In Your Dreams

Someone once said, ~Love is the most beautiful of dreams, and the worst of nightmares.~ Without a doubt, when it comes to love or true love for that matter you can most definitely become effected in such a way you truly suffer, especially when it involves nights of slumber. I think many would agree love/true and suffering are synonymous with each other as a person can experience a sort of painful contentment within their heart inevitably manifesting itself when you close your eyes at night. For its a type of suffering that is both positive and negative as you have someone in your life who has given you continuous dreams of absoluyte true happiness leaving a smile always on your face, but at the same time leaves you frowning as you go through times of sleepless nights.

Let me ask you this question to those in a significant relationship, what aspect of love/true love cause you to suffer to the point where you find yourself having both sweet dreama and the worst of nightmares? If you said dealing with the issue of distance you're correct and its a frustrating situation indeed for any person to have someone you loves/deeply care about miles away or overseas. We all know someone or quite possibly are that someone who is going through separation anxiety as there is a long distance relationship happening and the effects of being away from each other for a certain amount of time causes a lack of sleep leading you to toss, as well as turn dreaming that he/she is with you right by your side, which can be clearly seen by the haggard look on your face.

If you think about it, matters of the heart in regards to being in a significant relationship is both a blessing and a curse. Why? Essentially, the qualities of love you've been dreaming of has been found in someone special who is no longer a mere fanatasy dreamt up while asleep, but is actually real as you can feel, touch, talk to him/her. Thinking about it, the reality of having love/true love in your life can surely be a tortuous experience for couples who aren't able to be together because of such infortunate situations as the man/woman working out of state, in the military fighting overseas, or whatever the case may be. Its a sad state of affairs when the person you so want tp be at your side when you need him/her the most leaving you to settle with just hearing his/her voice to give you temporarily relief.

For the question can be asked to those who are living the single life such as myself, when you dream of love/true love do you see or are you able to see his/her face? We've all at some point had dreams where each one of us are chasing someone who is seemingly out of reach and if/when we do finally reach him/her we end up turning him/her around you either can't see his/her face or wake up immediately just as you're about to. For some, most or all single people its a recurring dream that at first causes you to happily look forward in seeing the face of the person who haunts your dreams, but as time goes on it becomes a nightmare causing you to not only have many sleepless nights, but also experience the loss of one's own sanity as well.

In retrospect, the dreams of a experiencing love/true has come to fruition for many people and yet they too are silently suffering as well. Oftentimes, the dreams of a better tomorrow are a catch 22 because what you've been dreaming of is a far cry from the reality of a long list of broken relationships. However, the reality of having your forever best friend sticking by your side and going through every high, as well as low with this particular person is so much better than the dream don't you think? In the end, I say to those who are silently suffering in their sleep be rest assured that its in your dreams that love/true will one day replace those real unwanted nightmares.

Hope Floats

Someone once said, ~Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed; to those who still believe even though they've been betrayed; to those who still love even though they've been hurt before.~ If you think about it, hope is something that people sometimes don't necessarily hold on to, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Essentially, hope and love are synonymous with each other as you can either easily give up on it because of bad past relationship experiences or keep holding on to it knowing true happiness you most definitely deserve will come to fruition. For it's a tough and frustrating situation indeed for those to still have hope when they've experienced constant disappointment, from guys/girls who metaphorically drained not only the hope within their heart, but the love as well.

Let me ask you this question to those who have seemingly faced disappointment time and time again, have you personally given up hope in one day finally experiencing true happiness? You see, it's difficult for any person to keep the bright light of hope in one's own heart from being in all intensive purposes extinguished and avoid having it sinking into the dark despair of anger, bitterness, sadness, confusion, loneliness, etc. Yet, it's those unfortunate past relationships that gradually flickered the light within your heart to the point where it nearly or possibly has gone completely out and has led you to someone special who gives you a new found hope. A new found hope in which it always burns brightly never to sink into the utter darkness where past heartbreaks that left hurtful scars are now healed by the shining warmth of his/her love.

Without a doubt, there are those that are living the single life who hold on to the hope of one day finally experiencing true happiness. They have this unwavering belief that going through the unwanted pain and heartbreak was all worth it as each one of them hopes he/she meets someone who can look him/her in the eyes and make him/her truly believe there is an absolute strong, bright future for the two of you. However, there are those who unfortunately are losing/have lost their grip on the innate hope of someday finding love that is honestly genuine. Thinking about it, there comes a point where a person doubts as to whether or not to keep holding on to the hope of love/true love gradually leading to the notion that it was merely fleeting because it became physically, mentally, and emotionally tiresome causing one to make the painful decision to let go.

