G.L. Pine

Hi. So this is technically Message Monday… just on a Tuesday because of a golf tournament. But I didn’t want to skip this week, especially because this is something I think almost everyone can relate to. This week’s message is about how sometimes people are only meant to be a chapter in your life—and how sometimes, they find their way back into your story when you least expect it.
          
          I think we all grow up assuming that the people who matter will stay forever. So when they don’t, it can feel like something went wrong. I’ve experienced this with a lot of friendships where nothing bad even happened and we just slowly grew apart. And for a while, I kept wondering if I could’ve done something differently. But I’ve realized that not everyone is meant to stay for the entire story.
          
          One example for me was a friend I had when I was younger from church. We were really close, and I never thought there would be a time where we weren’t in each other’s lives. But as we got older, things changed, and we went in different directions. It hurt, and sometimes I still think about it, but I’ve come to accept that it was just one of those chapters that wasn’t meant to last forever. And I think this applies to so many relationships, even romantic ones and losing someone you care about will always hurt.
          
          But something I think people don’t talk about enough is how sometimes, chapters reopen. Recently, I reconnected with an old friend, partly because of an event that I asked him to attend with me, but also just to talk again. And it’s kind of strange, but also really meaningful, because they feel familiar and new at the same time. It reminds me that life doesn’t always move in straight lines. Sometimes people come back, not always in the same way or for the same reasons, but still as part of your story.
          
          If you feel comfortable sharing, I’d love to hear your experiences with this.
          
          —G.L. Pine

Just wanted to apologize for my inactivity lately. Life has been super busy, as my competitive golf season is going on. I plan on being more active now. 

Something that I have learned recently. I actually made a Reddit post about this, and it actually helped a lot of people, so I sharing this here as well. 
          
          I have recently learned the truth in the statement that every single person in a relationship says, “if they wanted to, they would.” I’ve had plenty of crushes on guys, its human, and none of them have ever worked out. I’ve also been rejected before, and it sucks but it has taught me that I was not compatible with that person.
          
          As many of you know, I am attending a fancy event with an old friend of mine. Through this reconnecting phase that I have been going through with him, it has taught me the truth in the statement that I mentioned above. This whole thing of asking him to go with me, and now just the planning stuff, has made me realize that he is genuinely interested in getting to know me better. So, yes, that statement is true.
          
          Now, I have realized that if he had not wanted to go with me, especially as my date, since that has been made very clear to him, that this is what that is, he never would have said yes. (I’m trying to be brief since I know the word limit on Wattpad message board posts is quite small). So, if anyone is interested in someone, or even dating someone, as I feel this could apply to that as well. If they wanted to get to know you more, and be in your life, they would.
          
          Thanks,
          
          —G.L. Pine.
          
          (Also I wanted to add, he thinks it is the coolest thing ever that I am an author. LOL)

I was told by a friend that I need to share this somewhere. So, I’m thinking of starting a thing on my message board where every Monday I make a post about something that affects our society.
          
          This week it is actually on an essay a wrote, that I submitted to a global competition and it placed in the top 10. The topic was that beauty and attractiveness is subjective.
          
          I am a firm believer in that beauty is subjective, and that societal beauty standards are what is hurting society. I think that everyone experiences that feeling of not thinking you are good looking enough. I’ll be honest, and I definitely have, and still do. 
          
          In our society it has almost become stigmatized to speak about it. Though I think it always has been that way. If you look at history, there was always a concept of a beauty standard, and it has always harmed society.
          
          All over basically any social media platform, I see people commenting on others appearance, or outfit choice and how they think that they aren’t attractive or that they fit the beauty standard. I think it is good to have an opinion, but when I look at someone’s attractiveness, I see them for their personality. To me, their personality and how they treat others is more important than if they fit the beauty standard. Which is extremely subjective as everyone finds different things attractive.
          
          I saw a great quote once that sums this up, and it said, “You can be the prettiest shade of blue, and yet their favorite color is still red.” So, my message for this Monday, is that if you are feeling like you aren’t good enough or you are insecure because you don’t look like the people you see on Instagram, just remember that beauty is subjective and there is someone out there whose favorite color is blue.
          
          Thanks,
          
          —G.L. Pine.

I’ve decided that I am going to update you all on my thing with this guy, since some people on here are intrigued and want to know more!
          
          To the people here who celebrate Easter, I hope you had a nice Easter with your families. Throughout the weekend, him and I have been chatting off and on. Some of it about stuff for the event we are attending together, and his plans on getting a suit for it. But also we chatted about other stuff, such as traveling, sports, and our shared fear of cruises, which was quite funny. 
          
          It has just made me remember why I was such good friends with him. One of the reasons being that we have a lot of shared interests, but also due to how kind and polite he is. Even though I haven’t had an actual conversation with him for probably 3 years before this, it almost feels as if our friendship never truly died during that time. 
          
          Another thing I want to mention is when I told one of my friends that I would be attending this event with this guy, the first thing she said was how kind he is towards other people. So, that is definitely a green flag about him. I am still unsure if this will ever turn into something more, but I’ve found myself thinking that I wouldn’t mind if it did.
          
