A few rambles about new jobs, self esteem and sex.

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I’ve started my new job.  Today was day three.  So far, I’m pretty excited and happy to be where I am at.  It’s different than I am used to, that’s for sure.  I think I got used to working for the borg.  🙂  This company is a bit smaller, and my position is much higher than where I was.  I have a new big office, a second space that has a couch and some cushy chairs and a bunch of whiteboards, and I have a large design studio space.  It’s been pretty awesome getting acquainted with folks and digging into projects.  It’s helped me see just how much I needed this change.

I haven’t seen my counselor in just over 3 weeks.  At first, there were a couple of days when I would start to panic and want to make an appointment, but over the last few weeks, I’ve learned that maybe it’s ok to feel lost and uncomfortable with myself.  It doesn’t mean I’m unhappy, and it doesn’t mean I’m a failure.  It simply means I’m still a work in progress.  And I think I’m ok with that.

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Something interesting has started to really dawn on me lately.  The last time I had a sit down chat with my father, he talked to me about how I have a problem with commitment.  At the time, I was pretty pissed off and couldn’t really register what he was saying.  But with some time to cool off, and distance from the conversation, I’m starting to realize that he’s not wrong.  It’s weird.  I’ve always viewed myself as someone who’s 100 percent loyal to a fault.  Someone who’s 100 percent committed to the people I love and care for.  And I have been.  However… every single relationship I’ve had that has ended, has ended because I walked away.  Which means, Dad isn’t wrong.  From that perspective, my level of commitment towards those relationships wasn’t strong enough to hold me in my place.  His point wasn’t to make me feel bad, it was simply to point out that moving forward, I have to be willing to give all of myself.  To trust fully and completely and to commit 100 percent.

I thought I was doing that.. but even lately, i’ve caught myself struggling with the occasional stream of self doubt that helps me realize just how far I still have to go.

I have what I’d like to consider to be a silly problem.  There’s something I’m wanting, sexually, and I’m too timid to speak up about it.  Not only am I too timid to speak up about it, but I’m also too nervous of getting turned down or said no.  And to be honest, I find it incredibly frustrating.  Not only that, but how do you even go about describing something that you haven’t experienced in order to ask for it?  This is mineI want to feel like I am someone’s.  Completely.  Sometimes, I want to feel possessed or owned.  I want to know that someone revels in every inch of me.  Not in a bad or abusive fashion… but in a I’m going to cherish you in a way that no one ever has.  That they know my body and know what to do to make me melt.  Is that weird?  Maybe it’s the inner submissive in me?  I suppose because in my head… that’s how I feel about the person I’m with.  Their body, is almost an extension of mine.  I better know how to give them chills, how to cause pleasure and ecstasy with a few single strokes or kisses or touches.  In theory, as a significant other, isn’t that my job?  Curious to some of your thoughts…

Goodnight neverland.  Much love from quirky ol’ me.  Hehe.

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The next chapter begins…

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I’ve always been of the mindset that it’s another day, another dollar… but lately… it’s more than that.  Life is fricken AWESOME!  Am I allowed to say “Fricken”? 🙂

Got a bunch of boxes unpacked tonight.  Lit some candles.  The house feels incredible.  It’s becoming a home.  Something I didn’t think would happen.  Happiness feels good.

I visited my grandma today.  It’s weird… I got a phone call from my mother during my lunch break at work today and she was requesting that I leave work and go sit with Nana.  Granddad is in the hospital and not doing very well.  She was worried to leave her by herself for too long.  So I dropped everything and drove over to her house.  Walked in, made her a cup of tea and sat and chatted.  It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do something like that.  Especially just Nana alone.  It was lovely.  We talked about all sorts of things.  Life, love, family, the new house, decorating, relationships and marriages, kids, travel… it’s been far too long since I’ve sat down with her and talked about things that really matter to me.  She got tired about 2 hours into it and requested that I watch over her while she napped.  Funny, this is the woman who raised me… and here I sat, watching her drift off to sleep.  I felt incredibly protective of her at that moment.  My step dad showed up and let me go home.  He would take over the duty of watching over her.

As I drove home, I reflected on all the times that she’d watch over me.  Times when I was sick, or sad, or struggling with some life struggle.  Interesting how life takes a turn and suddenly the children are the ones who take over and care for the parents.

Usually, when I see my grandparents, I’m struck with how inadequate I am.  How I’m not good enough or how I could do better in life in so many ways… but not this time.  This time, when I left and drove home to pick up my son… I felt pride.  I felt accomplished.  I felt this heavy and amazing feeling that I have made it.  I’m somebody my family is proud of.  My family is proud of who I am, what I’ve done… who I am and who I am becoming.  And for once, I felt it.  Too bad I can’t channel that feeling all the time… would be nice to kiss my low self esteem goodbye for good.  But whatever.. i’ll take the moment.  🙂

Goodnight neverland… talk soon.

