I know death comes in threes, but what about men?

Security means a lot of things to a lot of people, and different things at any given time. For example it can mean that I know I'll still have a job after the next wave of lay-offs, or that if someone breaks into my house, they'll think twice next time after having bullets flying in their direction. With Ole Faithful, it means knowing where I stand and what my options are at any given moment. O options, how many of us have them?

I've been vacillating for months about what to do with my sometimey distant lover, and its been the source of much frustration. I could violently kick him to the curb, or I could just keep on keepin on. I mean, how does one justify doing this shit for THREE years? But at the same time, how could I pretend that there's actually NOTHING real between us after three years? I mean, after you spend that kinda time with someone, relationship or no, there's got to be some kind of growth right? Otherwise that would make me a heartless bitch and who wants one of those?

Well I realized, sadly, that I'm. just. ambivalent. And personally, that's worse than anything else I could possibly feel. You never want it to get to the point where it doesn't matter if you're there or not. And I realized I reached this juncture when he stood me up and left me to have dinner on my birthday alone. and I wasn't upset. Because I already knew he wasn't coming. Because he is Ole Faithful. And he was not missed. Don't get me wrong, he is good company, whether we're doing the nekked lambada or not, but I've stopped caring. hell I don't really even care if he comes, pun intended. (not like that is ever a problem)

The funny thing though, is that I think he kinda likes it, though he has no clue that he is about to lose me and the puntang he loves so much, that this is step one towards the door. In a conversation we once had about relationships I told him that once I'm done I'm done. I don't revisit things I leave behind (that can get really embarrassing), which is why I'm not going to beat myself up about how long this process is taking me. I need to know without a doubt that for me, its over. Somehow I think he expects me to wait for him, even though there are no guarantees. As if I'm supposed be able to come to conclusion that he is a good catch based off the way he treats ME. not so much. Maybe if I took into account of how he treated others but what does that have to do with the price of pork in Mexico?

That said, I'm quietly looking for a replacement. I turned in my player card years ago when I discovered that men I could play like marionettes were just not attractive to me, and juggling is a waste of energy. It might have been fun in the short term but I was not bringing them home to the family.

That said, I've been single for 3 years. And I don't date very often, and most don't get a second date. For years there were none. Suddenly there are 3. When it rains it pours. I've already decided to cut bachelor #1 the barber. He's just not my cup of tea. Bachelor #2 the unexpected, is great company but only time will tell if my interest in him is romantic or just friends, since that's how I looked at him til he asked me to dinner. Bachelor #3 Capricorn twin, shares a name with Ole faithful, including age and sign. He looks nothing like him, but for other might have taken those similarities as a sign of some sort, good or bad. Not me! I'm feeling a little off about him though because I asked him for his info, which isn't something I usually do. Dah Well. I respect his hustle but he seems like a bit of a workaholic. Can he balance work and fun?

I am a woman, quintessentially

Today I realized that I've never wanted a relationship before and that sad realization struck me when Ole Faithful asked me if that's what I wanted. I've had relationships before, but I was with them because they wanted to be with me. They were wonderful gentlemen, of course, I wouldn't have dated them if they weren't, but there wasn't that feeling that it was just something I HAD to have. Maybe that's a good thing.

What do I want? I wasn't entirely sure...outside of academic interests, and maybe what I was planning to eat, I can't really say that decisions I've made were in my own self interest. But after thinking about it some I realized that while my heart may be finally ready to try the whole relationship thing again, my current circumstances do not necessarily foster an ideal relationship starting environment.

I'd like to be able to enter into a relationship from a place of balance, stability, wholeness, and peace. I've witnessed too many people be in relationships looking for others to fill a void of some sort, and from the outside looking in, it doesn't look so appealing. Given that I'm trying to build my own personal stability so that I'd feel safer being more emotionally vulnerable with others, there are too many uncertainties to seriously consider adding the needs of another person into the mix. While I'm not opposed to long distance relationships, I don't even know where I'll be next year. Not like there's anyone to consider anyway, but making a choice for where to go for Grad school would be further compounded by trying to stay fairly close to a "boo".

I always go for what I want though..so if I won't let it go, that must mean I want something right? Maybe just a steady helping of pigs in a blanket, maybe something more, either way...I've been going without for quite some time. On some level I know I just want to be better, and I'm always looking for opportunities to improve and to practice not following my old, comfortable bad habits to demonstrate my growth as a woman, and since much of where I perceive I am lacking is in the relationship area, it could be beneficial to put some of those lessons in action.

I'm just feeling like now is not the right time. I believe that there is a time to be single and a time to be in a relationship, that if done right, there are valuable lessons to be learned, and that neither process should be rushed, no matter how cold it gets outside, or how annoying is the way he chews his food.

