I got through an interesting weekend, one which brought home some powerful truths. This was the weekend when my wife had made plans to go to San Diego with her friend, when I thought we were having a family trip. This led to a big fight and eventually culminated in a very big fight that almost ended the marriage.
As a result of that last fight, I faced and overcame my intense fear of being cheated on and realized that, if that ever happened (and it hasn't, just to be clear) my life would be okay. I also faced the possibility that the relationship would end and I'd also be okay. And I faced the reality that I'm not "broken," which is something I've been carrying around for most of my life. In fact, that part of me I thought was broken is actually amazing. My wife has believed in me more than I've believed in myself, and that really got to me.
I opened up and started really loving myself, and I saw my wife in a different light, too. I really saw just what an incredible, vibrant woman she is. She really is an incredible woman. And at the same time as I'm falling in love with her more than ever, I can accept that there's a possibility that we might be on different paths and not be compatible – I find it impossible to accept that EVERYTHING she wrote "in anger" and ALL my intuitions are off the mark. But it doesn't matter – things will go the way they're supposed to, and I can enjoy the ride. From this place, it just feels really good.
That realization caused me to rethink everything, why I've been focusing on attracting women, this "fear of being alone," my relating to people, sex and myself. It's caused me to think about what I really want and rediscover my passions in life.
This weekend was a three-day weekend, thanks to my 9-80 day off at work. It started with a wonderful lovemaking sendoff. Then my wife took the toddler and went to San Diego and I watched my older son, whose suffering from bad headaches and having a lot of psychological problems, for the day. So maybe things happen for a reason and all this drama was just fighting the grand design.
After that, I came back to my wife's apartment (it's hers because I moved in with her and it's never been something I wanted in my life, it's another obligation I tolerate) and went to the park overlooking the beach and saw the most beautiful sunset, so clear and colorful and peaceful. It was an amazing experience. Then I turned around to go back and saw this bright, nearly full moon. Then I went to the gym, came home and found these cards and notes my wife left for me that were so sweet, ate dinner, did some meditation and went to bed.
I had written two poems and an erotic writing for her to read, one each day, and she did, and loved them all.
Saturday I had a great workout, came home, ate and had a really amazing masturbation session before cleaning up, getting dressed and watching the football game at a local bar. The good guys won. I decided to avoid the Halloween circus in my wife's neighborhood and visit my parents. It ended up being a nonstop argument all evening, about my son, my ex, my wife, my parenting, my work ethic, how I'm being manipulated, on and on and on, ruined the whole evening.
Then my wife calls and is upset because I didn't respond to her texts – but she NEVER replies to my texts – and giving me attitude. I smoothed things out a little with her, but the whole experience was enlightening. I realized my best time was when I was "alone" and doing my own thing. And I wasn't even doing anything that interesting, I was just going about my life. It felt very real, very fulfilling. When I started worrying that "I was alone" when watching the game, and allowing myself to "miss my wife," and worry that I wasn't attractive, I wasn't enjoying myself.
When I sought comfort with my parents, I found none, and none with my wife, either. And it dawned on me then that I really am my own best friend. I don't need these people, I can't please them, they all seem to enjoy making me hurt more when they see me suffering, and I was perfectly content in front of that sunset.
I don't need to go out. I don't need someone around. I don't need a woman's approval, or to have people take care of me when I'm down. There's nothing at all bad or scary about being alone – in fact, it's kind of a relief and recharging. People can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I'm good to myself when I'm not listening to other people saying what I should be doing.
It felt good, like from there I can go out or not, I can talk to whoever or not, I can be with whoever or not, and I know whatever I'm doing, whether I'm all alone or with whoever, it'll be fun as long as I'm living my truth. There's no pressure. I don't have to worry about what I "should" be doing. What a nice place to be, and what a nice epiphany.
Sunday was breakfast, gym, me cleaning my wife's apartment, dying my hair, another killer masturbation session and a great night's sleep – alone. I woke up, alone, slept in a little, since the toddler wasn't around, had a great workout at the gym, and I've been thinking about the lessons here ever since. I'm not the same man I was before the big arguments early in October, and I'm not the same man I was before this weekend. Actually, that's not true, either. I'm actually more of the man I always was and I'm that much closer to being that man, and there's no going back.