Date a girl who’s lost and watch her drift away in her world while you talk mid-sentence. Observe how her gaze changes from concentration to wonder and maybe, just a bit of wistfulness. Or a lot. Listen to her as she mumbles about all the foods she wants to try, all the places she wants to visit, all the adventures she wants to experience, all the things she wants to be—and watch the same girl break down on a certain Friday night because she doesn’t think there’s enough time for everything she wants to do. Be there for her as she feels too small in a world that’s too big and maybe you’ll come to understand why she decided to create her own.
Date a girl who’s lost and watch her crinkle her nose in confusion because she can’t pick which ice cream flavor is better. Tell her you can buy both and accept her non-sensical argument that just because you can have both doesn’t mean you should. That she’s trying to be decisive for once. And so, be patient even though it’s been like five minutes of ice cream eye stare already. Do not say anything though as you walk home carrying both flavors after an intense fifteen minutes.
Date a girl who’s lost and join her as she starts to commit herself to jogging every Sunday morning. She probably woke up one day and realized she needs some sort of exercise. And she wants to believe she can keep it up for at least six months. She knows discipline is the key and she has the determination of a soldier ready for war. So do not even think about pressing the snooze button. She’ll be at your doorstep before you know it. Don’t worry, it will only be for a maximum of three Sundays. She’s going to change her mind and decide yoga is better.
Date a girl who’s lost and sympathize with her as she cries over the first day of her new job. Sincerely listen as she lay all her self-doubts on the table. And yes, you can leave them there. She’ll be sure to pick them all up again before the night is over. Let her. It’s not your battle. Let that moment prepare you for there’ll be more new jobs to come.
Date a girl who’s lost and shake your head as she tells you how she’s signed up for a six-month Japanese class for a simple reason that she likes watching anime. You think her commitment to Luffy ends on your sleepless weekends? Well, she saw this ad and it just seems like a perfect idea. Laugh along with her as she tries to mimic One Piece’s different characters in broken Japanese. Cherish that time for it won’t last long. She’ll probably quit after four weeks because she found something better to do—like finally starting that book she keeps telling herself to write.
Date a girl who’s lost and expect her to come knocking at 12AM inviting you for a roadtrip like it’s the most normal thing to do. You can reserve your questions later for you’ll have a long way to go. She just desperately needs the quiet that only midnight drives can provide but she probably won’t tell you that. She’ll likely tell you you’re simply chasing beautiful sunrise spots and perhaps you’ll believe her. In a way, maybe there isn’t much difference. And do not forget to wake her up when you do finally find one or else you won’t be getting much sleep the next day either.
Date a girl who’s lost and be prepared for all the misadventures to come. She’s just overwhelmed, you see. The whole concept of existence baffles her. She doesn’t understand how anybody should be able to pick something for the rest of their lives when there’s still a lot of things they hadn’t tried or known. So watch her uncover pieces of herself on all the things she touches. She might turn them into a cage though without meaning to. So be sure you remember where all the keys are located because she won’t. She won’t even know they exist at all.
She’ll be different and the same. Cheerful. Distant. Excited. Lonesome. Curious. Empty. But never stop her. Do not try to find her either. Let her do it herself.
Inspired by Date A Girl Who Travels by Aleah Taboclaon
walking life barefoot. 