As I sit here crouched in front of my small heater in my bathroom, I remember what it was like growing up. I spent A lot of my memory crouched by the heater. Feeling that warmth was nice, like a surrogate embrace. I also really like warm showers for that reason, which is ironic because they’re bad for my skin. But I was thinking today how cruel it is that a shower cannot fully engulf me in that warmth. If I was to do that I would drown, and I think there’s something vaguely poetic about that. But only on a surface level, and I think that trope is so worn out that I feel ashamed even thinking it.
It’s weird but expected, I’m right now struggling with the excessive socialization I think. I’m kind of tired, and I feel a bit worn out. I also feel like I’ve lost myself in some ways. Like I don’t game as much as I used to do, not even close. And I think that’s not exactly a bad thing but it is strange to see the difference in myself. I’m supposed to practice smells like teen spirit for my band, but all I want to do is play angst. And I don’t wanna practice the drums like I know I should. I just wanna play guitar because it feels like a proxy for the voice that I’ve never learned how to use. And that’s also ironic because I can’t play the guitar that well all things considered.
Honestly I just want to indulge in self hate a little bit here. I guess maybe because if I do that then it’s a little bit more understandable why I feel shitty even after I did all the things right. I went out with a friend and I signed up for a new event that I was anxious about, and it didn’t go bad at all. But I’m tired. And I feel like the rejection from just being this social and reaching out in this many different ways is catching up to me.
I put a bubble cigarette in my Amazon cart, because I thought it would be really funny as a bit. But I keep finding myself drawn to just the idea of putting that cigarette between my lips. Not an actual cigarette, but just the idea of it is enough to make me want it.
I wish I was able to go to the gym today, like I had enough time to also be able to do that in addition to the event I went to. I feel like when I’m depressed in this sense, the healthiest form of self harm I can do is go to the gym and just take it out on my body. I really do like that pain. I know that it’s not good for muscular growth or fatigue, but I just really like the feeling of pushing myself until the pain is enough to take a forefront in my mind. And it feels so edgy to say it, but I don’t really know how else to describe it. It’s not a bad sort of pain, but it’s more like a physical ringing that continues to get louder and louder until it drowns everything else out. I just wanna get lost in something. I want that escapism. I want some path, and it’s kind of ironic because all things considered my life is not an all bad right now. I guess this persistent sadness that comes sporadically is what got me to where I am so I cannot complain too much.
I spent a lot of time talking with A, and it just feels so natural to talk with her. This feels like the kind of friendship where you just click with someone, but I guess I’m a little bit apprehensive because of all of the things with codependency and such. She mentioned a couple things that checked off some of the boxes that I had, and it kind of feels like she has so many of the things that I was looking for in addition to the things that I know I like. But also I’m not rushing into anything because I know that I at least have 25 more days according to my rules.
I went to a baking club event today, and I saw this one girl I met before that was very pretty and fun to talk to. We finally exchanged numbers so I could invite her to stuff, and at some point I mentioned that she probably only exchanged contacts with my ex, and she said “oh you guys broke up??” Which I responded yes to, and her response to that was “wait my turn to slide?” And I panicked. I responded “no” and probably stuttered something about not dating for a bit, because that caught me so off guard. I’ve been weirdly replaying that moment in my head, because I’m so surprised someone would make that joke unless they were somewhat interested. I guess I do want to believe that I am attractive and desirable and so maybe she was somewhat laying the foundation for flirting, but I may also be reading into it too much. I did meet another person also who had the same name as my prior ex (lol), but we had great conversation and they were excited to hang out. The world may not be as bleak as I thought.
I had an absolutely wonderful day today, I got a full set of drums! Along with a ton of other instruments for my band. I also went to LA for a leap concert, and it was absolutely fucking phenomenal. I got a vinyl signed by all of the members, and photos and got to talk with all of them. On my drive home after watching a video on the benefits of loneliness, I decided to raw dog the rest of my ride home, so I spent 40 minutes with no music or anything like that and I just thought and it was incredibly peaceful.
