well well well... here I am

Legion

New member
uh, I wrote this insanely long story last night from midnight to half past one about how I came to "poly" (If that's indeed what I am) but then didn't post it. Too long winded and scattered.

I have been "out" for about 8 years now and still don't really know much. Last year I was in a monogamous relationship with an old flame who required it of me as a condition for us to have a romantic relationship. After about 6 months I was disgruntled. I tried to wait it out, thinking maybe it was a phase and reminding myself of all the wonderful aspects of our relationship, but around 9 months I called it quits and told her I needed to go back to "being poly".

She stayed with me for a while and tried to adapt, but most any romantic activity on my part having to do with someone else threw her into rage, anger and/or despair. She threw me out of the house a few times (I think the third time I actually left.) and broke up with me a few times. My response was typically to let her feel her negative emotions but to continue to communicate with her and usually afterwards we would come out on the other side feeling... well, our perceptions vary greatly. I felt like every incident actually brought us closer together, that we understood each other better and that our bond became stronger. Conversely, I would hear from her that I didn't understand and that entire conversations might as well not have happened because nothing had changed.

I have had my doubts, but I like to wait before making big decisions. I thought that maybe I was wrong for trying to be with her. It was obviously causing her a lot of distress for her to be involved with me if I was going to be seeing other women. The other option was for me to not see other women, which I had tried and caused me to be distressed to the point I mentioned before. So the third option was for us to not be together, something she had initiated several times already but I kept coming around and talking with her, loving her and we would always end up back together.

I was once told the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. So this last time I didn't try to stop her from ending it. I started having sex with one of the women I've been seeing (before that, I had been dating but hadn't had sex with anyone but her for about 15 months). I knew that this would be the "nails in the coffin" so to speak as she had told me several times that if I ever slept with another woman, she would not want to sleep with me anymore.

Well, I'm getting long winded again. It's so hard not to. I have a hundred and seven different thoughts and tangents all at once.

One of them is the concept that this woman has meant so much to me, not just in the past year but in my life. I don't know that I've ever been closer to another human being. The main contender for that position would be my mother, who was my best friend until she died about 10 years ago. But I think that Nyx has taken that spot because I was a child for most of that relationship and this one has been one of adults. Maybe I'm just being wistful and romantic. But regardless, she is important to me and now I'm involved with a new woman, one I'm just getting to know. She is delightful, yes, but there is not nearly the depth and the history (yet) I've developed with Nyx.

I went to a restaurant in Berkeley once where everything on the menu had interesting empowering names. You ordered items like "Energetic" (a Lemon Fizz) or "I'm Amazing"- (Cous Cous entree) with a side of "I'm Generous" (Spinach salad). When the server first came to our table she asked us, "What do you love more than yourself?"

This was a difficult question for me as I instantly thought that it was impossible to love something more than oneself since all love for that which is outside ourselves comes from the foundation of love we have within. If you don't value your own love, then what value does your love have? I was in a philosophical dilemma. My answer came to me, though.

"Potential."

I think this is what polyamory means to me. It means not closing the door on opportunity. I means exploring the infinite rather than limiting potential. I have felt it work wonders on my heart, mind, spirit. I've discovered the more I love the more love flows from me.

There's a quote from this Brazilian author, Paulo Cohelo, in his compilation called "The Manual of the Warrior of the Light."
"The warrior of the light knows there is no such thing as an impossible love. He is not intimidated by silence, indifference or rejection. He knows that underneath the mask of ice that people wear, there beats a heart of fire."

I feel the power of my love present in my life both now and in the past. I might be a little crazy/romantic, but I feel like this amazing thing is just the tip of an iceberg.

Damn. I got off on a tangent. The original point I was getting to was basically I have traded something wonderful for potential. I traded my savings account for lottery tickets. I left my job to hike across Europe. You can make favorable or unfavorable metaphors for what I've done but the important thing to me is that the way remain clear, that I remain free to move and love as I choose.

And then again, I might not really know what I'm talking about at all. I feel differently than I did last night, this posting has taken a turn I didn't expect.

Anyway, nice to make your acquaintance and I look forward to chatting w/ y'all. :D
 
Damn. I got off on a tangent. The original point I was getting to was basically I have traded something wonderful for potential. I traded my savings account for lottery tickets. I left my job to hike across Europe. You can make favorable or unfavorable metaphors for what I've done but the important thing to me is that the way remain clear, that I remain free to move and love as I choose.

