Hey, Steemers! This is the second part in a short series that my husband 
wrote about his move from South Florida to the Philippines. Originally part of an e-book on Kindle, it is now exclusively on Steemit, revised. Feel free to follow along for more to come! Salamat (thank you)!
Ex-wife, New Life
It all started with a contentious divorce. At the time, all of the turmoil that was involved seemed to cloud any prospect of emotional peace. Close family members were affected and interpersonal relationships suffered. Without a need to get into the "nitty-gritty" of it all, suffice it to say that it was painful for everyone involved. Nevertheless, my divorce proved to be an experience that turned out for the best, and in retrospect, I wish it would have happened a lot sooner than it did. (No offense to my ex-wife; I wish her all the best.)
Marriage can be extremely difficult, but it doesn’t have to be, and really, it shouldn't be. Situations vary, and sometimes bad marriages can be turned into good marriages. Other times, they can't be. After the inevitable collapse of my first marriage--unstable as it was--I determined never to set myself up for failure again. Why settle for anything less than an absolutely fantastic relationship characterized by mutual love and respect?
Against the expectations of certain friends and acquaintances, a Christian worldview and associated religious convictions led me to a state of marriage-mindedness, even after a painful divorce. Good husband/wife and family relationships are beautiful, and the prospect of being single for very long wasn't very appealing. However, in terms of a newly acquired libertarian political philosophy (one with teeth, so to speak), a government marriage seemed unnecessary and potentially undesirable. I simply wanted someone worth building a new family unit with. And for one reason or another, I knew that I wasn’t going to find exactly what I was looking for in my home state of Florida.
There were quality women there, of course, and there are plenty today. However, the stereotypical "Miami girl" seemed unappealing, and so did U.S. women in general. (Sorry, U.S. ladies.) Generalizations aren't always fair, but I was looking for something different--something foreign. More precisely, I was looking for someone foreign, and I didn’t want to meet her in Florida. (There are plenty of foreign women in Florida.) It wouldn't have been adventurous enough, and thanks to the internet, a solution was found in the world of online dating--a world in which it is wise to tread carefully.
With a good cigar on hand, I ventured into online dating carefully, but not so carefully so as to render a positive outcome unlikely. Care is one thing; undue fear is another. Necessary precautions had to be taken in order to avoid scammers and gold-diggers, but a strategic navigation through the ins and outs of online dating led to a life that some only dream about. Decisive action led to a complete change of life.
This new life has many familiarities to the old one, not the least of which include cockroaches, traffic, heat, and extreme humidity. But now, a good time with a group of friends typically includes karaoke, Red Horse beer, and lambanog--a strong coconut booze that can be bought around the corner for about a dollar. (It tastes a little bit like sake.) And while a trip to the local grocery store is sometimes in order, outdoor wet markets now provide the bulk of my meat and vegetables. Getting to them is best accomplished on a Jeepney--a moving clunk of metal that serves as a popular form of transportation.
Stay tuned for Part 3! It talks about his online dating life before we met. Hmmm! :-/
;-)
The CC0 image above is courtesy of www.pixabay.com.