          Well, to the people who are invested in this, I’ll definitely keep you guys updated.
          
          Thanks,
          
          —G.L. Pine.

This isn’t the place where I normally would ask for advice, but here I am.
          
          So, if you don’t follow me on Instagram. A few days ago I posted on my story about how I asked this guy I know to a super fancy event, like think very fancy dresses and suits and stuff, and he said yes. I’m super happy to be going with someone as I didn’t really want to be third wheeling some other people I know and their dates who will also be attending.
          
          Me being well me, I was thinking why now? So, basically him and I have a bit of a history. When we were younger, we were really good friends, and there was a rumor that he had this huge crush on me, which was never confirmed by him. As life went on, and we got older, we slowly took different paths in life, especially in school. I have been set on a career in natural resources, and he is planning on going to med school to become a doctor. So, if you haven’t guessed it yet, I haven’t really had a conversation with him in years. In passing we would say hello to each other, but other than that there was never a time or place to actually have a conversation.
          
          So, then it’s a few days ago, and some of the people I know who are going to this event are telling me how I should have a date and so on. Which again me being me, at about 11pm on a random Tuesday, I was like yolo, I’m gonna ask him if he wants to go with me. Which gets us to where we are now.
          
          Basically what I am sort of needing advice on or just another opinion, is the question of why now? This could just be the science nerd in me coming out where I need an answer for everything, but the timing just seems strange you know? I wouldn’t say I’m in a place in my life where I am actively looking for a relationship, but at the same time, there is a part of me that is excited to be going to this event with him.
          
          So, if anyone has anything to say about this, please let me know!

This is something that I feel needs to be talked about more. 
          
          As many of you know, I am a formerly competitive basketball player, and I still golf competitively. Over my time as an athlete, I have experienced sports depression, and I have been noticing an increase in the number of people who are going through this.
          
          Depression can take many different forms. For me, it was right before my basketball career ended due to a serious and permanent injury to my ankle while playing basketball. The month leading up to my injury, but also afterwards, during recovery, I was showing signs of sports depression. These signs are different for every case, but the biggest was definitely that I hated basketball for a long time. I shoved my shoes in a closet as I refused to even look at them, and I refused to even touch a basketball. Looking back now, I know that I was depressed as I had other symptoms as well, but it is hard for me to talk about this, and admit that as basketball is something that is special to me. 
          
          My reasoning for posting this is that the percentage of athletes that commit suicide due to mental health struggles stemming from their sport has risen to 20%. This is a topic that I know is not talked about as much, and I feel that it needs to be talked about more in society. So, if you are anyone is struggling, please get support.

Update For The Best Of Wattpad Writing Contest!
          
          Please go look though the page listed as “List Of Submissions.”  If you do not see your story listed under its respective category. Please message me ASAP and it will be fixed!

This is your sign to look into your family history and tree.
          
          I have been doing extensive research into my family tree, on both my maternal and paternal sides. Well, let’s just say that I have discovered a lot! So, on my paternal side of the family (my father’s side), there had always been a rumor that we were direct descendants of nobility in Europe in the Middle Ages. I have always thought this was just a myth, since over time stories get changed from generation to generation. Thanks to the technology we have today, it is not a rumor. So, here are a few historical figures that I am a direct descendant of.
          
          Since I know that genealogy and family lineage terms can be confusing, here is a definition of direct descendant: A direct descendant is a person related to an ancestor through an unbroken, lineal bloodline—an example being, children to grandchildren to great-grandchildren.
          
          — Margaret De Flanders, Countess Of Flanders.
          —Judith Von Habsburg, Queen Of Bohemia and Queen Of Poland.
          — Eliska Premyslovna, Queen Of Bohemia.
          — Jean Le Bon, King Of France.
          
          Those are just a few of the countless others I have found. (This is only on my father’s side of the family, as there aren’t any notable figures on my mother’s side). I was to say again that I have done EXTENSIVE research into this and this is all historically accurate. 
          
          Basically all I have left to say is that if you have the time, take advantage of the technology and historical records on the internet and in other places, as you can learn so much about your family history, and you can keep learning more! I am still learning so much about this, and I have a lot more people that I need to look into!
          
          —G.L. Pine.

I am super excited to announce that The Hidden Royal has reached 4,000 reads!!! Normally I just make a post on my Instagram story, but I decided to also post something here!
          
          First, I want to start off with thanking my readers. Without you guys, this story and its sequels would not be the way it is today. You guys mean so much to me, and I love hearing how much you all have been enjoying the series.
          
          I’d also like to talk more about why I started this series in the first place. My original reasoning for starting this whole thing was that I wanted to read a story with this plot, and couldn’t find one that exactly fit it. So, with some consultation from my friends, I decided that I would write it myself. As for the sequels, they were not originally planned, but the further I got into writing The Hidden Royal, I realized there was so much lore, characters, and places that wouldn’t be accurately represented in a single book.
          
          So, here we are. I just want to end this by saying that I am extremely grateful for all of the support I have gotten here on Wattpad from my readers, and fellow authors.
          
          Thanks,
          
          -G.L. Pine.