I'm still however, learning how to reconcile the realities of my upbringing with my present personal growth aspirations. I am after all, still a woman. I have difficulty expressing my feelings, or even acknowledging that they exist, but part of this journey is finding new ways to present the inner me to the world. I think people look at me, if they know my story, and even if they don't, and they see the quintessential "strong black young woman". Always hard-working, never accepting setbacks, unemotional and level-headed (unless you threatening the fam, lol), staring down adversity, overcoming obstacles yada yada yada. It's not that those assessments are untrue, its just that they are incomplete. I'm learning to acknowledge publicly and privately that sometimes my feelings get hurt, there are PLENTY things that I fear, that staring down adversity thing that I do is more like looking like a dear caught in headlights, and yes, as strong and self sufficient as I may be, I still need a little tenderness and more than AA batteries in my life.

Whose report will you believe?

Since I've been fasting (i.e. not watching Slayer, hours of TV, or putting myself to sleep,) I've had plenty of time to think. I'm all about self discovery and taking time to process the things I do and think, as well as what goes on around me.

There are a few areas in which I've kinda been stuck, but some of it centers around Ole Faithful. Luckily I've had an epiphany or two surrounding that whole situation. I never understood why I've let this go on for so long. I was confortable, sure. But WHY was I so comfortable knowing I was an afterthought, a jumpoff? I always thought it was something about him that kept me around, you know, that I enjoyed his company, felt like he "got" me, and how no matter how stressed frustrated I may have been that day, I would always be much more calm when I was around him.

Those things still apply, but it was about me too, and I've always known that; I just never took to time to think about it beyond me liking stability, and he being as predictable as they come (for better and for worse).

Because I was experiencing so much emotional instability, I clung to whatever could offer me some stabilizing effect, or better yet, something I could tether myself to as I attempted to regain some order in the other areas in my life. I reacted the way I did (anxiety attack= no bueno) when he told me we were in a relationship because suddenly in the midst of the most change I have ever experienced at one time, I could no longer count on the one thing that kept me "sane".

It was the premise upon which I had built my thought process to begin to explain my world as it was and suddenly I had yet another thing I didn't really know how to deal with it. Never mind that we already hadn't seen each other for months, the truth is, I just don't like surprises.

This whole fasting process has made me realize too that I no longer need him in that way. For the past year, I've been working like crazy to reconstruct my world so that I can better withstand change whether it be unexpected or not, and the be the stability that I so desire. The truth is, I'm just in that season of my life where things are constantly changing. I've had to move a lot, still not sure where I will end up settling, and as many of my friends are going through the same thing our friendships have necessarily changed also. Furthermore, we are in a recession of sorts, so professionally and monetarily things are still uncertain.

That doesn't mean I have to panic, or cling to the nearest tree every time the wind blows. I've decided I will be that tree again...I have played that role in everyone else's life now that I think about it, and for myself at times, but it seems like I had given up tree status in favor of being a leaf. There's nothing wrong with that; there's a time to be a tree and there's a time to be a leaf, this is what's best for now.

Besides all of that, the rumor mill is alive and well. I have an iPhone now and I'm beginning to wonder if I can unsubscribe to this BS. I told my friend how annoyed I was that she calls me every time someone reports that Ole faithful has breathed. I know she cares about me and wants to make sure I am informed but dag, I do appreciate it but on some level I don't care. I'm not the kind of woman to keep tabs on my man, let alone someone with whom I'm just doing rhythmic gymnastics. I think what bothered me most was that the times I was getting these status updates, I wasn't dealing with him so there was no real reason for me to know... I guess things are a little different now but the new "news" is that he had a girlfriend here and back home and is living in VA, though he told me went back home.

That said, I can't say this friend is the most reliable source. A couple months ago she sent me a FB message with a pic of him with a pic of his baby mama (pre-baby of course, btw FB is the devil) saying "clearly he was messing with y'all at the same time", which truthfully hurt and angered me. I don't mind doing the no strings attached thing short term, but I firmly believe I'm good enough to get my own and man and don't relish being unknowingly put in the position of the "other woman". This info was received through my friend's FB stalking which I generally frown upon, but something told me to do my own research, (the political scientist in me). So I looked through the pics on her profile which was open, and discovered that while that particular photo was posted around the time we were seeing each other, the photo was actually older because similar pictures were posted a year or so before. Not to say he wasn't seeing us both, but it just wasn't as cut and dry as my friend was making it appear.

