"The Milk Carton."

I couldn't help but wonder ... Precisely how many remarkable women are men shipping into the FriendZone? Could right now be the opportune time to begin instituting rent increase and start notarizing those eviction notices? Reevaluate a gal friends' position within your life? Maybe, "The One" is the gal you never visioned in the Pretty Woman's gorgeous Red Dress. Never appeared thought worthy 'cause it's not conventional.

Recently, non-recently, but all experiences from within my life have lead me to wonder, are our Soulmates a resident of the FriendZone? Girlfriends, all simply enter and leave, hence the plural. But these few girls, those with a different label I'm now attempting to differentiate the uniqueness from Girlfriend, "Best Friend(s)" are there forever. And, maybe a man needs a bit longer than forever to illogically and logically realize these girls embody the relationship we perpetually creep about yearning for, but can't find. They've given desperately needed support for all our bad breakups and relationships, and have lent a hand in bad situations at home. We've shared all those chuckles, experiences and joy we wish a Non-FriendZoned gal would be worthy of. Our Best Gal Friends make us happier than any Girlfriend, yet we don't put two and two together. Answers, those that we're desperate for, lie right before our eyes ... It's emotional blindness.

We can't think any higher of the girls we've named our Best Friend(s). We're on the never-ending hunt for "The One" to complete us, yearning for the one day it would all be done. But maybe those failed relationships and horrifying dates are all telltale signs we're on the wrong track. And it's never too late to turn around, then seeing "The One" right before your eyes, there's the gal that we were contemplating filing a "Missing Persons" for. A 'lotta men don't consider the friend conundrum 'cause we're raised to believe it breaches an unwritten contract. It's seemingly odd. Unconventional. But, if a man can crack the friend factor, and finds a loophole, who knows of the reward(s). Would require balls ... But these are our lives! Take the wheel, fellas.

Friendships are relationships. Couldn't we tweak the characteristics and fastforward through the bullshit? I can honestly say that my Best Friends, who're dominantly women, have made me happier than any Girlfriend that I've had. And happiness is vital for a relationship, any relationship. So, maybe "The One" has been there from day one. There for a bad movie, egg whites at your diner, while you fixate on all your shipwrecked relationships, men and women, who didn't make the cut. Maybe that's her, and the scissors are meaningless. The "Forbidden Territory" advocates risk, but while you're receiving all the benefits of a great relationship, begin putting the glasses on ... Maybe, of all of the maybe's, it's time for the sex.

Shit...

"Just Say Yes."

Could one truly know when something is right? How would one truly know such a thing? Are there signs? Firecrackers? Would one being comfortable prove that there aren't any firecrackers in the relationship? Would hesitation prove something isn't right there or you're simply not prepared? Oh, the questions. For the trials of love, how would one truly know that it's right?

I couldn't help but wonder ... Maybe, there aren't any right answers, right times or right women. Maybe you should simply listen to what your heart is telling you. Yes ... Just say yes.

Delaney, for instance. Times could not get any worse for our personal lives, and we had begun searching for those right times within our relationship, in attempts to perfect something. Everything, in our lives, was terribly uncontrollable. I guess a sense of control flickered within us while contending with our relationship together. But those adventures of "control" had disbenefited us, as I felt more powerless while stuff began to shift, and in a bad way with the distance seemingly irreconcilable.

Was there a possible way where stuff could've ended differently? Yes, I'm convinced. Is timing everything? If Delaney & I hadn't partnered up then, and had waited for a more encouraging opportunity later on, could there and would there have been a major difference? We would have attained the time to dedicate ourselves to what had drawn us apart in our lives. And, we'd have been more experienced ... Stronger. Prepared for a commitment which craved equal attention, desperately needed it to survive.

The "woes" still continue for her and myself. I have faced, she has faced, draining uphill battles since splitting. Heavy realizations are the normality, I have them every day. Here's a tip to take, from our relationship : You shouldn't enter deep waters when you are currently a shallow swimmer. Even if you're completely willing to chance it, come up for air and talk shit out. The relationship will drown otherwise. Maybe, Delaney & I were both terribly possessive of particular feelings and that simply couldn't work. We were chained to anchors. Being doomed was our destiny 'cause of that. When you love a gal, find the key to unshackle yourself and your feelings too. Allow small space to feel what you're feeling, and to think about everything, open up but a smidgen. Simply follow, and listen to your heart ... 'Cause it brings you home, always.

