No Boyfriend (or Girlfriend) Since Birth
That’s my most honest label in the world of romantic relationships and dating. Heck, that’s a confession as well.
If I was the Michelle speaking two years ago, I wouldn’t have ever admitted it. I was dead embarrassed about it. Imagine your mother giving this juicy detail of your life (instead of achievements or experiences) to her friends whenever they would ask about me, in my presence. THE TRAUMA.
Is being an NBSB a stigma? I believe it could be considered as such. Coming from a semi-conservative society of the Philippines, being without a partner for such a long time is considered a shame. Most women in the past would be married at the age of 24. My mom got married with my dad when she was 24, my dad 23. And it wasn’t even just about child rearing, it was more of just the right age to be a married person. Habang bata pa… (While still young) as what they say. Of course, there’s the promise of building a family and being able to provide while stay healthy, etc. Nowadays, I believe that the marrying age has moved up a bit to late 20s probably because of work or just this new era has promised us so much more than just marriage. There’s career growth, traveling, partying, exploring new culture and language,etc. Moreover, you can be in love and be in a long, serious relationship with your partner without being married, right?
When I was much younger (and more cynical), I asked my bestfriend if it’s possible to be mutually in love with someone without putting a label on whatever they have except for love. For several minutes she was taken aback and reflected on it also. Being a player spares you of these types of questions as a player or just a lady-charmer gives you the luck of always having someone around. Anyway, she said that it is totally possible, but without the confirmation of what the relationship is, it’s difficult to define what boundaries and rights you have with each other. Touche. Then there’s my question about marriage later on and my perception of it as just a legal binding of emotions and freedom. Somewhere, sometime along the road of maturity, I’ve been a witness to some really good relationships that ended up in marriage. Suddenly, marriage became so ideal to me, and the promise of being together for as long as one can manage with a partner was so appealing.
If there’s one word that I picked up from my elementary English class that stuck so much as beautiful to me, it would be companionship. For example, I believe that my grandparents shared not only years and years of love, but it was companionship that kept them together. They always had each others’ back even when they bickered everyday. I knew how much my grandfather adored my grandmother despite his constant teasing (he new grew old of this, pun yes yes), and I’m sure my grandmother was flustered the whole time.
So you see, bred from an environment, a culture, a society that fosters this type of image of love and relationship, being an NBSB is a stigma. My relatives asks me all the time why I don’t have a boyfriend (or girlfriend) and my constant answer is: I DON’T KNOW. Honestly!
They say I don’t look that bad. Yeah, I’m on the chubby side, but at least I have boobs, I’m soft and hug-able. I can carry a conversation and I at least try to be smart, but uhm, yep, that’s not the formula for me. Perhaps because of my resting bitch-face? My high school friend told me some guys get intimidated with me. Frankly, I didn’t know how to deal with that statement, and I still don’t know how. I mean, come on! I didn’t have any say when the genes of my parents decided to mold this kind of face. I’m actually a really really friendly person if they only approach me! And well, fine, I can be a bit bitchy too since my tongue is kinda sharp, but only when necessary. I guess the bad parts stick to people better, huh?
Other friends have told me to go out there and explore. How? Going to clubs? Meh, don’t like crowded, noisy places and I don’t like drinking that much. How do you even have a decent conversation in a place where you’d have to yell at another person to hear you say, hi? What? The point is to be instantly close to the person, like, literally? NUH-UH. I mind my personal space, thank you.
Chats? Well, I could go with this. In fact, I’ve chatted several times with different guys and they were kinda interesting. I even had a few email correspondents. All those had been great experiences, but the thing is, I have problems with consistency. I can’t keep up with the constant exchange online unless it’s that person who becomes persistent with me. I grow tired of writing emails (because my replies are novel-length) and chats are kinda awkward when left hanging by the other person on the line.
Some men have approached me for my number, but I’m seriously untrusting of strangers, so either I lie about something or I just flee the scene. I also have no idea about flirting and I’m more a pare (buddy) to my crushes than a lady. The most offensive description I’ve had of my unsuspecting, unapparent femininity was that I had no sex appeal coming from no other than my own…father. Yep, that hurt a lot. I guess there’s also my non-conforming view of how a female should look like for a really long time, so I really didn’t look the part of someone who has, as my father said, sex appeal.