I stayed up way too late talking with L Since I think both of us struggle with a lot of the same issues, one of those things being people pleasing. It’s kind of nice to have another person’s experiences to clump your thoughts onto to finally form clear takeaways is that you can hold for yourself. People pleasing is not necessarily a noble thing, because it is also destructive to the other person. And it’s nice because framing it like that lets me actually stop it because I recognize it’s a problem worth fixing.
My mind wandered and I thought back to her profile on hinge when I first saw her. A part of me feels tricked in a way with the version of her in my head and the person she showed herself to be. But in writing that I see the parallels to the issue with idealizing a partner. I guess I kinda did that, actually the more I think of it I really did idealize her. She showed me several red flags from the start, and throughout the relationship. She also told me a few times about how she was and foreshadowed things. She also said good things of course and it wasn’t all bad, and I always was able to find excuses to devalue the bad stuff she told me. But there was a gap between her in my mind and her in person. I guess I didn’t really accept her as she is or truly see her since I kept rose tinted glasses on the whole time. I’m not saying it was good or would have worked, I think things would have just ended sooner if I was more realistic. Codependency and spending all your time together truly becomes a drug, and that clouds your mind.
This is gonna be an assorted list of random things that kind of stuck with me that I want to write down. One thing is how while yes it is difficult and rough to feel constant rejection and to be a man pursuing women, I am very much in the minority of being a man that is relatively emotionally mature, successful, attractive, and also wanting to settle down and get married and have kids. There are a lot more women that want that than men, and I would much rather have the agency of pursuing people rather than having to just accept whatever opportunities come my way, and trying to make the most of that. That actually sounds pretty miserable and like you have a lack of control. I want to remind myself that I’m not in that position and that’s something I should be grateful for.
Another thing is that the things that I really want in a partner are not actually that exceptionally rare. It’s not like I’m someone with some really niche fetish or anything like that, and I’ve also learned how easy it is for me to love people. I also know that I do receive a lot of positive attention, and I have had friends have crushes on me in the past. I do not have a shortage of people that are interested in me in my life, and that is a direct result of the work that I’ve done in the effort that I put in and that is something I should be very proud of.
I think I have a disproportionate sense of dread, and I want to be aware of that fact. I think I find several different thoughts that my brain brings up to try to justify it, and all of them have very blatant holes that get poked through quite easily. I think that should be a good indication of the fact that this is just my brain trying to protect me in a way. Feeling like I am alone and I will not find a partner is something that I grew up a lot with, and I think I have that cognitive lens over my experiences in life. But at the same time I was able to find a relationship pretty quickly in San Diego. So it’s not a question of me dying alone or anything like that. And I am pretty young still, and yes there are some people that had very fortunate starting places in life and get to be in very committed relationships or marriages in their late 20s, and it’s not that that’s impossible for me either. But at the same time also recognize that life makes everyone drink their share from the cup of misery. It’s not that their life is inherently better than mine or anything like that. That comparison is something that will ultimately force desperation into something that should take time. And I think it will be something so incredibly beautiful and I’m willing to wait for that.
I spent most of the day with A after work, and it’s nice to just have a good day with a friend. I also do feel like I have been rejuvenated in hope a little bit, because things are not as Grim as I think they are. I think a lot of it just comes from the fact that I don’t have a lot of of the things that some other people do, and because of that I feel like that is how the world is. Because I also have not had enough success yet with finding something like community, I feel like it is nonexistent, but I also do think that because of my lack of it I have developed certain skills that help facilitate this more, and it sets me up for a good future. And I don’t think it’s as rare as it seems. And it’s also not like I’m starving and drowning without any socialization. I do live in a large area that is fairly bustling, and I have a good amount of friends. I’ve let a good amount of grief wash over me, and I guess I can see some future where I can look at certain things and they don’t remind me of her and hurt me in the ways that the grief currently is.