Musings over the hypothetical

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I rarely ask for help.  I rarely will admit defeat enough to realize that I even NEED help.  I suppose it’s prideful, but I don’t like to admit to that kind of weakness.

I feel like today, I am officially raising my hand.  I’m feeling lost and very alone in some decisions that I have to make.  The last thing I need or want right now, is to be alone with my thoughts.  I’m in this strange stage where the last thing in the world that I want is to be alone or to be given space.  T is the kind of guy who needs his alone time and space, so I feel bad asking for more of his time.  I hate to think of myself as a needy or clingy kind of girl.  And because he’s the type to need his space… he doesn’t fully understand what I mean when I asked him to check up on me.  I explained where I was at, and did my best to help him understand that this week, I could really use his attention and time.  He promised to check on me, but I don’t think he really gets it.  Oh well – I suppose this is one of those learning curve kind of moments.  At least I’m doing fairly well with communicating.  We’ll get there. I’m grateful for what time I get and even more appreciative of how affectionate and sweet he’s been this week.  Thankfully, the bro and his girlfriend have recognized that in me and have kept a very close watch over me in the last couple of days.  My appreciation for them doing that is immense.  I booked an appointment with a counselor.  She specializes in a few things that I know I need to work on.  Self esteem being one of them.  I wish the appointment was this week.  Monday feels very far away.

In the past couple of days – I’ve gotten into some interesting conversations with a few people in my inner circle about a subject I’ve never broached before.  I tend to avoid subjects like religion and politics with friends.  Why go there?  But in the last couple of days – a new subject has come up.  Abortion.  It’s amazing what you learn about people when these topics come up.  Hell, it’s amazing what you learn about yourself.

I’m pro-choice.  Which – I should add, that means I believe someone has a choice.  They can choose to continue a pregnancy and they can choose to end it.  CHOICE being the key word there.  For me personally, I’ve always chosen life.  But that choice always came with a cost.  I chose to continue the pregnancy with Ben and my choice led to a grown man destroying himself.  But I also had a different kind of choice.  I had to choose to turn off the machines and give up on my son.  I had to sign a paper telling the doctors and medical staff to not save his life or work on him further.  I then had to hold him in my arms and watch and listen to him as he took his final breaths.  It broke me.  Not sure I’ve ever really admitted that fully.  I do a lot of posturing about my strength and how I watched everyone else crumble.  I rarely admit to the fact that inside – I died that day too.  Me – one of the most stubborn people on the planet, gave up on one of the few people in my life who I should NEVER give up on.  My child.  Because of this – I don’t think I could ever go through with an abortion.  No judging from my end on those who could or do – I just think the guilt and shame and depression would suck me under and I’d never break free again.

BUT – all of that said – I know for a fact that I also could never go through a pregnancy like the ones I’ve gone through in the past.  Where I’m alone in wanting to bring that child into the world.  Where every joy and every milestone is ignored or goes unnoticed or uncelebrated.  People say it’s a woman’s choice because it’s her body – and yes – that is true.  But the choice a woman makes can make or break a situation.  In the past – when my ex asked in his own way for me to abort a pregnancy – I triumphantly would declare HELL NO or FUCK OFF.  Were I to be in that kind of situation now, with the man I love,…if he wasn’t comfortable or felt it to be unwise, I’d find a way to deal with it and likely give him what he wants.  Not sure I’ve ever loved a man THAT much before.  I mean – yes, I’d be heart broken if he wasn’t excited and ready to take that leap off the parenting cliff with me, but it’d be better knowing that sooner rather than later.  I love my kids, I love being a parent.  The unconditional love you feel and experience when you hold your child for the first time.  It’s indescribable.  And I’d love another child.  A little girl.  Maybe someday, it’ll happen and maybe not.  But I know me – I refuse to ruin a man’s life by chaining him with a child he doesn’t want for 18 years.  That the idea of a pregnancy alone is so horrible, that I’d abort and find a good counselor and fight the depression, the guilt, and the pain just to make that man happy.  Why?  Because I feel I can take the pain.  I’ve already experienced the most incredibly painful thing in the world… how bad could it be? The bro thinks my opinion is nuts.  That a man should man up.  Accept it and be there, or don’t and bugger off for good.  He got angry with me over my opinion.  Saying that if I ever got into that type of situation… that he’d hope that I’d do what is best for ME, not the man.  He went on and on about how it would speak volumes about a man if he allowed me to put myself through the emotional turmoil of ending a life again.