I don't put anything past anyone, so it's entirely possible he's been lying to me, but it's also possible I'm being fed misinformation (it doesn't help that most of my friends dislike him for the way he handles me). If it's true, then I wouldn't pursue a real relationship with him even if he wanted it, if not, I'm still no longer satisfied with the terms of our arrangement. If he isn't willing or ready to take a step forward with me, that's cool, no love lost, but I intend to make myself available for someone who can and will. Regardless, it's cause for pause, and it doesn't really change my resolve to leave this behind, for good.

Thar She Blows!

So, Ole Faithful is back in town. He surprised me with a phone call about a week ago..he is Ole Faithful so I shouldn't be so surprised but things did not end so well between us last November when he told me in an unrelated convo that he was in a relationship, and without really saying so cut me off.

Of course later I got breaking news about the twist in turns in his relationship though I had never opted in:

Well he claims to have been thinking about me: (at arse o'clock of course) and is wondering if he can come by and hang out with me. I hesitate, but agree.... I should be good because I'm not in the mood for any hanky panky...and I'm stubborn so I was still feeling some kinda away about how he handled "the end".

He comes over..I sit on a different couch, we watch Ninja Warrior and play catch up...he tells me that in the half year since I saw him last he has gotten into some trouble..I expect him to tell me about the baby momma...he does not..he tells me about his legal trouble. I'm only moderately surprised, because this is not the first time he has been in some sort of trouble with the law. However, this is the first time he has given me details. He was facing 5 years but walked away with a year probation and an expunged record if he can manage to keep his nose clean for a year.

He then says he thought it was stupid that he never tried to pursue anything serious with me because I'm cool and he's never had any drama with me...okay.. but I wasn't really sure what to do or say about it because he just put it out there...he didn't necessarily indicate that he wanted to do anything about it, so I thought at the moment it was just easier to listen and say nothing.

Who knows how long he is here for or what his intentions are, but we will see, I guess.

I used to love him

If you asked me today if I've ever loved...I will hem, haw and probably shrug my shoulders. To be honest I really don't have an answer. I can tell you that at the time when I was in those relationships I believed I loved the man I was with. But I find today that I don't feel anything like that towards those people I once invested so much time in. Our society tries to keep things simple so we casually say we used to love them but we are no longer IN love with them.

I personally am not willing to let myself off the hook quite that easy. I tend to choose my words very wisely and since I have difficulty sharing my feelings, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe I meant it. I also won't cheapen my experiences in those relationships by simply saying that in hindsight, it was just infatuation, because it wasn't.

In my mind, love is, or should be unconditional, which means I should still wish you the best and not necessarily harbor any ill sentiments towards you once things are all said and done. It doesn't mean I have to be willing to do a do-over but (at least I think) my skin shouldn't crawl at the mere mention of your name.

And that's where I find myself. Considering that I've never been broken up with, and I'm the kinda person who REALLY invests myself in relationships to the extent that I don't play that let's take a break stuff, or I don't make decisions while angry, and once I've decided I've had enough I've had enough and I don't look back, I can see why I don't reminisce about my past relationships, because when I decided I needed to leave, I made sure it was *really* over for me, and never once have I ever thought about going back to anything I've left behind.

The wrench in my path, however, comes from the long term non-relationship I had with Ole Faithful. We did the whole no strings attached shindig for 2 years...longer than any legitimate relationship I've ever had mind you, where the first year he spent trying to get me to let him update my plumbing system, and the second year giving sporadic tune ups. In that time, he was someone who I came to respect and trust physically, and assumed (incorrectly) that he felt the same.

I always joke with my friends that there ain't nothing like a strong man to make you wanna submit (lol) And with our interaction I think that was very true. My last two BFs we're definitely more emotional than I am, one being insecure in life and the other, insecure in our relationship. which grated on me as time went by. Ole Faithful, not so much. He was just as stoic as I am, and besides his physical strength, he seemed to get me, even if he was reluctant to let me get to know him. He challenged me, but never pushed so hard as to arouse my stubborn combative nature (I hate to admit it, but not everything I do and say makes sense, i.e. I once told him we couldn't have segzy time because I ain't know him like that....yet I was nekked in his bed for SHAME, I know), and I can say I learned a lot about myself from kickin it with him (hence the respect). I even let him be ringmaster in Le Sac, which is REALLY out of character for me. As small as I am, I'm usually the one who dominates...and truthfully, it is nice to be dominated every once in a while.

But anyway, now that that's all over, based on my current concept of love, I could argue that I loved Ole faithful. I would never argue that, but you get my point. Despite everything I went through with him, I still feel no ill towards him, maybe even still have a little positivity left in my mind. If love is really supposed to be unconditional, then wouldn't this be evidence of that?

