Saturday, November 03, 2012

What it feels like to be - The Other Woman Part 1

I don't know what's with the movies these days that "kabit" thing is so rampant, it started with the "No Other Woman" then "The Mistress" and just recently "The Secret Affair" which are all a blockbuster hit. I guess this is rampant now in the society and I for one had experienced this first hand though we were not married but still there's the "other woman" issue. I really despised people who are ruining other people's relationship, I just really don't get why "other woman" would be so insensitive, cruel, stupid, dumb, ruthless, etc. Don't they think? They are hurting someone and might hurt themselves too since they are entering into a "bawal na pag-ibig" restricted love affair. I had a long list of questions on these so called "Other Woman" like why can't they respect a relationship; why can't they just ignore stupid unfaithful boyfriends who are flirting with them; why can't they say NO? and my list goes on and on. 

Who would have thought that after a year of blabbering these questions about "other woman", I would end up answering them myself. Just to make it clear from this point, I am not one of the "other woman" and I will not allow myself to be and that is my promise to myself, but I experienced how it feels like to be one though and it really was quite hard to be labeled as one.

Honestly, I didn't even have any idea how the whole thing went out of hand, was I too nice? I only know that we are friends and that is that coz I know from the start that he has a girlfriend and to make things more complicated they are both a friend of my ex, small world isn't it? He even knows our love story from the start to the end, he has too many information about our breakup and after breakup which I was really curious since I know he is not that close to my ex, but his girlfriend is. Anyway, we work in the same company but different department, he just contacted me because of a survey and from there we had a constant communication through chat. We get along well, I mean we can talk about anything and though he is a bit too frank sometimes, well, okay most of the time, but I just brushed it off. From there, he treats and invites me for breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner and even waits for me until I go home and even "hatod" me at our house. At first, I really didn't mind at all but my officemates were already teasing me and warning me at the same time, I know there was really "something" but I just denied it, I didn't want to be a "feeler" coz again we are friends, JUST friends and again he has a girlfriend though they were not in good terms. If I abruptly ignore him, it might seem that I am guilty of something which I am NOT, but I was already aware of the changes and I was on red alert.

And one Thursday night, he admitted that he had fallen for me, we talked it out because I don't want us to feel awkward towards each other, I had already considered him as a friend. He knew what I went through before and I don't want to enter that kind of situation in which I am the one being considered as "the other woman" and what made things worst was that we are interconnected with my ex, can you imagine that if someone will ask, who's that girl? "Oh, she's the ex-of *****" like what? It's really a small small world and I really don't want to be labeled as the "other woman". He knows that, he knows this is quite a complicated thing and he doesn't know why and what's with me (lol) but he said I should be open to the possibilities, maybe not now but in the future, I should try to open my heart to that and all I can say is NO, NO, NO! I told him that I respect relationships and friendship at the same time that's why I confronted him.  He offered an unsolicited advice that I shouldn't be too nice (uh-oh). I thought after that talk everything was cleared but my mistake it just got started and I really don't know why I myself can't ignore him.

Everything I have said before about the other woman bounced back to me, it was like a slap on my face - why can't I push him away? Am I enjoying this attention? What if his girlfriend will know, am I dead? Will my ex know, will he laugh at me? And my list goes on and on, I was honest with him, I told him about this and that he should hold on to their relationship or else I'll be the one to move away which I really don't know why I cannot do. I was really happy when he was pursuing his girlfriend again and tried to mend their relationship, though we still have a constant communication, I was always asked for their updates and they were doing well. But he still has that "something" sometimes which I just ignored, you know him being too caring and all, again, I don't want to be a "feeler" and he'll just say to me that he knows we're friends and there's no need to remind him about it - duh! Until when I knew that his girlfriend, by the way knows me since she is close with my ex's didn't bother at first but could feel something also, which is very natural at all. I wanted to meet her, but he wouldn't, he might feel guilty or uneasy, there was one time when we saw them and he just ignored us as if we don't know each other -WTH. And then her girlfriend is suspicious already, I can feel it, women's intuition - been there, done that. I was thinking that if she would confront me, I am really not guilty at all coz I always said "NO" and I am firm with it, his boyfriend knows that and from the start I made that clear but I know I made a mistake also, I should have stopped him.

Realizations:

1. Being labeled as the "other woman" is hard, it doesn't matter if your intention is to be just friends, from people's point of view if you are together with someone who is in a relationship then you will be labeled as it is already which is really unfair esp. if your friendship started in between their relationship, it's a no-no.

