How Well Do You Really Know Someone?

"Can you really know someone without ever having met them? Thousands of people, perhaps millions, might say yes. But is there really a simple, clearcut, straight-foward answer? No. If there were, I wouldn't be wondering about this. But, still I ask, is it possible to know, and yes, even fall in love with, someone that you've never laid eyes on? I believe it is possible. In fact, I think it's a great way to fall in love. That way you know that you are falling in love with the person and not his or her looks. However, then the question arises if the person is truly who they say they are, but that's another issue for another time.

Some people will say that part of knowing a person is being in their physical presence, seeing their gestures, facial expressions, posture, etc., and they're right. But who's to say that you can't fall in love first, and then meet? While there is no substitute for in-person interactions, no potential for truly knowing someone without such presence, it is possible. Of course, this doesn't stop people from trying, hoping, and believing. Certainly millions of 'normal' individuals seek and often find people to interact with via the Internet. But to know their soul, their deepest selves, you have to be able to look into their eyes, and that cannot be done without personal interaction.

Each case is different, and what works for one does not always work for another."

That is a draft from a post I wrote just over two years ago. I happened to find it because I was looking through my 'Drafts' thinking that I made one recently and wanting to finish it. The draft that I thought was there was not, but this was. I read it over, and surprisingly enough, I remember writing it (but not saving it). In fact, I even remember thinking about this as I wrote it, and before I wrote it too. After reading it now, I look back at it and think, "Boy, was I naive." Falling in love without ever having met the person? I don't think so. After being in two relationships (one serious, one not, but not in that order), I now realize how wrong I was. There is something to be said about being with the person, seeing him or her, interacting with him or her, and learning about that person through those interactions. You learn things you can never possibly learn without interaction and seeing each other. In fact, there's more than just "something" to be said for all that, there's tons to be said. However, I think if I have to actually say those things, than maybe I'm not the only one who was naive.

Naked Pictures and Public Transportation

I take public transportation on a daily basis. It's ok; not the greatest, but it gets me where I need to go, which is home. The train is fine; nothing much to say about it. There is the occasional goofy or weird person, but for the most part, it's really not that bad. Now, the bus on the other hand, that's another story.

Let me start by saying that I hate taking the bus. It takes me through some of the worst and scariest neighborhoods in my area. That being said, it does give me some great stories. The one I'm about to tell is one of the funniest, if not the weirdest, experience I have ever had on public transportation.

There is a woman I see on the bus almost every day. I never paid her any attention, as I do to most of the people on the bus. However, as much as you might want to, you cannot ignore her. She is loud. She spends most of every bus ride talking on her cell phone, and not in a normal voice, but in a loud, black-woman-telling-everyone-her-business type of voice. (You know those kinds of people, I'm sure. They get on the phone, and begin to talk so loudly that you can't help but hear, and you learn more about them in one ride than you learned about your coworker in a month.) She does that the first few times I see her, and if not talking, she's texting.

On the bus one day last week I see her, and, as usual, she's on her phone withn two minutes of getting onto the bus, and as usual, she's loud. But this is not her usual, blah blah blah conversation. She starts yelling. (Oh, I forgot to mention, she has this loud, raspy, kind of smoker-type voice.) "What?! He said that???!!!!! Why would he say that???!!!!" Silence (bless the second), and then "Why would I do something like that? Why would you believe him? I'm so steamed right now, you have no idea!" And she hangs up.

In the meantime, I'm thinking, "Thank goodness. Maybe if she's mad at the guy, she won't talk on the phone to him and the rest of the ride will be (fairly) quiet." Nope. Not at all. Wishful thinking. Not even five minutes later she's on the phone again, yelling. This time, louder than before, if that's possible. So, the bus makes a few stops, and a few minutes later, it comes to what I like to call the "Grunge Stop." I call it this because it stops in an area where all the "grunge" people get on. I know, not nice. But it's true. It's the type people who, when they get on, just creep you out. I'm sure you all know those types of people. Anyway, I hate the stop. The creepiest people get on the bus there.

So, we make the stop, and everyone is slowly shuffling their way of the bus, while she's still yelling on the phone, saying the same things as before. However, just as everyone gets off the bus and the bus is about to close it's doors, she gets up, walks across half the bus (she was sitting in the middle section), and gets off. But as she's doing this, she's yelling, "WHY THE HELL WOULD I SEND HIM NAKED PICTURES OF MYSELF??????!!!!!" Yes. No joke. We ALL heard. And you knew everyone heard because the whole entire bus was quiet after she got off. For about five seconds that is.

I still see her. In fact, over the last week I learned she has a three year old daughter who loves Dora and changes her clothes about five times a day. Just last week she bought a little Dora necklace for her daughter--a surprise. I guess I'm saying this because it reminds me that they are people too. Loud, obnoxious, and annoying, but people nonetheless.

It's 2AM and I'm Writing a Song

OK, so I'm not writing a song. I'm blogging. Blogging for the first time in two years, to be exact. I started this blog years ago to rant and rave, tell my stories, and just share to whomever was unfortunate to stumble upon this and read. And it was great. It served it's purpose. I ranted, raved, told my stories, good and bad, and people actually read. Then I stopped. Why? Good question. Probably because I no longer had the time. Or maybe because I felt obligated to write a post, and it therefore became a chore. I don't know. But I stopped; put it on hold for awhile. Only that awhile apparently became two years.

Two years. It can seem like a lifetime, or like no time. For me, these past two years have been both, especially when considering my blog. I've actually been thinking about picking this up again, blogging again. I liked it. And apparently, enough time has passed because it doesn't feel like it would be a chore. Not to mention, I have time now. I come home from work now, and that's it. I'm home. I don't have any papers that have to be finished (or in my case, started), no tests to study for, no busy work to do. I'm free. OK, maybe, occasionally, I'll have to do some grown-up things, like pay bills, balance a checkbook, laundry, etc., but that doesn't occur every day. For me, some of those things don't even occur monthly (not the laundry part, though). So what am I going to do to fill my time? You know, those endless hours from the time you get home from work until you deem it late enough to go to bed (because going to bed at 9PM is what parents do, right?). I could go out, but nightly? Please, even at 22 I'm not up for that.

So, here I am. Back to rant and rave, tell my stories (good and bad), and share with those who are yet again unfortunate enough to read. (I would say "sorry" to those of you, but I figure by now you should now, so it's your own fault.) In the meantime, sit back, grab a snack (chocolate is always a good choice), and enjoy.