"The Big Journey."

There are a lot of men of a particular age, who are charming and single, searching for a particular thing. That particular thing doesn't necessarily involve a particular ring. We've switched the black books for black suits, and replaced the Mustang with a pricey Rolex, but 'cause of particular evidence, I couldn't help but wonder ... Are we the new bachelors?

"I Can't Find The Time To Tell You."

Are the words you feel a foggy mist surrounding you everywhere you go in life? Simply put, you can't find the time to tell somebody how you truly feel? You're either tangled in work among other stuff, or the plain fear of those possible outcomes of feelings intimidate you? Tomorrow, next week and next month, are all of the time mechanisms we use to avoid our feelings, and avoid total disappointment or rejection. Although men try, are we trying hard enough?

You could write a novel of feelings with 1,000 pages but you can't utter a word to this gal within 1,000 ages. Once a man reaches a particular age and a particular number of relationships which had not worked out, "Baby, I can't find the time to tell you..." simply doesn't cut it anymore. There's a deadline on communicating, it's the unspoken Rule of Love. There are times where something, a promotion, an untapped relationship slips away out of your grasp before you had grabbed a hold and explored all the possibilities and opportunities. It, like a boat released from the shackles of an anchor, has set sail without you.

When all these things occur, a guy has to ask, "Did I try hard enough?" ... After heavy realizations, "No" may be the answer. There'll be a guilt period, and you might hate yourself for a while, for not grabbing a hold of the opportunity of a successful relationship and true love. And you'll ask, "Was that conflicting time lot living or procrastinating?" The Verdict : Avoid the total disaster and FIND the time. Whatever it means to you, a guy must let go of the Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda, buckle up and keep going; Trust me, I know.

"Strange Condition."

Strange condition, familiar crossroads ... Those times where you don't know what you've came for, but you want somebody to know something, and you want to know something in return for that. What? It's not clear, but it's there, sorta like a wordless letter.

Delaney; Our relationship was this wordless letter. There was something I wanted her to know, and I wanted to know something in return. I think she did too, and that's where the communication deprivation began being puzzling and, well ... Frightening. We slipped outta the other's arms and I'm still not sure how, or even why.

I wasn't sure what I needed and wanted to say among everything I dealt with at that time. I had a fried brain, I couldn't think, not even for a minute; I was emotionally/mentally numb. I did that to myself to avoid hurt. I don't think Delaney knew, either. She was stranded in escaping the struggles that she hadn't dealt with.

The distance was quite far. It couldn't even be interpreted as a mechanism to grow closer anymore, but only for furthermore separating from the other, until one couldn't possibly find their way back. There wouldn't any longer be a reason for not knowing what you've came for 'cause you couldn't come at all. And the question, whatever that was, still remains ever-so unclear for the heart and mind. But, now that I think about it ... Maybe I might know what I needed and wanted to say and receive in return. This, too, goes for Delaney...

" ... I love you."

"Let's Have A Smoke And A Drink Sometime."

Men constantly complain about how women disappoint their expectations and about all those awful dates ... We chase these model-types, and eventually get a date, only to question suicide 'cause it's so horrible. There isn't a connection, and the personality level welcomes a whole new unbearable when her idea of interesting is Maybelline and, of course, her outstanding unpaid traffic ticket. Looks are deceiving, especially while you're penning $100 out to the Municipal Court to run from a mess...
...Are these terrible dates messages in disguise to actually avoid these women? Should men begin using the Town's "Untapped Resource" in women, and start finding real connections? 'Ya know, those women that we encounter but never think twice about 'cause their looks don't kill?

I'm not speaking about the physical connection alone ... There's a plethora of girls you'll get those vibes from. And that's the truth, cut and dry. Our ideas about "The Total Package" are influenced by propaganda, which will control our twenties, thirties and even our fourties searching for this fictional woman; She doesn't exist.

Sometime you'll realize, that maybe you should've had a smoke and a drink with the discretely beautiful gal who was eyeing you up in interest, sweetly, that you had slightly smiled, waved and kept walking from 'cause propaganda has captured all disinterest conceived by old territory that sways you away from the reality.