2. It is not always the "other woman" at fault or the destroyer of the relationship, it depends on who initiated the affair. I realized that boys will always be boys, so the labeled other woman should control herself and not fell into the trap or she'll be sorry. Learn to say NO that's what I did, and he was thankful for it.

3. I learn to say NO from my experience since I was once in the shoes of his girlfriend, I always kept on thinking about that. If not from that experience, I would have made one of the biggest mistake of my life also. Luckily, I used my brain and my heart is not functioning properly yet.

4. Though honestly, I was kilig because it had been quite a long time since somebody had made efforts to make me feel special, I guess that was one thing why I was not able to get out of it; and though I don't want to admit it but I realized that it was about my ex also - I guess part of me wants to be updated still, damn. It's his fault, he always digs up my past which I like and hate at the same time.

5. Do not be too nice, wrong people might fall in love with me. Hahaha! This was his unsolicited advise, I'm really not sure what being too nice is, I'm just being me. and FYI, it took me quite a long time to open up again since I was really used to NO BOYS ALLOWED territory.


Thursday, November 01, 2012

If that wasn't LOVE, then I don't know what love is.

It's been quite awhile since my last post and I really wasn't planning to write in this blog anymore though I check it sometimes together with my other blog. Anyway, there's really no update between me and my old friend but just lately because of a common friend, this topic surfaced again. 

The word LOVE is a common term being used today but it's unusually difficult to define. It's a feeling, yes, it's a variety of different feeling but how would you know if that feeling is already what they so called love? Well, I guess you'll only know it when you experience it first hand and even so it's difficult to explain.

True that I had been hurt, wounded and stabbed before, nothing can really describe how I feel during those moments and I really don't want to experience it again like the roller coaster ride that literally took my breath away. BUT then I realized that the pain I felt was equal to the love I felt; if you love much and was loved  much then expect the pain to be a big bang; likewise if you love a little and was loved a little then the pain would just be a scratch. I'm not saying that she/he was in more pain because he/she loved more or the years of their relationship is much longer; it really doesn't matter - it's the same pain, the same heartache.

It's been over a year already since it happened, and I would've labeled it as one of the 'tragic' moments of my life but then I came to realized (slowly) that it wasn't really that bad, Oh! the pain was excruciating, I could compare it when I lost my grandpa. But the end result was quite surprising, I mean, OMG, I survived! I had slowly buried my past but when I'm at my happiest and gloomiest day, he pops out of my mind - he as my bestfriend and not the lover.

I have a regular communication with a mutual friend of ours and our conversation would almost always include my past which I hate and love at the same time. He knows so much about what had happened between us which is quite exciting and frustrating though I really don't mind talking about it. But he had said something that had really stirred my mind, it was like literally mind-blowing. He said "You didn't fought for ALL the right things he had done, you left him for the ONE unfaithful thing he did" upon reading this phrase repeatedly, tears uncontrollably sprung in my eyes. He was absolutely wrong, I didn't left him, he pushed me away; he was the one who needed space and couldn't decide, what does he expect me to do? Wait and wait and wait? He didn't know my side of the story, he was wrong absolutely wrong BUT he had a point - a very good point. When the boat started to sink, I lost my grip and though I held on to it for awhile; I didn't thought I had enough strength to pull us back so I let go.

I let go because that was what I thought was best for both of us; I let go not because I hated him though partly but more on because I loved him - to the extent that in spite of how much he had hurt me, I forgave him without any hesitation and grudge; I tried hard to kept mum on our issue esp. to my family for his sake;   and I never closed my door for our friendship. I fought, the way that I know I could; I didn't go beyond because I know it would only complicate more and might be bloody too (lol).

Anyway, I kept on thinking about this over and over for the past few days, I know shouldn't dwell on this much but damn it made me dig and open my past back. I didn't regret what I did, I just had some what-if thoughts on my mind and I keep on telling myself that everything happened for a reason. There's no way to turn back time, some people had asked me if I could turn back time, what is that one thing that I could change? I answered "I shouldn't have given my 101% TRUST", again this is about trust and not love. I guess it was okay that I poured my love since I received it also but maybe just maybe when I didn't trust him well then I could have been more observant and cautious of the changes around us - but then again PAST IS PAST. So now I'm moving on and I deserve a pat in the back for doing what was right, I may have made a mistake or overlooked the situation but I know that was the right thing to do and it was all because of LOVE - for myself, my family, and even my love for him.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Have You Really Moved On?

