The aftermath of a birthday celebration

Five hours have passed since I celebrated Sean Teng's birthday with Matthew, Rebecca, and a few others.

After magical moments of merrymaking, I rested my tired body on a MRT train home. Yet in my mind, I was energetic. Something BIG is waiting for me to settle. At the right time, I'll announce it formally. People who know this already, please put a lid on it. I prefer it to start with style and substance. ; )

I reached home in a jiffy without any frustrating train delays, even on the infamous Circle Line. Before I slept, I noticed this paragraph in pages 9-10 of Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook:

He was thirty-one, not too old, but old enough to be lonely. He hadn't dated since he'd been back here, hadn't met anyone who remotely interested him. It was his own fault, he knew. There was something that kept a distance between him and any woman who started to get close, something he wasn't sure he could change even if he tried.

First thing, among the expertly-crafted sentences that struck me, was the word thirty-one. Sean turned thirty-one today. Matthew is thirty-one. I am thirty-one... for the next two months till I stroll past a new milestone.

The second thing is the real gem of the day. Trust Nicholas Sparks, in his understanding of human behavior, to write "There was something that kept a distance between him and any woman who started to get close, something he wasn't sure he could change even if he tried.".

Hmm. I'm a bit different from the protagonist Noah Calhoun. Perhaps, this sums me up:

When some women, who managed to get enough of my attention or interest, tried to get close, there was always something that kept a distance between me and them. Each time, it was a different thing.

Life never fails to spring up a surprise. I believe each experience will only make me wiser, and understand humans more, and a better writer.

Disclaimer: The BIG thing has nothing to do with romantic relationships. =P