I’m in San Jose now, and I spent three hours in the rental lot where I first met her mom. I wasn’t that exact rental lot After dropping off the car from our road trip. I honestly just wanna break down crying. Sometimes I really fucking miss her. And I remember how I felt calling her when I was in San Jose on my business trip for the first time. And I just went and I deleted the Instagram highlight of us, and I couldn’t help but to look through all of them one last time. And my God, I loved her so fucking much. And I’m almost forcing myself to use past tense, because I’m afraid of what might happen if I don’t. And it just hurts so much because all of these places remind me of her. And she was never perfect, and she never claimed that she was. But I had really just hoped that things would work out. And it sucks so much because I know that she loved me. And the issue was that love alone was not enough to make up for the issues. But the times when she would give me that love, it would feel so incredibly sweet and warm and I would feel so fucking safe. I would feel like for the first time in my life I had someone I could just collapse onto. And even if in those moments she didn’t handle things great still, I felt safe with her and I felt like she cared. And sometimes I would be able to have space for me, and I could just cry and get a hug from her. And it hurts me so much that the nostalgia still haunts me. And it sucks because in the relationship that was not the default, and that was not even a common occurrence. And I think that almost made it even more valuable. And I’ve done a lot of research and reading and seen that it was not a healthy dynamic, and I was constantly trapped in the cycle of her getting aggressive or doing something shitty to me, and then some sweet apology without any follow up, followed by a few days of kindness and love. And then another bomb drop. And I remember how unstable I felt, because I never knew how she would react a day, and it was something that affected my work and my other relationships.
So why does it hurt me so much to see the places haunted by nostalgia of good memories. Even if sometimes looking at her would hurt me, why do I have those memories so fondly held close to my heart. I’m glad that voice to text doesn’t pick up my sobs. I guess I honestly don’t know what else to do but to cry myself to sleep, since it is late and I have to wake up early for work tomorrow. I’m doing my best to let the grief pass through me, and not shut it out. But I really do miss her.
I just landed in San Jose. I’m right now in the place where I dropped off the car after my road trip with E up for thanksgiving. It really did feel like we were locked in, didn’t it? Two months in and I met her family and joined them for thanksgiving. They even threw me a surprise birthday party. God, this grief threatens to swallow me whole in this Avis line. It was right outside this building where I met her mom for the first time. That was the first time I met a partners parent.
I remember after the first breakup her mom told me that she thinks I’m a good guy, but this early on you shouldn’t be having this many problems. And she’s right, and she didn’t try to change my mind, since honestly I was so blinded and committed to the idea of making it work I wouldn’t have accepted it. But she was completely right.
I know there will be other wonderful parents to meet in the future and thanksgivings to be had. I miss the week I spent here with them all. The things we did together, it felt like I was added to their family already. E talked so much about marriage, I had written down and remembered what kind of gem she would want in her ring. Where do I put “ruby” in my memory now? God I really loved E. I kept beating myself up thinking about how I could have been better for her, and for us. If somehow I could have done enough to make it work out happily ever after. We fucking talked about kids, so much. I thought about marrying her sooner so that my work insurance could cover her IVF due to her genetic condition. She would cry sometimes about how expensive and scary it was, and I would do my best to comfort her. I’d tell her how it means nothing if it means being able to have a kid (the cost). I know she wanted a very nice quality of life and I resigned myself to possibly sacrificing parts of me to climb the corporate ladder enough to pay for it all.
I remember early early into just dating she told me how she wanted someone without commitment issues, since I later found out she had just ended a situationship. Within a few days we started dating and it was intense and fast. I think she had a hole in her heart from the last relationship and I came and instantly filled it back, picking up where it was left off.
Either way there’s a ton of E shaped holes left in me. And one of these holes is this rental car pickup line. I remember who I was when I was waiting to meet her mom in person finally. God, her dog Cooper, and her cat Fiona. Fiona was supposed to move in with me, and I love that cat. And that cat really loves me, and same with Coops. I remember how beautiful their Christmas tree was. Having a heart to heart talk with her mom while she lay asleep on the couch. Talking about our 24 hour first date.
It’s bad but my brain keeps wanting to call her my baby. My girl. And she’s not.