Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Dewey Beach Experiment

What a crazy Memorial weekend at Dewey Beach. I can't really go into detail about what happened, as this is a public forum, but I will try to do my best to piece together the events that transpired. For me, the weekend went pretty much as I expected it to. I've never been a guy who likes these type of events, and the weekend really didn't do anything to change my mind. At the same time, I am really glad I went, and I thought the group of people, save one or two, really made the experience enjoyable.

This was not the house to be in for a person that can't take a joke. The whole weekend was one joke or insult after the other. It was all in good fun though, and everyone was pretty easy going about what was said. By the end of the weekend it looked like a tornado had swept through the house. What do you expect when twelve 20 something guys stay in a house for a weekend? The good news is no one got arrested or seriously injured. Though Pogo's deep gashes on his back made it look like he had been in a fight with a mountain lion.

Let's start with the cast of characters that attended. We had an extremely eclectic group with a diverse range of personalities. You had your crazy ragers in Pogo, Ricky, and Greenwich. You had your laid back people in Koplow, Carlos, Sinan, myself, Kydin, and Kareem, and you had everything in between with Chandler and Tony. The great thing about this group was that everyone could combine their different personalities to create an all together enjoyable experience. My favorite quotes from the weekend were Mathias yelling " He's a dick by the way" to a random guy sleeping on the couch with a girl who had been staying at our house. It was totally uncalled for and unnecessary, but memorable and a classic Mathias moment. The other quote was of course Pogo calling out Chandler's name repeatedly for what seemed like an hour. I could write a whole blog about Pogo's actions this weekend but I don't think it would be appropriate for a public audience.

I will never forget Koplow's crab dance which made him a Dewey Beach legend. We had half the Lighthouse bar crab dancing on Sunday night and even I got into the action. Who could forget Tony's flamboyant alter ego "Guillermo", which he played flawlessly. Huge props to Tony for having the balls to go out in public like that, especially at a place like Dewey, which isn't exactly San Francisco. Pogo was probably the MVP of the weekend. Whether that is a good or bad thing is for you to judge. I can't go into detail about all his actions, but I think we may have seen a little too much of the Icelandic legend. Kareem gets the award for best one liners. He is a quiet guy, but when he does speak up it is always memorable.

For me, the weekend reaffirmed the fact that I am an "old man" at heart. I would have preferred days on the beach alone with just the sound of the ocean crashing against the sand to raging all day. However, I wouldn't have had the stories I have now, and I can honestly say it was an experience I will never forget.


I think it is important that you do things that are out of your comfort zone sometimes. I know for a fact I would've regretted it if I didn't go, and I will definitely have stories to look back on forever. The weekend could have turned out to be a disaster for me, but aside from a few moments I really enjoyed it. The Dewey Beach experiment was a success. It provided me a ton of memories and stories that will stay with me forever, while also reaffirming that I am past that stage of my life for the most part and ready to move on.

Thanks everyone for reading. For everyone who was there last weekend please feel free to write comments about your thoughts on the weekend and comment on the blog itself. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Settling in Relationships(Part 2)

For anyone who missed Part 1, I talked about the factors that lead a person to settle in a relationship. To read Part 1 just go to my dashboard http://kdillinger.blogspot.com/.

My third factor of why people settle in relationships is that people think there is no one else better out there. I've felt like this before in my own life. This could be a valid point if your 40 years old, but people in their 20's and 30's, especially in this day and age, I don't see the the point of settling. I think some people think being a relationship is better than being alone, whether the relationship is healthy or not. How many times have we all heard " well all guys are jerks", or "all girls are crazy." That is just a cop out. Is this statement true on some levels, of course. I agree that probably 9 out of 10 girls or guys you meet wouldn't be good " boyfriend" or "girlfriend" material, but isn't the chance you'll meet one that is worth it? I sure think so. If not, the most important thing, as cliche as this sounds, is to be first and foremost happy with yourself. I know I'm still working on that, and to this day I'm still self conscious about my balding. But it's true you can't be in a good relationship if you aren't happy with yourself.

The hardest part about "settling" is you really never know if you are at the time. You only know when you step away from that relationship or meet someone else. The sad truth of the matter is a lot of people will never take that risk. I truly believe if you are meant to be with someone it'll happen, but there is nothing wrong with not being sure. Some people know with one hundred percent certainty( or at least they think they do) who the one for them is. For that they should feel very lucky. However, for the rest of us, don't settle, take chances, and enjoy life whether that be in a relationship or not.

I want to apologize for not writing in awhile. Again, I tend to take more time with this blog than the sports one so I don't write as frequently. I will be attending my friend Hayley's graduation this weekend so I will probably not write again until Sunday. I would be happy to hear any comments or personal experiences you have with this topic. Have a great night everyone!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Settling in Relationships(Part 1)

I decided to split this entry into two parts for two reasons:
1. Hopefully people won't get too bored
2. I have no time this week to write another entry.

It's weird, I can write a sports blog in about fifteen minutes, but these take me at least 30-45 minutes every time. Anyway here is Part 1. Hope you enjoy.

Tonight's entry focuses on relationships. More specifically, the reasons many men and women "settle."Most of us have been in at least one series relationship in our lifetime. Not everyone has settled, but many probably have. I don't think I've ever settled, but then again I don't have a girlfriend right now, so this does not really apply to me. I feel like everyone I meet that is 23 or older, especially women, are in a relationship. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, because a good relationship can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences a person can have. However, I feel that a lot of people settle for average in their relationships for a multitude of reasons.

The first and most obvious is companionship. Human beings naturally want to feel loved and have some feeling of importance to someone else. This can lead to a dependence on another person, which can subsequently lead someone to settle. Now, it's fine if someone settles in a relationship but eventually breaks it off before marriage. However, as the 50% and rising divorce rate suggests, this isn't the case. I don't buy the fact that people just grow apart, that one day they just don't love each other anymore. Sure, maybe you get tired of the other person, but the love should still be there. The fact is no one should get married until they are sure that it is to the right person. I know people change, but for the most part the core of that person stays the same. A lot of times it seems like people stay in relationships because they think the other person will eventually change. What is the rush in getting married anyway? If you love someone and want to be with someone it should be worth the wait.

The second and probably the most common reason people settle is comfort. Again, it's normal to get in a routine, to get so used to a person being there that you use the comfort factor as something hide the fact that you aren't happy anymore. It seems like for a lot of people being comfortable might be more important than being happy. I know I've felt this feeling not just in relationships but everything in life. It is easier said than done to step out and take a chance, especially when it means potentially losing someone you love.

To be continued.......