Friday, January 28, 2011

Friend this.

This place has gone from a complain about everything (but in a humorous way! With mirth!) to a "work through the issue around divorce because my therapist is too far away and I work too many hours to go anyway and also I'm off all my medications oh and PS I'm having wicked body issues and aside from THAT Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?" bit of Internet that I mostly forget exists. I know. I suck. I blame the hippies and their damn patchouli oil that stink up our office.

See? Hippies. (side note: these particular hippies, while colorful were actually not at all smelly)


As usual I'm fully off my train of thought here. Surprise, surprise. I guess not EVERYTHING changes.

Okay. The point. Facebook in all it's amusing sadism, thinks I need to be "friends" with my ex-husbands new girlfriend. I'm sure she's lovely. In fact, I bet she's perfectly nice and I probably WOULD like her, but hello? Awkward much? Yes. Today they recommended we "reconnect" for the ten thousandth time and I noticed that her profile picture is one of her and J together, posed all couple-y in front of a landmark.

In all the time we were married, in all our road trips snaps, in all the family vacation photo's there are maybe two or three pictures of J and me together. Okay, maybe four. He refused. Flat out, absolutely NO FUCKING WAY refused to ever be photographed on any of these trips. Not alone, not with M, not with me and really, really never all together in front of some commemorative scenery.

Thirteen years of snapshots of scenery and not a single damn human in any of them. I quit asking. Quit wanting to be able to show people those photo's that no one except your Gram ever wants to see anyway (and here we are in front of a shrub! and this is us with a highway guard rail!) because I got tired of hearing "no" over and over. Instead M and I would do long arms of ourselves or she'd pose and I'd shoot. It's like he was standing outside our lives the entire time. When I sorted through the (oh dear god, the number!) photographs from before we went digital do you know how many I found of us as a family? A dozen. Or less. He simply wasn't interested in standing beside me to mark some little event that years later you look back on fondly.

And yet, two months in, there he is with his new love. Standing in front of a scenery marker, arm around her. Saying "look! we went somewhere and it was fun and we enjoy each other's company!".

Why wasn't I worth that same? Why wasn't the fact that I wanted it enough? What did I finally manage to say with my leaving that I couldn't say with my begging?

Don't misinterpret. I'm not jealous or...whatever else is not jealous but implies that I have a problem with them going places and enjoying it enough to want to remember it. I'm so very much happier where I am. But I don't understand. I can't wrap my head around why I had to dismantle our lives to finally get him to acquiesce to the tiny things that would have maybe been the Dutch Boy's finger.

I can't help but think that I really wasn't enough. That I am not enough. It's a fucked up smack to the face to finally begin to feel worthy of the happiness you've scratched out to then be confronted with the evidence that you've finally won a battle you're not fighting anymore. Or maybe lost it. I'm not even sure anymore.

6 little kittens say Meow:

RavNsLove said...

Oh sweet 8 lbs 5 oz baby jesus. This is fucked up. I am sorry, it truly is.

First thing, the next time FB recommends her, click the X and tell it NO more!

You are so great woman. You are incredible. I am sorry this has issue has thrown you off kilter. I have no answers. I think maybe that we learn from each relationship where to draw our battle lines and maybe he finally figured out that he hurt you by his actions before and now he is trying not to make the same mistakes? Oh but honey, you were worth it more and he should have seen it. His loss!

rpc said...

My ex refused to wear a wedding ring whilst we were married because he "didn't like to wear rings". When he remarried the day the divorce was finalized, suddenly he had a ring on his finger. I know that isn't as hurtful as pictures, but it seems as if they have to prove to themselves (and flaunt to you) that they aren't the person you rightly know them to be.

Robin said...

It's not you. He had issues with his own being. And he had to go thru a divorce to actually learn something.

Just x her photo or block her all together.

You are a strong beautiful woman that has started a new life, embrace it and run with it.

Lin said...

I have to agree with Nadine. It was obviously him that had issues during your marriage & as sh*tty as it is to realize, you leaving maybe (possibly) made him a better person. Sucks that someone else is going to reap those benefits but like you said, you're happy. And that is all that matters!

Also, I'm super late posting on here because I guess I deleted you off my reader on accident...what a dork!

kristin said...

Damn it. ever since bloglines changes, I haven't been reading my fav blogs! :-(

I've missed you!

:::off to hunt down Lorri:::

vanessa said...

If you decide to start blogging anonymously somewhere else, please let me know :) (i don't know you in real life, don't worry, haha)