TUMBLRANDAVISION, [20:12:26] Michael Aranda: I do wish, though, that...

Michael Aranda: I do wish, though, that I had, in the past, put more effort into communication.
Bryarly Bishop: It's hard to change that part of yourself, though, don't you think?
Michael Aranda: Maybe.
Michael Aranda: This might sound weird, but have you seen Memento?
Bryarly Bishop: Yes.
Bryarly Bishop: Or no, wait, I'm not sure.
Bryarly Bishop: Notecards?
Michael Aranda: Yeah, he can't remember anything.
Michael Aranda: So he has to constantly write himself notes and whatever.
Michael Aranda: In relationships, I sometimes feel like that guy, in certain respects.  It's like I forget what's important to me.
Michael Aranda: So, especially now, I'm trying to litter my life with reminders to myself that I value communication, and that I need to constantly put effort into making people feel appreciated.
Michael Aranda: Notes that I write on my iPhone, things on my whiteboard, tweets that I may go back and see, video responses to Charlie, blog posts on Tumblr, etc.
Michael Aranda: The next time I get a chance to love someone, I don't want to forget to adore and appreciate them.  Or, using a phrase that Christians really like, to lift them up.
Bryarly Bishop: I know what you mean.
Bryarly Bishop: I think relationships give us an opportunity to learn about ourselves - not only in terms of what we can or can't deal with in a partner, but also in terms of how we fail/succeed as a partner.
Michael Aranda: I agree.  I think I've spent too much time focused on the former rather than the latter.
Bryarly Bishop: I've probably done the same.
Bryarly Bishop: My last relationship gave me a lot to think about, but my partner was such a bad fit for me that it's hard to know what was him, what was me, and what was just a result of our dynamic.
Michael Aranda: Perhaps similarly, it wasn't until my relationship with Samantha fell apart, in almost the same way that my relationship with Kasey fell apart, that I suddenly thought, "Oh. Maybe it's me."