Random Snapshots From A Moving Train

Is it just me or did it feel like the months of July and August came and went on a lightning speed? It’s still summer but a few chilly nights reminded me that fall is just around the corner and I’m not exactly looking forward to it yet. There are still places to go and things to do before it’s time to hibernate and brave the cold winter once again. The past couple of months were so frenetic that I haven’t had time to update this blog. It’s  pretty slipshod of me and I apologize, dear readers. Although it might not be of any consequence to anyone but let me just apprise you about all the toing and froing.

While people around the world were riveted to their TVs for the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony on August  8th, my friends and I were in a frenzied excitement getting primped and geared up for our friend Mariah’s big day. She was set to walk down the aisle and she have chosen four of us to be her ladies-in-waiting. It was truly a compliment to be her Matron-of-Honor and I took the role very seriously indeed. I wanted her day to go as smoothly and stress-free as possible although she appeared cool as cucumber that she probably didn’t need us fussing around her anyway. I don’t think she ever had a bridezilla moment through all the wedding planning and preparations. She was the epitome of a laid-back bride-to-be.

For those who participated in the poll regarding Mariah’s two choices of bridal gowns, she heeded the majority’s advice and went with this pretty confection of lace, ruffles and beads. She looked every inch an elegant and beautiful bride in it.

With hair and make-up in place, skirts rustling and cleavages adjusted, we were ready to march. Then, I had a brief moment of reflection and remembered my own wedding day when my father escorted me down the aisle and the warring emotions I felt during the seemingly long walk before I finally glimpsed Kenny at the altar. As a cold shiver ran down my spine, I took a deep breath and blinked away the tears that were about to bubble over. What is it about weddings that make women such blubbering hot messes? Anyway, the ceremony went without a hitch and then it was time to party up a storm. It was a great night spent among friends and family. Needless to say, the camera flashes were pretty rampant as what can be expected whenever there’s a gathering of Filipinos.

Most of my friends are already married, engaged or in  serious relationships. Some found their spouses without so much drama and a few had bumpy rides on their way to the altar. Then, a handful are still single who may or may not be looking for a romantic liaison. Some of them might already be feeling the pressure of people inquiring about their uncommitted status. I’ve been through that rigmarole before. Now that I’m married, folks are breathing down my neck about having kids. There’s always something to vex about, huh?

I know that people are just being inquisitive and are generally well-meaning but it doesn’t make for a comfortable conversation when you’re fending off such personal probing. I could just imagine the kind of dissection women in their 30s are being subjected to in the Philippines. Back in my teenage years, I thought that I had to be married before I hit the age of 25 or I’ll be regarded as an "old-maid". I remember a couple of female high school teachers who were rumored to have gotten married to some unsavory characters to avert the possibility of spinsterhood. I believe they were just in their late 20s then. Whether their marriages lasted, I don’t know.

Thankfully, my single friends are not the type who will resort to those deplorable options. They are living their lives as fully as they can and are unbound to do whatever want. They are well-traveled, sophisticated and have active social and professional lives. Knights in shining armors are most welcomed definitely but these ladies will not be wasting precious time pining and waiting for them to knock on their doors. As much as I would like to witness their own love stories one day, I wouldn’t want them courting disaster.  It has to be perfectly right for them whether it  happens sooner or later.

On the outside chance that marriage never transpires for them, I hope they will still continue to lead lives that is full of extraordinary experiences and graced with beauty and charm. That’s what romance is all about anyway. It’s living life with a little passion, a little imagination, a willingness to stretch our minds beyond the romantic stereotypes of ruffles and flourishes. To be romantic, in other words, is quite simply to allow yourself to fall in love with life - all of life - and experience it fully, openly, passionately, and purposefully.