A lot of people had been asking me this question for the nth time, "Have you Moved On?". And honestly, I don't know how to answer that question and at times my answer varies depending who had asked me. What does "moving on" really mean? Does it mean that my feelings for my ex are gone as if I hit my head and all those had memories just vanished? Or does it mean that I am moving forward and letting go of the past, but bringing along those memories that had made me who I am today? 

They say that it would take 3 months to move on for a relationship that lasted for a year, 6 months for a 2-year relationship and so on. I have no idea where this stupid moving on calculation came but as I tried to do the math on this since our relationship was for 5 years so it would take 1 year and a half to move on - which instantly I shrugged off since that's too long. But now that 10 months had passed, I realized that the calculation above was all wrong, there's no equation on how long or short the moving on process is, it's all up to you. I have heard some stories that just a month after a break up they entered into a new relationship which most say is the "Panakip Butas" (covering up just to forget the old one) relationship. Then there's the story wherein indeed it would take years before moving on and that person is likely to be overcautious on love or doesn't want to enter in a relationship because she's afraid of getting hurt again. Another is that even though one had entered into a new relationship but still hasn't moved on from the past which is really not my kind of story.

People had told me that I handled the break up very well and asked me how I did it. Since this was my first heartbreak to someone who I have loved so much, it really wasn't easy at all but I tried my best to uplift myself, that's why I started this blog and instead of blabbering all my feelings to my friends, I just wrote it here as my personal journal. I took a quiz "Are you over your ex?" and the result was that I was just PRETENDING and is pretty good at it - like whaaaat? We'll it's quite true I guess, it's those memories and the lost friendship that is holding me back us of now. With regards to communicating and dealing with my ex - I've accepted it and try to be happy for him, I'm not closing my door for the friendship but as of now, we decided to distance ourselves from each other.


I had searched through the net and found out "20 Ways to Tell You're Over It"


1. You have stopped competing with your ex. 

- I'm not sure sure what competing here means? If it's about you have yours, I'll have mine someday then I really don't care. 

2. Hearing what your ex is up to doesn’t make you cry or feel worthless or angry.

- I never was a stalker and never will. And I told my friends that I don't want any updates on him, I just don't want to hear anything about him especially when he tries to contact my friends asking about me.

3. Memories don’t hurt you or make you cry.

- I'm having a difficult time with this matter as of now.

4. You’re no longer trying to prove that you’re over it – to your ex or to anyone else.

- That's why I'm writing this blog to access myself coz I don't know where I am now. I know I should careless of what people or my ex says.

5. You’ve stopped reading their horoscope (assuming the ex is of a different sign).

- I really don't read his horoscope.

6. You don’t go to places just hoping to bump into your ex.

- I don't go to those places because I don't like to bump into him.

7. You stop trying to hack into their email or constantly checking their online diary (blog) or dating site profile. 

- I lost track of his emails and passwords since before we broke up.

8. Hearing a special song makes you feel nostalgic and not tearful.

- Still makes me remember him.

9. You no longer care what your ex thinks of you.

- I don't want to care, but why do I care? Hahaha

10. You stop wondering if your ex misses you.

- I convinced and forced myself that he doesn't miss me at all, even though he sometimes contact my friends on ho am I doing. 

11. You stop making excuses to get in touch.

- We had a mutual agreement to stop communicating, even if we hadn't I wouldn't also coz I'm dead tired of making the first move.

 12. You no longer drive by their home or work (or any other place you think they might be.)

Our home is to far away and I don't even know if he has a job or not. Last update I asked about him was if he had graduated and that was all.

13. You have actually arrived at the conclusion the break-up was “for the best”.

- Yes, I have prayed and God had told me that everything that had happened is for the best and that the best is yet to come.

14. When something really good or bad happens, you, inadvertently phone someone else to share it with.

- Never thought about this but yes, sometimes. But with my friends now, supposedly it should have been him but I am getting used to it again - not telling anyone about what I'm feeling not even my friends.

15. You’ve stopped counting the days and weeks since the break-up.

- I count the months when I write my blog.

16. By taking your power back, you have started to go back to places you enjoyed going to, but have been avoiding, because they reminded you of your ex.

- The places I want to go, where the places we hadn't been yet; well, I guess except the malls which I had already conquered that fear.