It leaves me curious – dear readers.  I know it’s a taboo subject, so please don’t think me rude for asking – but what are your thoughts and opinions on this?

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Broken

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There are times, when I worry that I am seriously screwed up.

My self esteem took a pretty massive blow – for 11 years.

When, if ever, will it be done?  Will there ever be a time, when I see an odd or negative expression cross someone’s face and I don’t immediately worry or wonder at what I did wrong?   Will there finally come a time when I feel comfortable in my own skin?

I’m sure there are a lot of women out there who don’t feel comfortable naked.  I am one of them.  Even when it’s just me, home alone, I don’t feel comfortable.  I suppose when you spend 11 years with someone who doesn’t want to touch you – it really hits close to home.  I look at myself and see every flaw, every damaged part.  It’s rare that I look in the mirror and see someone beautiful staring back.  It’s easier with clothes.

I have a serious problem with sex.  It’s not that I don’t want it.  Cuz, THAT certainly isn’t my problem.  My problem is that I always seem to choose inopportune times to want it.  I don’t know if that’s even it.  Hell – I don’t really know WHAT my problem is anymore.

I know that because I’m sick (stupid Christmas colds), I’m struggling to contain my emotions a bit.  It happens when I get sick.  I cry a bit more freely.  I hate it.  I’m sure the people around me hate it too.

I had a lovely day today.  Overall, this has been a fantastic Christmas.  My kids and family and loved ones have all been thoroughly spoiled.  That makes me so happy.  But tonight, as the cold decided to make me a bit more on the miserable side than I’d  like, I got emotional.  I got insecure and scared.  Tonight – I showed myself how broken I really am.  Sure, I put on a good front.  I’ve done a lot of work on myself in the last few years and I recognize the growth and change that has come about – but tonight – I realize just how broken I still am.  I hate it.  It’s nights like these when I seriously loathe myself.  When I believe what others have said in my past when they were trying to break me down.  Not only do I believe it, but I think everyone thinks it – when that’s not necessarily true.

I need to get control of myself.  As my mom would say, I need to snap out of it and remember just how happy I’ve been as of late.  It’s perfectly ok to fall apart sometimes, and I’ll give myself a pass, seeing that I’m sick and all – but I also need to recognize that it is no longer acceptable for me to beat myself up.  To question EVERYTHING the way I do.  Stop overthinking all the time.  Allow myself to just be content dang it all.

Goodnight neverland.  Merry Christmas.

And so this is christmas…

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What have I done, another year over… a new one just begun.

What have I accomplished this year?  A lot in many ways, and yet, so little in others.  I started a new job.  Moved from a large house to a smaller house.  Had an amazing adventure down to the Caribbean.  I’ve made some incredible friendships.  I’ve also lost some friendships that meant a lot to me.  I knocked down a few of my own internal walls and let some people in.  Learned, not just to love again, but to actually WANT to love and be loved again.  I found a way to honor my son this year.  Got closer to my daughter than ever before and successfully navigated the age of 3 with my youngest.  I purchased myself a new car (my first), accomplished quite a few things on my bucket list, worked on some amazing projects, attended a couple of amazing comic conventions (Yes, I am a nerd), and generally had more of a life than I’ve ever had before.  What a year!

I’ve spent some time tonight thinking about the changes in me over the last year.  Physically and emotionally.  I’m proud of where I am and of where I’ve come.  I still see the growth I have to make ahead of me.  It doesn’t scare me, it excites me.  The older people get, the better they seem to get.  Or at least the more in tune with themselves they become.

Something I’d like to see more improvement on this next year is my self esteem.  I hate how low mine is.  On some levels, I see my worth.  I see what I can bring to the table.. strengths and weaknesses.  But on other levels, I can’t ever see myself the way others do.  My friends, family and loved ones tell me what they see in me often.  And most of the time, I either don’t believe them, or just struggle because I can’t see it.  Believe me, I wish I could.  As I’ve aged, I’ve learned to like myself more.  My hope is that it will continue to grow over time.

Today, I made fudge.  It used to be a tradition in our house.  We’d make fudge, cookies, and other holiday treats.  Some would be passed out as gifts to coworkers and acquaintances, others would make it to parties we’d attend or be included in the treats left out for Santa.  It felt good to make it.  Presents I’d ordered for xmas gifts started arriving today.  It was thrilling to open the door and find a big giant box on the doorstep.  One large item for the little one, and one of the items I’d ordered for T arrived today.  Should be plenty more of those to go around in the next few days as more packages arrive.  My office will become “Santa’s workshop” where no one is allowed entry other than myself and the cat.  🙂  It’s the most… wonderful time… of the year!! 🙂

Goodnight Neverland.  Much love to you.  Dream sweet.

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