Confessions of a Kashmirican

There’s a gentle snowfall outside right now as I’m typing this. The world feels so serene, so quiet, so calm. Nothing can shake this up... I see more beauty in a one-night stand than in a long-term relationship full of trouble. *** You still with me? Okay. 😊 Breathe for a few moments... we’ll get through this. *** Now, please allow me to explain my point here: Why do relationships fail or sour over time? Because we have too many expectations. We expect our partner to be our lover, friend, and confidant all at once. We expect them to be true and faithful to us, all the time. We expect them to act or behave in certain ways in order for us to be happy. We expect them to fill whatever gaps we perceive in ourselves. We expect them to make us happy. Now, I’m not saying we should all go out and sleep with random strangers! Just take a moment to ponder the essence of such an experience: 1) There are no expectations. You’re not looking for a lifelong commitment, and there are no strings attach

It’s now 2021, and I already feel relieved. Not that anything in particular has changed - after all, we’ve still got the devastating pandemic situation and the presidency transition drama, among other matters. But just for today, it felt good to say goodbye to a horrible year. For my part, I have no resolutions this time. I’ve simply been thankful to be alive and well, along with my family. I’ve been counting my blessings a lot these days, in fact. Even regarding the things I hope for - as my sister jokingly said, “Lose the weight and find a mate!” - I’m not too concerned. First off, I’ve made a great deal of progress so far on my weight loss routine, and I know it’s one I’ll stick to even after I reach my target weight. Second, I don’t really feel the need anymore to find someone just to fill a void in my life... like, sure it would be nice and all, but it won’t give me the happiness I’m currently searching for, which I know can only be found within. Thus, I’m more interested in recon