The world constantly tells a guy "Get Real" ... Let's. Let's stroll down to Earth, and see a great woman who lives there. Who's got a dazzling personality and looks you see for a Princess. Screw the criticisms, 'cause all who ridicule are blinded to the truth of your earth-shattering connection and love that they pipe-dream about. It'll disappear instantaneously, 'cause they're the individuals chasing a dream they want of a reality, while you chased the reality and found yourself a dream.

Reflect...

"Running With Scissors."

I couldn't help but get to thinking about safe sex ... Odd how only when our physical lives are at risk do we follow certain guidelines in order to protect ourselves. But why are we so quick to forget about our emotional lives? Wouldn't it be great if there were a little pamphlet to warn us what unsafe behavior might be high risk to ourselves and our relationships? Even if you take all of the precautions and emotionally try to completely guard yourself, when you hop into the bed with someone, is sex really ever safe?

"The Awful Truth."

I couldn't help but wonder ... Are individuals planting big premiums on truthfulness and openness, where now we've misplaced the boundaries of propriety; Are there still things in a relationship that one should never say? After critical thinking, I think there are utterances better left un-uttered. Those venomous words that we don't mean and are unfiltered roll off of the tongue in a split second cause irreparable damage for the relationship; However, there are circumstances where words slip out unexpectedly and completely not planned, and we do mean them which is what we're delving into now.

There are websites which highlight the top stuff you should never say to your girlfriend ... The reoccurring thing is never to say things that you actually don't mean to flight from a fight. Are men avoiding the awful truth to maintain a halfway decent relationship? Say a man could appropriately balance what he truly means, from which that he doesn't. Wouldn't logic say the "truth", the actual truth, great or awful is appropriate? "Are there still things in a relationship that one should never say" is quite a puzzling topic, 'cause the answer is both "Yes" and "No".

Those reckless split second utterances definitely equal "Yes" ... You're, regardless it's inadvertent, slandering the relationship. Sometimes, men and women wander into forbidden territory 'cause they're hurting, and want their partner to feel the same; Understand their pain, regardless it's meaningless or temporary. Evaluate the scenario, understand the warnings and think twice prior to crossing those risky lines. Once you opt to cross, remember (s)he may not be standing alongside you after it ... You must think to yourself, would that be worth it in the end?

Those times where the truth, the awful truth, stays undisclosed equals a "No" ... You are bottling the truth, and that's a surefire recipe for total disaster, Townies. You're wandering into forbidden territory via avoiding communication, openness and truthfulness. Plant the premium, whatever it takes to swing things into the right direction for you, and whatever that actually means dumb luck and fate knows.

So ... Are there still things in a relationship that one should never say? It's a puzzling war between crossing risky bridges and bottling the truth. It's high-risk relationship behavior, and it's a decision that's all your own, when interpreting what these mean for yourself and your relationship.

"Fear Factor."

I couldn't help but wonder ... If giving a lucky gal the key to your Small-Town apartment means unlocking those doors to truly great sex and mouthwatering home-cooked meals, why are these countless men hesitant in taking their relationships to the next level and entering those doors of happiness and pleasure? We're all ignoring these opportunities with great women 'cause the fear of being 'tied down' lurks in the night. But, let's not hunch for a conclusion regarding something we know very little about in retrospect. Everything deserves a fair shot, and we're ultimately refusing ourselves any romantic satisfaction by avoiding commitment and running from compromise. And who knows, maybe you'll see yourself tied up and not down after everything plays out for the relationship. Who doesn't enjoy that every once in awhile, Townies? Splurge; It's all about the happiness, the spark and the spice of the love. Chase that 'cause fear is not a factor for you, or your fate.

"The Drought."

The Small-Town could adopt a "Monsoon Season" per a wretched inheritance, yet there'd still be individuals 'drowning' in a dry spell. Do these mystical relationship God(s)/Goddess(es) dabble within a potion of abstinence, sprinkling a speck on those who could use a drought? Is there a greater-good, or are Townies' seasonably undesirable? Is it deprivation or a strike with purpose? I couldn't help but wonder ... In a "Pleasure-Free-Spring", how often is actually normal?