Inside The Nice Guy

*I apologize if there are any incoherent sentences, grammatical or spelling errors within. I running off of a little less than 4 hours of sleep*

At 6:38am annoying midi music began to play, triggered by the alarm set the night before. Breaking me from slumber I sat up in my queen-sized bed and contemplated getting a few more minutes of sleep.

I did.

Around 7:20am I officially checked out of the dreamland.

Something felt different. Nothing tangible. The essence of the day felt pure. Untainted. I felt in good form.

The weekend “routine” was the same though it was all pleasantly different. The waters were tested at a new coffee house where blog readings, and writings, were brought ‘up-to-speed’. Returning home I joined one of my roommates to watch Hobo with a Shotgun. I took a short nap.

The nap was followed by the urge to go on a run. While having my a$$ handed to me from the joint efforts of the sun, heat and humidity, relevant thoughts began to jog through my mind. *well, relevant or the first signs of dehydration*

Taking the podium was a pearl of wisdom that had been handed down by my father.

Now, my dad is not an incredibly religious man. He’s not often known for being philosophical. His personality generally tends to be that based on fact and physical evidence, what’s available to the sense.  

Knowing this is probably why this particular bit of fatherly advise has stuck with me for all of these years. In simplistic terms “everything happens for a reason.” This doesn’t mean there is a fully detailed, specific, predetermined plan that life is going to follow regardless of our choices.  The meaning is that sometimes the events in our lives (good and bad) happen to bring us closer to where we are supposed to be. Where we should be.

Life comes with a built-in Thomas Guide for reference. Or to be 21st century a GPS, but the maps are not up to date. That would be too easy.

There’s a line in Can’t Hardly Wait that goes something like: “Fate. There is such a thing as fate, but it only takes you so far, then it’s up to you to make it happen.”

Introductions that lead to new friendships. Life long friendships. Friendships that dissipate. Introductions that lead to dates. Dates that lead to friendships. Dates that lead to relationships. Every good relationship. Every bad relationship. Mutual break ups. Heart break. Interviews that lead to job offers. Interviews that end in disappointment. Keeping a routine. Breaking routine. Thinking about that left turn, but going right. Thinking right, but going left.

It can lead nowhere. It can lead somewhere. you could end up having a typical day. You could meet someone new. You could become subject to the Small World Syndrome.

I woke up in good form yesterday and it has carried over to today. A lot has happened in just the last 6 months. I met someone who started off as a friend, transitioned to something romantic then back to a friend. I was turned down for a job that would have finally placed me in a field I’m extremely passionate about. My last grandparent passed away. I turned 30. My company sent me on my first ever business trip. I moved in with a couple of the best friends a guy could ask for while piecing together the next step to my life.

The most pertinent has been the discovery of the blogging community and starting ‘Inside The Nice Guy’. Originally this began as an outlet to get my thoughts out. Express my feelings. Vent my frustrations. Gain an non-biased perspective on life and relationships. In a short time frame is has grown to be more than just that. It’s evolved into something completely unexpected. Pleasantly unexpected.

This was never meant to be a forum for my dating exploits *if that would even be the appropriate word*. I am not, nor have I ever been, a serial dater. Any dates I go on. Any women I meet. They are not just to have blog-fodder.Though I promised to adhere to full disclosure, should a special lady enter my life there are things I intend to withhold. Even when/if given permission to provide more detailed information about our relationship certain things are going be kept between she and I.

My personal “mission” is still to find love. To find my own Mosby Moment.

This blog “mission” is what has evolved.

Though there may be some selfish intentions, because I’m not above admitting that there are aspects of dating, of being in a relationship, that make me feel I’m trying to understand a completely foreign language. Sometimes friendly advice is needed since I have the tendency to get in my own head and over-analyze too much.

This is my thank you to you reading this. Those who comment. Those who have my back.

And how can I pay you back? By continuing to write.

To assure women that good men do exist. That the Nice Guy is not a fabled, mythical, creature you only read about in horribly cliché/cheesy novels, Lifetime specials and movies. That there are guys out there who know what it means to walk you to your car, to open doors, to make sure you get home alright.

To assure other Nice Guys out there that there is nothing wrong with what we’re doing. We don’t need to be dicks or d-bags. We don’t need to play hard to get. We don’t need to have a game piece on the board and take turns rolling the dice for strategic dating. We don’t need to wait three days to let a girl know we had a great time the other night. There is nothing wrong letting her know we’re thinking about her, even if it’s the next day.

*The title of this was inspired by the Bon Jovi song, of the same name, from the Have A Nice Day album*