17. When you are on a date with someone new, you don’t keep telling stories about your ex; nor do you compare the new person with your ex.

- I promise myself not to talk about my ex, IF I have someone new.

18. When you dream about your ex, it doesn’t leave you depressed for the entire day.

- Not the entire day, maybe just half of it. Haha

19. You’ve stopped buying the foods your ex liked out of habit, and have started to buy the foods you like.

- I don't even know his favorite food but I do know he doesn't like vegetables neither do I. Haha

20. You no longer hold hope you ex will come back nor would you consider re-uniting if he or she did.

- I have again forced and convinced myself that there's no more "One More Chance" not just because my friends would kill me but because it's really difficult if the "TRUST" is broken, it would never be the same. We can be friends but no longer lovers and I stopped hallucinating that we'll meet "somewhere down the road" one day and ignored all the signs that he showed me that he'll be back soon.



11 out of 20 of this I have gotten over my ex, though not 100% I guess that's not really bad, right? I had given myself time to heal this broken heart of mine, I know I don't need to rush things and I shouldn't care of what people say. The only people who can only understand are those that had experienced this kind of feelings, you can never explain as to why you're doing this and that, I guess that's what you called LOVE. And I just don't believe that "Moving On" is when you forget everything about your ex because that person will always be part of who you are. I know would take time to heal but you need to take action on it not just waiting for that uncertain time, there's no accurate equation as when or accurate truth that you can fully moved on when you find someone you; it's all in your hands. 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Exactly 6 Years Ago

It was exactly 6 years ago that we first met at one of the grandest celebration being held in Cebu, the Sinulog Festival and coincidentally it is the same date today, January 15. I know I shouldn't dwell much on this because "Past is Past" which I had been forcing myself to think and believe for 9 months already. But can you blame me? This was one of the events that really reminds me of him, of us, of what we used to have. The first time I was able to really join and celebrate Sinulog in which I went out of the house even if my lolo didn't allow me to, was when we first met. And for 5 years, oh actually 4 since last year he didn't want me to tag along with him which started our ending, he was my companion on walking the streets, holding my umbrella, guiding the road. So can you blame me if this particular day, this event and festivity would always remind me of him? Both happy and sad memories combined.

I joined another group for this year so I can make new memories, I wanted to have fun and enjoy this day as if it was my first time to join Sinulog and erase all the past memories of this. But I know I can't and it just can't be, though I was hoping I would find someone who would help me make those memories; unfortunately I wasn't able to find one, I guess I wasn't looking at all. I was looking but I was afraid I might spot him along the crowd with her. He is just so UNFAIR!!! And I'm just so damn STUPID, why am I still feeling this way?

I'm tired of this feeling, why can't I just stop thinking about him? I don't even now if he can associate this event with me? His cousin told me that he had written our sort of love story in his compiled songs and so? It really doesn't matter, why should I care? I hate him, I hate myself even more for acting such a fool. Luckily, I only act as a fool in this blog, I hardly tell anyone about my true feelings especially that it has been  9 months. Can you believe it, 9 months and I'm still recovering, DAMN! There's really something wrong with me and I know the only cure for this pain is the one that had inflicted it in the first place - Love.

Maybe it was because my companions for today were couples or was it that nobody was carrying my umbrella anymore? No, actually it was more on that I had no company to go to Sto. Nino Church, I had no one to constantly check, text and yell where to find each other, I walked along the road and through the crowds alone, and I went home all ALONE. I hate the feeling that I need someone by my side, is it my fault that I was accustomed to it for 5 years? Oh well, tomorrow is another day and I'll just deny everything I said here.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

2011 - My Rollercoaster Year

Life is a roller coaster ride, as they say,
And as most of you know, this year wasn't that OK,
2011 has been one heck of a ride,
With so many twisted loops from every side.

I had plunge into one of the deepest valley,
It felt like it was indeed an endless journey,
Alone and breathless, I started to shiver and cry,
But surprisingly, somebody had raise me up, up in the sky.

So then I realized I wasn't and never was alone in this ride,
I had my family and friends who never left my side.
Though the ride wasn't that smooth all through the way,
I wasn't that afraid anymore, I just sit tight and pray.

Now as I try to recall, 2011 wasn't that bad at all
I had been to many places and even met some new and old friendly faces.
God has His own ways of answering a prayer,
Honestly I don't understand but I know it's for the better.

Thanks for riding along with me this year,
and for bringing joys and cheers!