Nowadays, I’m more inclined to traditional ways of looking feminine like wearing make-up, curling hairs, wearing skinny jeans and dresses, and perhaps at the back of my mind this is to make myself look better, but I’m not really going for the look that I think guys would like, just things that I find pretty on me. Basically, the upgraded blooming is really puberty hitting a bit late in life without the raging hormones.
To be honest, I used to frustrate myself asking what’s wrong with me and why other people don’t find me interesting enough to make me their girlfriend. Then I’d get conscious about Valentines Day as it really is a case-in-point single-ness awareness day. My family would tease me about not having a date or getting flowers or chocolates then I’d somehow find myself watching a romantic movie even if I deny that Valentines is just another day (not even a holiday, duh), but I’d dream of my own love story anyway, afterward.
This year, somehow, I’m welcoming Valentines with open arms! WOO! That’s why I described this topic as curious. I may had been a bit bitter on the purpose of this day and the contrast it gives my sterling love-life (eherm), but this year, I dunno. I wanna do something on this day! Something special. I’ll just make it a day to do something special, but not really because it’s Valentines, you get me? I wanna get that special feeling that couples maybe giddy about during this day minus the romance and without added sour or bitterness. I just wanna spend this day positively in my own way.
So what’s the plan?
Well, my older brother said he’s gonna treat us for dinner so YEY! That’s one. Valentines is about love, so spend it well with my first love food and then family. Admit it or not, we were first attached to food through our appetites before we start recognizing the faces of our family members, so no shame to that! Also, I kinda really wanna watch this:
Yeah, it looks corny, but I’m sure corny is the last words for these veteran comedians! I’d love it more if Jose and Wally were there, but Papa Jack is bad-ass funny in his own way especially handling lovesick, desperate callers in his late night radio show; I’ve watched Ate Gay in a comedy bar and I love him/her; then there’s Boobsie and Chuchay whose segment in a Sunday noontime show has become a mainstay, so you know they’ve got the laughs locked down. I love comedy shows! I love laughing! Doesn’t it feel so good to laugh so hard you can hear your own laugh and then laugh at it and then laugh out more?!
See? This resting-bitchface bitch actually loves to laugh. Take that, irony!
So yeah, I’m not gonna celebrate on the actual Valentines Day, but in spirit of it, yes. V-day falls on a Sunday, so I would, on any other circumstances and day, would avoid the crowd of a Sunday in malls or any shopping area. The farthest I’d probably go to would be in Guadalupe for ukay-ukay. (I miss!)
So how did this change of heart come about? Simple. Acceptance. It’s the key to everything. I really have to thank the gods for letting me experience the worst of pain for me to evolve into this more mature being. Accepting that there’s gold at the end of the horrible road is an upgrade to my optimism and belief that life really gets more amazing as time goes. Failure and death paved way for reflection and changes.
I’m very thankful also to my friends who urged me to attend Zen meditation classes because aside from the actual meditation, Buddhist teachings certainly connected with me on a spiritual level.
Nothing is permanent in this world; people, material things, happiness, pain, nature, etc. Once you start accepting this truth, it’s much easier to live. We suffer because of things we don’t have or things we cannot attain. In this case, I don’t have a romantic partner and I haven’t attained one. I’ve probably haven’t done enough good things to earn my karma for a partner, or maybe I don’t have one for this lifetime. I used to think that perhaps going abroad would open me a whole new opportunity not only for career but also for a chance at love, but what if there’s none? Then I would be in for another disappointment. So, detach. Detach yourself from thoughts of things you do not have. Live your life in the moment with good deeds and happiness. If I’m not meant to fall in love in this lifetime, then so be it. I try my best everyday to detach myself from the hope.
I try because from time to time I still wish to learn what love is all about and why people go crazy with it. It must feel so nice to have someone dote on you lovingly. I know that despite this acceptance, the over-thinker me would always asks these what ifs which I find so tragic in stories. There’s that gray area of things that could have happened, but they wouldn’t because it’s not meant to be. Not in that lifetime at least.
So what’s the conclusion? Be happy, and live life to its most positive potential. Be curious of the odd and different, but have enough caution. Love yourself, love others, and love life. Remember, love always multiplies. 😀
Advanced happy love day, everyone! 🙂
Such is Life // 