My so-called life

One of my close friends gave birth to her second baby girl yesterday, a bouncing 7.6 pound bundle of joy who will be named Micaela -- Kyla for short.

My officemates and I hope to visit our friend at the hospital later today, with hopes of getting a peek at little Kyla. Of course there will be horror stories on the birthing process which will undoubtedly further throw me down the path of the likes of my mom's old maid cousin Tita Lita and the Pinoy icon Miss Tapia. Last year, I visited another friend at the hospital after she gave birth and the helpful girl enthralled us with vignettes of getting an epidural as well as having earthquake-like contractions.

In high school, I'd always imagined myself getting married at 26 while having a career as a topnotch lawyer. Unfortunately, none of those dreams came true, although the getting married part is still likely even as I have crossed the 26 year mark.

The previous years saw me attending weddings and christenings one after the other, which although quite enjoyable, seem to me signs that I am missing out on the whole female experience. Nonetheless, I vow to not dwell on what is not here and recall what I have been blessed with the past few years:

1. A semblance of a career. Which I am quite thankful for, given the rising number of unemployed and underemployed these days. Although I still dream of becoming a librarian or museum coordinator, as I love books, anything historical, and organizing things [not necessarily in that order]. Come to think of it, my current job actually involves organizing historical documents -- would you believe we recently submitted for warehousing handwritten program specifications!

2. A happy family. After our parents separated, things have become more peaceful for everyone at home. With a funny dog and an even funnier brother and mom, things couldn't be better. The flipside is that getting a dog makes me want to rethink the whole motherhood thing, what with cleaning dog poop and getting weekly supplies on top of costly vet fees.

3. Loyal friends. Some of my high school and college barkada still communicate with me, and I am forever grateful for the cellphone which, borrowing from my favorite service provider, makes things possible. Officemates are included, especially novel characters such as
a. my bat-eyed secretary friend whose age and singleness have been a source of a great many cliche jokes
b. our resident dentist-turned programmer, now mother of two, who is as much a shopaholic as me
c. our brilliant but forgetful analyst who was fascinated by the new loveteam Gardo Versoza and Jean Saburit and who relished the mudpie we ate at Booba Gump's
d. my ragtag department-mates who share a fondness for good food and showbiz discussions every morning
e. a former officemate but still good friend who loves Jerry Yan with a passion

4. Having experienced loving and losing. Well, broken heart aside, falling in and out of love gives one perspective on the specie from Mars as John Gray puts it, as well as previously unrealized aspects of one's personality. For instance, I never thought I could be as selosa or as girly as I was when I went out with my ex.

5. Travelling and doing normal things alone. There are benefits to being single, and these include leaving when one feels like going places, grocery shopping without regard for their nutritional content [if you went out with a health food nut, you'd know this], buying books and movies without taking into consideration another person's likes or dislikes, the list goes on. Best of all, you do not have to preview each and every item in a hardware store or go hunting for car or electronic stuff that all seem to look alike.

So there, my so-called life may be different but just as nutty as a wife or mother's. Vive la difference!