20160524 (slowly)

You're not the only ones who ever made a mistake. So stop kicking yourself already.

Something very untrustworthy 

About romance. We should tell

Our children, “If you feel that

Slipping into uncritical warmth

With another, take an ice bath

And pray you’ll get over it." One

Thing to be friends, another to

Forsake your goals, your friends,

For someone in whose company

You feel enthralled. (Enthralled

Means to become enslaved 

Emotionally—you don’t want

That however pleasant it may 

Be on the front side). Keep your

Mind open. It wouldn’t be the

First time you were mistaken.

So lay off the easy PDA (public

Display of affection) you may 

Come to regret those pictures.

And if you can't stand to take

Advice from your parents go

Secretly to another you trust

(Not your crazy Aunt Sally

Whose been with seven guys

And married only briefly).

Find someone who won’t 

Give your secrets back to 

Your family for use in some

Interventional “I told you so.”

As for friends? Their brains

Are still developing like 

Yours and there’s no guarantee

They’re ahead or behind you.

But what if the person is

Older and should know better?

Proven wisdom is tested, that’s

Why it’s called wisdom. Take 

A year. Get to know each other

And not just carnally. Those

Guidance sessions (with tests)

May rightly indicate difficult

Areas. Take them seriously.

“Marry in haste. Repent at leisure,”

Is a great caution. Too bad the one

Who needs it isn’t buying. He’s

A mature man (she’s a mature

Woman) they should know by

Now what they want. Check 

Things out. Talk about your

Histories honestly (which is 

Impossible since you’re both

Putting your best foot forward).

I don’t think you need to hire 

A private investigator or run

A credit check so much as

See how each handles obstacles

Or how you handle them

Together. How does he/she

Treat others? Their families?

In short don’t shove aside 

Sound advice. Ask for it if

Your friends and family aren’t

Likely to give it. Remember 

They’ll be covering their 

Asses and probably defer 

Altogether about crucial

Stuff they may not be too

Ready to disclose about

Themselves. Then, when 

You’re ready to make one

Of the biggest mistakes in

Your life, realize there are 

Two undeniable points 

About it: 1. it’s your own

Fault, and 2. Whatever you

Do don’t write about it on

Your blog—no one needs

To know and likely no

One cares—they’ve got

Their own issues.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016