:D

Nicely put :)
 
Welcome-try putting each tangent into a thread of it's own and you will find that they will each start a wonderful conversation! If you put them all in one post-then people feel overwhelmed and click on something else.
it's ok to be long winded-just keep clicking "send" and starting a new post! :eek:

I know the balls-now they know my secrets!!! ;)
 
thanks for the tip, I'll try to put it into practice :)
 
Wow. Thank you so much for posting this. (I promise I won't post so many posts in a row in the future, I'm just really tripping out on some of the conversations on here and want to read them all!)

but around 9 months I called it quits and told her I needed to go back to "being poly".
You know, I once would have found myself in this situation and thought terrible things about you, really because I thought terrible things about myself for being capable of doing this.

Now, I completely understand how hard this must have been for you as well. It must be difficult loving someone and having to "choose" between a person and a lifestyle that is authentic to you.


My answer came to me, though.

"Potential."

I think this is what polyamory means to me. It means not closing the door on opportunity. I means exploring the infinite rather than limiting potential. I have felt it work wonders on my heart, mind, spirit. I've discovered the more I love the more love flows from me.

This is beautiful. Thank you for writing this.

I traded my savings account for lottery tickets. I left my job to hike across Europe. You can make favorable or unfavorable metaphors for what I've done but the important thing to me is that the way remain clear, that I remain free to move and love as I choose.

I have recently been thinking a lot about these kinds of trade offs. What I crave is the sense of belonging and security that comes from knowing there is at least one person in the world who will ALWAYS be there for me, no matter what. I have also felt most at home in recent years within some form of unconventional, multi-partnered, fluid, highly communicative arrangement. So, maybe trading one can threaten the other.


 


I have recently been thinking a lot about these kinds of trade offs. What I crave is the sense of belonging and security that comes from knowing there is at least one person in the world who will ALWAYS be there for me, no matter what. I have also felt most at home in recent years within some form of unconventional, multi-partnered, fluid, highly communicative arrangement. So, maybe trading one can threaten the other.




I guess it comes down to "what is the priority" and understanding that you can't have everything as much as we might like to think. If someone out there truly feels they do have everything, please stand up so we can see what that looks like :)
 
Mono I'm pretty sure I don't want everything..... I think that would scare the shit out of me. Literally. :eek:
 
I once thought I wanted everything, but then I realized... where would I put it?
:p
 
Spammers annoy me.

umm... are you referring to me? I noticed that you made two references to how much you hate spammers and would like to meet them in person (the subtext I assume is a threat of physical violence to said "spammers").

I'm not sure if I'm unknowingly breaching some etiquette or if these posts actually have anything to do with me. Perhaps it is a coincidence they are just after my posts. I don't see anything I would consider spam in these threads, actually. Looks like a conversation to me. Maybe some moderator has moderated it?

That of course being one of the jobs of a moderator. To recognize and remove spam and spammers. Perhaps with your keen eye for such things you should apply for said position.

My understanding of spam is that it is unsolicited bulk commercial advertising or otherwise undesirable information, many times the product of hostile script/programming/"bots".
 
It is strictly coincidence that both of my "spammer" comments appeared under your posts, lol. In both instances, there were posts mde by "new users" that constituted advertising and spamming. In both instances, the mods removed the offending posts and banned the usernames - and coincidentally your posts were above mine after tha spam was removed, lol.

Nothing directed at you. :)
 
lol indeed... and here I was gettin' my dander up!
 
Legion,

In your photo, you appear to be a sailor. I've not seen all of your posts, or recently looked at your bio page, ... and I'm not sure what to say about the thread, just yet.... But the picture of you on a boat has me wanting to head off away from this landlocked, landlubber country! New Mexico -- where what is obviously a creek is called by the name of "river" and what is clearly a puddle is a "pond" and every little pond is a "lake"! Perhaps there is some sort of mountains to molehills metaphore in this which relates to your situation, but I'm just saying a salty Hello and sharing a genuine sadness about the high desert life that wants sharing.

===

Just looked at your "profile". Wildland firefighter, eh? I was one of them, long, long ago, for three or four years ... USFS, and a little private company for a while. Pure grunt. You must be much higher up the ranks than I ever was, or my pulaski. Oregon it was, based.
 
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I'm pretty low in the ranks of the USFS, but I manage to squirrel away enough to leave the country every winter. It's actually cheaper in the long run.

California: $1400/mo X 6 months= $8400 = rent, groceries, cell phone, insurance, fuel, minimal entertainment (movies, pub, &c. once or twice a week)

Thailand: Rooms @ $5/night = $150/mo, an additional $600/mo affords food, massage, scuba diving, transportation, tours, classes, pubs/movies/other entertainment whenever you like.
$800 Round Trip Ticket from BKK to SFO
Total cost for 6 months = $5300.

I'd point you to a website but I don't want to do any spamming. If you want to sail, google "yachts looking for crew" and find a forum. I saw a fellow leaving Phuket sometime soon who is asking for $10/day to cover costs. $300/month to do some sailing is a pretty good deal! I went from Thailand to Egypt in 2007, it was an experience of a lifetime :)
 
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