Temptation Island

The man, who from now on will be referred to as "Ole Faithful" decides to text me and announce that he is in my city. No lie, I FREAKED OUT!!!!! I called all my friends PLUS my brother to express my anguish, and narrowly avoided a full out panic attack. So the plan was to try to avoid him as long as possible but the problem was I had no clue how long he would be here. His brother lives here so I figured he'd be here what? a week? But NOOOOOOO he says he's here for a month!!!!!!

:::enter the cold sweat and racing heart:::

THEN he sends me a text informing me of a dream he had about me....(which does not include flowers and fairy tales if you know what i mean)...I ignored the message but knew that I was in for an uphill battle if I was gonna make it this month and not have sex with him. After a pep talk from my bro and a friend...I finally calmed down. But a few days later after several questions from my support group (consisting of my brother and friends who know my situation) I curious about how long he would be here... so I broke down and asked him and he says he is here looking for a JOB!!!! AAARRRGH!

I'm trying to do this whole six months no dating, no accepting numbers, no nada! And this will be difficult if he relocates back here. Well anyway, I can't do nothing but try, and some of my friends don't seem to think I will be able to resist him, so I guess we'll just have to see.....

Blog Virgin

I was never the type to pour my heart out to anyone, let alone strangers, but since I, as a recent college graduate, have joined the millions of Americans who are uninsured and therefore cannot afford a shrink, please bear with me as I sometimes may use this space to sort out some things. My present situation, which has finally driven me to the blog scene, is this: I can't sleep. But before you understand my current bout of insomnia, there are a few basic things you need to know about me.

First of all, I've always had trouble sharing how I feel. Secondly, I am part of the Millennial generation, and I am struggling with the transition from young adulthood to being "grown", not just physically, but spiritually as well. That said, I am a Christian, but not one of those people who just goes to church but cares nothing really about the life thay claim to live, but among other things I am working on maintaining an actual relationship with Christ. Before you roll your eyes and click on, understand this: Like any other relationship, sometimes we (meaning me and Jesus) dont talk, have disagreements and even falling outs! Oh! and lastly, I love life, a good joke a good book, good food, good drinks and good sleep!

Well anyway, I decided years ago that I would wait til I was married to have sex. I fought long and hard (VERY hard!) and managed to make it to my Senior year of college before I finally gave in. I chose a partner I trusted (more on that later), then later decided (in part because things grew long distance and were always sporadic) that it was best that I not pursue a consistent sexual relationship with him (I was willing to fly) for several reasons:

1: Because I had promised myself & God I would wait and had not, I knew I could not see him regularly and not feel bad about it.... (and what single woman only wants sporadic sex?)
2. I wanted to be sure I guarded my heart (meaning avoiding catching feelings), and that was getting to be a little difficult cuz I'm not very trusting and don't really let people in, so it already meant I trusted him alot, and I wasn't going to put in that kind of effort with anyone else, meaning I had no other options to satisfy my urges.
3. For us to not be in a relationship we had been seeing each other for a long time....too long if you ask me and that was even before we finally had sex.

It seems that I've always had a very healthy sex drive, at least since I decided I would hold off on the whole sex thing at the ripe ole age of 12. And now that I have an inkling of what it is actually like that has certainly not changed. Since I lost my virginity I have decided that I would pick up the waiting game again and it has been really difficult. Among other issues that are just a part of growing up, I have been dealing with the spiritual ramifications of me sexual encounters with the man. In Bible studies, we have talked about how when you have sex with someone, you have married them in the spirit. Well I figured, NO WONDER I've been having such a hard time letting go of someone I didn't have feelings for and was not in a relationship with. So after much conversation with people I trust, and reading my Bible, I figured if I had married him in my spirit, then certainly I could DIVORCE him in my spirit, and so that's what the last month of my life so far has been about.

Well for the past week, I've been thinking about him alot, (and I dont mean any of those cute, let's hold hands dreams) to the point where I can't sleep and can't focus on anythings else. It's really annoying cuz I don't wanna be thinking about him all day, and it really takes a toll on my productivity (I mean, I DO have a job now). But most importantly, I don't like missing out on sleep. After expressing my frustration to some of my friends today, I decided I might as well go to sleep, as hard as it may be to actually quiet my mind enough to get some sleep.... Honestly folks, I've been having a hard time getting through my prayers without thinking sexual thoughts about the man.

But I digress. As I was lying in bed, I was thinking about the approaching anniversary of my Godfather's sudden passing, and how hard it has been for me to make my peace. And it dawned on me. I have never been so horny in my life! and I realized that today it has been exactly a year since I chose to first share my body with him. Considering that I am trying to divorce him in my spirit, it makes sense that subconsciously I would be thinking of our first time together. That may not mean anything to you who may be reading this blog, but that absolutely blew my mind. So much so that I got up out of my bed and started this blog (since I was having trouble sleeping anyway).

And there you have it.