For the question can be asked to those who are hopeful instead of hopeless, what has continually kept your hopes high in meeting that certain someone who you will spend the rest of your days with? For some, most, or all people it's their faith in God as they pray to him in order for their prayers of a wonderful life of joy, happiness, and contentment to be fulfilled. As it's been said many times before, it's just a matter of patience and timing as you spiritually read the word of God for guidance when there is inner turmoil going on within your heart. What it primarily comes down to is letting go of the hope you have as trust in yourself to make love/true love happen for you and instead hold on to the hope in what God can do when it comes to the love you are deserving all-the-while completely letting go as you trust in Him that He is guiding you to Ms./Mr. Right or vice versa.

Actor Josh Hartnett said, ~Hope is the most exciting thing in life and if you honestly believe that love is out there, it will come. And even if it doesn't come straight away there is still that chance all through your life that it will.~ In retrospect, the hope of falling in love can get anyone excited and even though it may not be happening for you right now you pray to God in hopes that it will. Personally speaking, as much as I'm a cynic when it concerns love/true love I continue to pray to God that he sends me a very special lady who I will fall excitedly in love with for a lifetime. In the end, if you don't put all your faith in God then the hopes of bright future of love/true love will sink completely out of sight into darkness, but ultimately hope floats for those who set both their heart and eyes on Him giving way to a life full of pure, loving excitement.

The Usual

David Knopfler once said ~I feel like I'm stepping into a place of spiritual contemplation every time I step into the studio, it's always had a certain magic to me that have never worn off with familiarity.~ If you think about it, we all have a place that has an ere of familiarity and even though it may not have a certain magic to it you always experience a sense of ease whenever you step in. For its when you step into a particular place or particular places you're possibly greeted in sort of the same fashion as a fictional character from the tv show Cheers Norm Peterson with everyone inside calling out his name. Although he had his spot sitting at the stool alongside his best bud Cliff Clavin at the end of the bar, we sometimes don't have the luxury of sitting in the same place we do, however sit with the same familiar friends on hand that help make any area to sit in my/our spot.

Without a doubt, there is a place guys frequent every couple of weeks and it's a place of considerable comfort where one can leave his hair to a trusted professional. It's in a barbershop in which a guy can be rest assured the person he goes to knows how and what style haircut he wants without even saying a word. What it basically comes down to is how long he has been going to that particular barbershop and depending whether or not there is a strong friendship with the barber in question. You see, there is a strong, unexplainable bond between a guy and his barber so much so that a guy will actually get upset if he isn't there leading him to begrudgingly have his hair cut by someone else. As ridiculous as it may sound it's absolutely true and ladies ask any guy the name of his barber he personally goes to get his haircut.

Essentially, there are countless coffee drinkers out there and it would be safe to say there are a certain number of people who not only frequent a specific Starbucks in their area, but they also in all intents and purposes consider it a second home. We all know someone or are that someone who sets up shop, so to speak, as he/she makes himself/herself comfortable at a particular Starbucks in one's favorite table/area possibly bringing along books, classwork, and/or laptop in hand to keep one's self occupied while downing the coffee you tend to order all the time. Thinking about it, one can be considered a regular to the point where a friendship is forged with both the staff and manager, which gives any person a sense he/she isn't just seen as a simple customer but as a friend who they most definitely make one feel at home.

Let me ask you this question, have you ever been to a restaurant that when you immediately stepped in they knew who you were because you went there so many times before? We all have a place we like to eat at either with friends and/or family that has an atmosphere of familiarity where the service, as well as hospitality you receive are top notch as you partake in your favorite meal. As said before, you don't feel like you're just seen as a simple customer as you get to know certain people from the servers to the chefs who work there getting to know them not just on a professional basis, but on a personal basis as well. Whether its just shooting the breeze about what's going on news wise or talking about how each other's family is doing you enjoy being there to where you don't want to leave when the meal is done.

In retrospect, being in a place that you're so familiar with and can always go to is something quite enjoyable. It's in how you look at it really as you take the experience of what is seen as primarily mundane by others is seen by you along with friends as a situation where you spend time having fun with the people you love/care about. A bookstore, museum, golf course, church, etc. are just a few places that you can most definitely spend at times in quiet tranquility away from the outside world for a couple hours as you either get a haircut, drink a cup of coffee while busy at your laptop, or eat your favorite meal. How many of you have a place like this where the combination of people, atmosphere, and the food/drink is absolutely fantastic? In the end, it's the usual places you go to alone or with friends that seem to never lose its magic and you hope it never does.