Why do I like my house? And why do I like flicking TV channels?

Typical, really.

Why do I like my house? Cause I'm used to it, so even if you blindfold me, I can still find my way around, even in desperate moments (like if you really, really, really have to pee you can't think straight anymore). I like familiarity - it's safe. So safety is what I'm looking for. Safety also entails security and guarantee.

Why do I like flicking TV channels? Cause I get bored easily, don't you? After all most TV programs are non-interactive, and few really come across as engaging, even less comes with the suspense and thrill elements that excite us so. Hence the channel flicking. But channel-flicking also means I'm still looking - for that suitable TV channel worth watching. Which means I'm not giving up on TV yet.

What's all this talk about a house and a particular TV behaviour?

Cause it just occured to me that for some people, when it comes to the issue of choosing a life partner, the why-do-I-like-my-house and why-do-I-like-flicking-TV-channels are the two approaches they comfortably adopt.

When it comes to settling down with a sigificant someone, these people want someone they really know what to expect from. No surprises, no "Honey, I think I'm having doubts about my sexuality!", no complications.

And when it comes to choosing that significant someone, these people are always opening up to whoever's available, yet still adamant on choosing the best out there.

Such was the insight I gained from a couple of thirty-somethings who works in my office, over a ride back from Cyberjaya just now. They're smart, talented, beautiful, got a great career going and I just don't see how on earth they arrived to such conclusions.

I didn't say much to them just now, for I was trying to analyze their input (oh wow, how academic). But now, come to think of it, I don't think things work that way.

First of all, I'm sure it would be safe and secure settling with someone you really know inside out. It might even guarantee you against a case of heartbreak. But from what I've seen (a mere 25 years worth of observation, count in the years I was green and stupid), love's not like that.

Even the people closest and most familiar to you have tendencies to give you heartbreaks - albeit little, most of the time unintentionally - but hey, shit happens, life happens. So truthfully, there's really no guarantee.

Secondly, to liken humans to TV programs is sad. While TV tend to mostly non-interactive (oh, forget that chit with that stupid whatever accent doing the blurbs for Survivor 7 on NTV7), humans are.

Personally I too wish I can just pick any guy I want just like how you flick TV channels. But, while any TV channels you flick to will readily air the program you find suited to your liking, guys on the street won't. (Well not all of them anyway, even if you're major babe.)

The more I think about it, the more I suspect that these two thirty-somethings are remaining single because they prefer to be so. Perhaps they're not ready to commit, hence they give such excuses (may it be in the form of the two above theories, it still does not sound convincing to me).

But check this out - what worried me most as I was listening to them talking just now was: Will I sound like them when I turn 30 and still single? Unbelieveable, isn't it? Like I'm missing the point or something like that now, isn't it?

Will I end up like them? Will someone look at me and think how ridiculous their musings sound, just like how I'm looking and thinking about them now? Will I be even bitter then? My train of thoughts went on like this throughout the ride.

Then they asked me, "Why aren't you with someone already?"

(Boy oh boy, don't we all love this question? To have these more-experienced singles ask such question to another single feels like being ragged by the senior students in high school during the orientation week. What a non-necessity! What a redundancy!)

I told them I have not met the right person yet (and the right person is Faizal Hussein but as satu Malaya dah tau he's quite unavailable) and they gave me their promise to make me come to their next BBQ party and introduce me to their cousins/ex-colleagues/neighbour/chatfriend.

Boleh???