So Ganito na Lang Ba Talaga? Notes on Singlehood, Shopee Riders, and the Garbage Truck Sprint

So ganito na lang ba talaga ang buhay?

Nae-excite na lang ako ngayon tuwing may sumisigaw sa gate ng “Shopee!”

Hindi na ako nag-aabang ng text para sa romance or romantic dinner date. Ang totoong thrill ng buhay ko ngayon ay ang pag-track ng status ng delivery rider ni Lazada.

At hindi lang basta kung anong glamorous package, mind you. Recently, I practically jumped for joy over a bottle of sticker remover spray. Why? Because in a moment of sheer desperation when my dashcam fell off, I used heavy-duty double-sided tape on my windshield. The dashcam eventually retired, but the tape stayed behind like a permanent resident. So when that spray arrived, I felt like I won the lottery.

May-lakip na ring adrenaline rush ang pang-araw-araw na buhay.

Bigla na lang akong natataranta kapag naririnig ko ang busina ng truck ng basura. I’ll literally sprint down the stairs in my full pambahay—barefoot, slippers forgotten—just to make sure all the kitchen trash gets out to the bin in time.

Or when I’m outside casually walking and it suddenly starts to drizzle: “Patay! Ang mga sinampay ko!” High knees back to the house real quick.

Iba na nga talaga ang nagagawa kapag single ka.

a career checklist courtesy of matchmaker friends

My friends, bless their hearts, seem deeply concerned about my relationship status. Since I’m “single again,” they’ve made it their personal mission to push me back into the dating pool.

At this point, I feel like a 10.10 Shopee sale item or a product with an impending expiration date na kailangan na nilang i-clear out sa shelf!

Over the past few years, I’ve gone on dates with a doctor, an engineer, a CEO, and a dentist. I’m basically ticking off professional careers one by one like a career guidance counselor.

There was even one time a friend set me up with a single guy from the UK. She pitched him to me like a corporate sales deck: “Pwede na ‘yan, Lynette! He ticks all the boxes—mabait, well-off, self-made man, and single! ‘Yun lang… ikaw na lang siguro ang magbibihis sa kanya.”

I had to laugh. I mean, we all have our personal preferences, right? But the intention comes from a good place.

choosing peace over walking on eggshells

Tuwing Valentine’s Day, nag-aayos pa rin naman ako. Looking forward pa rin ako sa flowers na matatanggap ko—kahit na minsan, galing sa sarili kong bulsa ang pinambili.

O, bakit naman hindi? Wala na ba akong karapatang makatanggap ng flowers para sa sarili ko? Aantayin ko pa ba mamatay ako bago ako makatanggap ng maraming white roses? Of course not.

Ganyan ang buhay single. Pero alam niyo kung ano? Mas okay na ‘to kaysa sa dati.

Mas okay ‘yung nag-aabang ako ng Shopee rider kaysa ‘yung laging on edge, constantly walking on eggshells, shrinking myself, and dimming my light just because someone else was afraid of being outshone.

That kind of emotional shrinking drains your soul.

embracing the chaos and the quiet

Now, as I fully embrace who I am—my capabilities, my career, my clumsiness, and all my flaws and mistakes—I feel genuinely happier. I feel more at peace.

So bahala na.

Kung mas natataranta man ako sa pagbusina ng truck ng basura kaysa sa mga blind dates and setup texts ng mga kaibigan ko, okay lang. I’d rather sprint barefoot down the driveway for the trash than run in circles trying to fit into someone else’s box.

Life isn’t perfect, but it’s quiet, peaceful, and entirely mine. At least my sticker remover spray works!