"...And Jill Came Tumbling After" (Lessons from Falling)

Yesterday was the first day this week that I went to work. I was in the mood to dress up, so instead of just wearing jeans and a Messiah shirt, I decided to wear a blouse with a pair of skinny jeans. I also replaced the usual pearl studs with dirty-gold dangling earrings, and ditched my flats and put on a pair of peep-toe shoes instead. I was very much aware of the fact that I was going to be doing a lot of walking and moving around throughout the day, but for the sake of fashion, yes, I wore heels.

On Heartthrobs and Dream Girls: The Sucker-Punch Reality

"Truthfully, Robin's better than the girl of my dreams. She's real." --Paul (Matthew Gray Gubler), 500 Days of Summer

I watched two movies back to back before I started writing this. One was about a cheerleader turned cleaning lady starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, and the other was about a middle-aged couple who'd been divorced for more than a decade, cast wherein are my favorites, the charming Zoe Kazan (Happythankyoumoreplease) and the adorable and handsome John Krasinski (Something Borrowed), who is actually married to Emily Blunt in real life. (Yes, I keep up with my Hollywood news. *wink*)

Learning It the Hard Way ("Confessions" Series)

When you're young, you are in love with the idea of love. People love love. And that impression has been left by a childhood's worth of reruns of Disney animated Princesses movies, constant exposure to afternoon-to-late-night soap operas and to love songs, reading love stories/romance novels (Nicholas Sparks said there's a difference!), and most significantly by the people around you who've been married or have had long-time partners, whose  relationships started waaaay before you were conceived.

I've had lots of crushes during my formative years. But since this is published work, I'm not going to completely incriminate myself and dig out all the details for y'all ol' gossips to consume. (This is not The Buzz or Startalk, anyway, where people are required to tell all.)

Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Stacey: Not to Be Taken Too Seriously

No, I'm not going to talk about the band with the same name (yes, there's a band named Boy Crazy Stacey, but I didn't know that until I googled it).  This is not an entry about the blonde sophisticated girl from New York from The Baby-Sitters Club, either. And no, I'm not going to talk about my heartbreaks.

Or maybe I am.

Faith or Fame: Of Which Hall are You? (Part II)

Almost a year ago, I started an article about Katy Perry (read it here--yes, I changed the title). She did a show Sunday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum as part of her world tour. Impeccable timing, I suppose, to write the Part 2, which I almost forgot to do. Ha ha.

F-series: Ghost of Friends Past

They like me as they remember me, not as I am now.
--Lindsey Lee Wells, from An Abundance of Katherines by JOHN GREEN

My best friend had told me a number of times that it's hard to rekindle past friendships.
"Why should you even bother when it's past?" she had asked me.
"I bother because...well, I miss the people I used to know."
Then she went like, "But did it ever occur to you that they might not feel the same way?"
And for that I'd scoffed at her. "You just don't get it."

Love Ain't All That Matters [A Pre-Hearts Day Post]

There comes a certain point in a person's life when he realizes that there are more important things in life than love--romance, to be exact. (Like when you're 21 and had just denounced your old-time, all-time stupid crush. Harr.)

Confidence...or the Lack Thereof

The first statement in my "About Me" section (on the right-hand side of this page) says, "I am a fan of reading, free writing, and being confident." I'm not sure any of you who've been reading my stuff have noticed that before. Probably not. And so I'm taking this time to draw your attention to that one phrase..."being confident."

Fruitless Toil and a Meaningless Life: Iz Aal Well?

[January 2, 2012 journal entry after reading Ecclesiastes 1:3]

Solomon begins the book of Ecclesiastes with this statement: "Everything is meaningless."

Wouldn't you agree? I mean, what do we get from working our butts off throughout our lifetime? What do we gain? What do we achieve? We work hard and get rich and live lavishly while working feverishly to maintain our lifestyle--but where does the cycle end? Are we going to be really, truly satisfied? At what point (is there even one?) could we stop working and start enjoying our life?

Two-Oh-11: A Year-Ender

"The end depends upon the beginning. The END. DEPENDS UPON. The Beginning."
--The Emperor's Club

I began this year with the hope of turning over a new leaf. I was looking forward to a new chapter in my life. I was hoping to launch myself into the world, confident and courageous.

I overcame fears. I crossed boundaries that I have set for myself and discovered that I could do much if I set my heart on it. I failed some and exceeded some expectations others had of me, and whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on the kind of expectations those were.

I struggled about a lot of things. I had my heart broken a million times more than I could ever remember in the last 20 years of my life, by more people than I can count with my two hands. I grew older, and for the most part, wiser and keener for the little things and the big things that affect me in big and small ways, perhaps respectively.

In sum, 2011 has been a wacky rollercoaster ride, but one that I don't want to get in line for again. I do believe I will get off and walk away with my head spinning.