED ON THIS TOPIC HERE AND THERE IN THE PAST BUT NOT REALLY WROTE FULLY ABOUT IT AND THIS TOPIC WAS MORE PREVALENT THIS TIME AROUND ON MY VACATION. WHEN I SAY KEEPING IN TOUCH I MEAN EXACTLY THAT, KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH OLD FRIENDS, CLASSMATES, AND COLLEAGUES. IF YOU KNOW ME THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT LIKES TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EVERYONE. DOESNT MATTER WHERE YOU END UP OR HOW LONG ITS BEEN, SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW DOWN THE LINE I WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU, ESPECIALLY IF I BUMP INTO YOU ON THE STREET OR SOMETHING AND I SAY LETS CATCH UP SOME DAY, OR GRAB A COFFEE, I ACTUALLY MEAN IT. THIS IS JUST WHO I AM. I LIKE TO SEE WHERE PEOPLE I ONCE KNEW ARE AT THESE DAYS. PERSONALLY ON MY VACATION THIS TIME AROUND I MET UP WITH LOTS OF FAMILY, FAMILY FRIENDS, AND FRIENDS THAT I HAVE IN CHINA AND HONG KONG. I ACTUALLY DIDNT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO MEET UP WITH EVERYONE... THERES JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE AND TOO LITTLE TIME. ANYWAYS, I MET UP WITH FRIENDS THAT I HAVENT SEEN IN A FEW MONTHS OR SOME I HAVENT EVEN SEEN IN OVER A DECADE. I PURPOSELY MESSAGED THE PEOPLE I HAVENT SEEN IN A LONG TIME SO WE CAN GO OUT AND CATCH UP, I MEAN AFTER ALL AT ONE POINT WE WERE FRIENDS FOR A REASON. KEEPING IN TOUCH IS HARD THESE DAYS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE ALL GROWN UP, WITH CAREERS, FAMILIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND EVEN HARDER WHEN WE ARE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PLANT. HOWEVER, I WILL MAKE AN EFFORT EITHER WAY TO SEE EVERYONE. GOING BACK THIS TIME I GOT A CHANCE TO MEET UP WITH A BUNCH OF MY OLD HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS WHO ALL MOVED BACK TO HONG KONG TO WORK. THERE WAS ONE FRIEND I HAVENT SEEN IN OVER 10 YEARS AND THE REST I HAVENT SEEN IN 4 OR 5 OR MORE YEARS. I ORIGINALLY ONLY TOLD ONE PERSON IN THE GROUP THAT I WAS COMING BACK AND THEN IT JUST SPREAD FROM THERE THAT I WAS COMING BACK. IT SO HAPPENS THAT ANOTHER CLASSMATE WAS BACK AS WELL AND THEY ALL ENDED UP HAVING A SMALL HIGH SCHOOL REUNION. IT WAS REALLY NICE OF THEM TO HAVE INVITED ME ESPECIALLY SINCE I WASNT REALLY IN THEIR GROUP. WE HAD THE SAME CLASSES TOGETHER AND GREW UP TOGETHER SO IT WAS FUN GETTING SO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN UP TO FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS LOL. I REALLY LIKE KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH EVERYONE, I MEAN AFTERALL WE WERE FRIENDS FOR A REASON. SO IF YOURE READING THIS AND WE HAVENT TALKED TO EACH OTHER FOR A WHILE, MESSAGE ME TO COME OUT AND CATCH UP. I WOULD LOVE TO HANG OUT AND CATCH UP SOMETIME.

THE WHOLE REASON I WROTE THIS POST WAS MORE BECAUSE I SAW HOW MY PARENTS KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEIR FRIENDS. IM REALLY IMPRESSED THAT AFTER 30... 40... 50... YEARS MY DAD IS STILL FRIENDS WITH HIS HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS AND OLD COLLEAGUES. EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE IS MY MOM IS STILL IN CONTACT WITH HER OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FRIENDS. EVERYONE IS ALL OLD NOW AND RETIRED WITH KIDS OF THEIR OWN AND LOTS OF THEM EVEN HAVE GRANDKIDS. IM NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST A FRIEND OF TWO... I WENT TO MY MOMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FRIENDS GATHERING AND 20 PEOPLE SHOWED UP!!! ALL OF THEM WERE FROM HER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASS!!! THAT IS SOMETHING SPECIAL. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, WORKING, TRAVELLING, MARRIAGE, FAMILY, RETIREMENT, GRANDCHILDREN, THEY ARE STILL ABLE TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH SO MANY FRIENDS. EVEN BETTER YET THEY HAVE EACH OTHER ON FACEBOOK AND GROUP CHATS. ITS AMAZING THAT FRIENDSHIPS LIKE THAT CAN LAST LITERALLY A LIFETIME. THEY ALL GET ALONG AND TALK ABOUT THE OLD DAYS AND THESE DAYS. WHEN THEY GET TOGETHER ITS LIKE THEY NEVER SKIP A BEAT. SAME WITH MY DAD AND HIS FRIENDS FROM ALL DIFFERENT PLACES. SAME WITH ME AND MY FRIENDS I HAVENT SEEN IN A LONG TIME. WE ALL LITERALLY JUST PICK UP FROM WHERE WE LEFT OFF AND CARRY ON LIKE WE WERE NEVER MISSING. THE BEST PART IS THAT IT ISNT FORCED. EVERYTHING FEELS NATURAL. I REALLY WISH I CAN HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND MONEY OF COURSE TO JUST GO ALL OVER TO CATCH UP WITH ALL THE FRIENDS THAT I HAVENT SEEN OR TALKED TO IN A WHILE. THEY SAY THAT IF A FRIENDSHIP LASTS LONGER THAN 7 YEARS THEN THE ODDS ARE THAT YOU WILL REMAIN FRIENDS FOREVER. THIS REALLY APPLIES MORE FOR CLOSE CONTACT FRIENDS BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO BE FRIENDS AND KEEP IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE, THEN THEY WILL RECIPROCATE AND YOU BOTH BE FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME. TIME AND DISTANCE REALLY DOESNT PLAY A FACTOR IN THIS BECAUSE ITS MORE OF AN EFFORT AND WILLINGNESS TO TRY TO KEEP IN CONTACT. PEOPLE THESE DAYS JUST LOOSE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE TOO EASILY, SOMETIMES YOU MOVE AWAY OR PEOPLE CHANGE NUMBERS AND WHO KNOWS WHERE THEY END UP. TECHNOLOGY THESE DAYS MAKE IT SIMPLER TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND FRIENDS. MY PARENTS PROVE WITH THEIR FRIENDSHIPS, THAT IT REALLY IS POSSIBLE TO REMAIN FRIENDS FOR A LIFETIME. WHO KNOWS IF ITS MORE OF A DIFFERENT GENERATIONAL KIND OF THING BUT WHATEVER THEY ARE DOING, IT WORKS FOR THEM. I REALLY DO HOPE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE I MEET OVER MY LIFETIME LIKE THEY HAVE.

RT