Confused Brisbane boy

Alan1969yes

New member
This originally posted in "Introductions" but re-posted in new to Poly (Thanks for the suggestion Tonberry . . . ;)
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Hi! I live in Brisbane, Australia. I am very new to the idea of polyamorous relationships. In fact, I really only started reading about it in the last 2 days, and it has been a revelation.

I was married for many years and have a couple of kids. Wife & I separated a couple of years ago. My first love (as a teenager) was “Vixen” and I have never got over her, although we did not contact each other for 25 years in the interim. I was always faithful in my marriage, and kept the “Vixen” part of my heart under lock and key . . . convincing myself that she was just a sweet childhood memory.

In early 2010 I tracked Vixen down and made contact with her again. I couldn’t bear living my life without at least knowing that Vixen was OK. It turns out that Vixen is (mostly) happily married to Michelangelo, and they have a son together.

As it happens . . . Vixen and I have started to share these intense feelings for each other . . . even after all these years. For the last couple of months, we have been emailing and / or calling each other almost every day, and have met a couple of times. We haven’t “done” anything to cheat on our partners but the thoughts are there, and so is the emotional connection. But is it a fantasy? Time will tell.

So Vixen & I are trying to explore these intense and confronting (and not wholly welcome) feelings we have for each other, and getting to know each other again as adults, and doing our best to do so ethically, in view of her love for Michelangelo, who I have not met yet. We haven’t acted on our feelings. Neither of us wants to hurt Michelangelo. The way I see it, if Vixen loves her husband (Michelangelo), then I do too (not sexually . . . I am straight). Neither of us wants to do anything to hurt Michelangelo. At this point, Michelangelo would definitely NOT be able to deal with Vixen’s & my feelings for each other.

I also have a girlfriend, Red, who I have been going out with for a couple of months – about the same time as I made contact with Vixen. I have started having feelings for Red as well as my feelings for Vixen. I don’t want to hurt Red either. Vixen knows everything that’s going on: Red and Michelangelo are still largely in the dark. Red might be a bit more flexible in the poly department than Michelangelo, but I don’t know that for sure.

I have never had a poly relationship but now that I’ve been reading about it, I think this may be worth exploring. Reading some of the posts here has been very comforting, and has given me hope that Vixen, Michelangelo, Red, and I might be able to work something out where we can all be happy together. Maybe not living together, but something!

My learning’s from this site so far: Vixen loves both me and Michelangelo. Once Vixen & I come to terms with exactly how we feel about each other, then we are going to have to explain this to Red and Michelangelo respectively. This will take time and patience and is fraught with risk.

So the options for Vixen & I seem to be:

(a) Walk away from each other and pursue “normal” lives with our Other Significant Others (“OSO” I believe is the terminology!) . . . neither of us feel we can do this and still be true to ourselves. We tried this and were miserable.

(b) Leave our OSO’s and try and have a normal “mono” life together (all these new terms!) . . . neither of us really want to do this – we each have feelings for our OSO’s and there would be other consequences (family law issues, loss of friends and family etc)

(c) Have a secret relationship behind the backs of our OSO’s . . . we don’t want to do this to each other, or to the OSO’s.

(d) Try and be “just friends” . . . this is heartbreaking, but in view of the wisdom from the other posts here, it seems the only rational and ethical thing to do is to keep our feelings in check until / if (e) happens. And perhaps to wait a while and see if those feelings continue.

(e) Eventually . . . come clean with Red & Michelangelo, about our feelings for each other, and try and negotiate something with them in the manner suggested by numerous posts on this site. I can’t believe people have been able to do it, but boy am I relieved they have, as it offers some hope to our breaking hearts. Of course, this would not be the end but the beginning of a whole new paradigm with its own difficulties. But we didn’t choose this . . . it just “is”.

Suggestions / comments / other options would be appreciated.
 
Hi Alan1969yes,

Welcome aboard! Great to have you post! I assume the "1969" part means you were born then? I too am a 1969er and an Aussie living in Melbourne...

Just to share a little, I am 20 years very happily married with 3 daughters and recently my wife and I have embarked on the journey to open our relationship and do so openly and honestly. To say the least, it is not an easy journey but one I believe is the most honest to myself and who I am. My wife is not nearly as inclined this way but is doing her best to come to terms with everything. And certainly the whole social culture makes things much more difficult too...

For 5 years we have been walking this journey but not knowing anything about polyamory and it has only been in the last 8 months that we have put a name to it. Since then it has given us a better platform from which to work things through and it is also comforting to know there are others out there walking this journey too...

I wish you all the best!
 
Thanks PolyExplorer

Thanks! Your words of encouragement are helpful.

I am straight, but am beginning to wonder if suspecting you might be "Poly", is a bit like suspecting you are gay: i.e. sometimes an unwelcome realisation that you are different from most other people.

Friends who I have spoken to about my dilemma all say the same thing: pick Red, don't be involved with Vixen. But I just can't do it . . .

Time will tell. Thanks again.

Alan
 
Hi Alan,

I have wondered the exact same thing at times. I have had a few friends who have had to come out as gay. Some of them were married with kids and got married to try to "cure" themselves. Finally they admitted to themselves that they were gay.

In someways it might be similar with "poly" although there is also an argument out there that says deep down we are all "poly" but because of social and cultural and conditioning reasons, most of us don't "come out". Still not sure whether there is truth to that or not...
 
Hi there. A couple of things...

First of all, it is possible to have a wonderful, beautiful friendship without taking it into the sexual realm. There are people who have non-sexual poly relationships. It's about the love, after all, which doesn't necessarily need to be expressed sexually to be felt and nurturing to both of you.

I do think you both need to get hold of yourselves here and slow down a bit. You're caught up in the excitement, a whirlwind of emotions, a heady euphoria, because you've reunited with someone from your past and it is easy to romanticize the memories and create a fantasy out of them, which surely would influence your relationship today. I say this because she is married, and that is a covenant that needs to be honored. You also need to honor your feelings as well, but some objectivity (as much as you can possibly muster anyway) is in order. Vixen's primary focus right now is her relationship with her husband, and taking action too soon on this crazy intensity she has with you could completely jeopardize the marriage and ruin both his and her lives.

To me, it sounds like you're jumping the gun a little bit. I understand that you're excited and want to move things along; but I think it's too soon for either of you to discuss this with Michelangelo and Red -- except, of course, I do think you should let them know that you have a friendship and correspondence going on. I think it's fair and respectful to let them know that, so that anything more that might develop down the road won't come as a shock.

In your words, it's only been a couple of months. You've got these intense feelings, which have most likely been fueled in large part by both past longings and the "forbidden" quality of her current situation. You say, you're "beginning to have feelings" for both Red and Vixen - but you're not sure if it's romantic love or anything to build a commitment on. You don't know how Red feels about you. It would just make a mess to go too fast.

I say, breathe, relax, don't pressure yourself or each other for an outcome right now. Wait to see how things develop. Keep your feet on the ground.
 
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For the last couple of months, we have been emailing and / or calling each other almost every day, and have met a couple of times. We haven’t “done” anything to cheat on our partners but the thoughts are there, and so is the emotional connection.

Michelangelo would definitely NOT be able to deal with Vixen’s & my feelings for each other.

Vixen knows everything that’s going on: Red and Michelangelo are still largely in the dark.

Once Vixen & I come to terms with exactly how we feel about each other, then we are going to have to explain this to Red and Michelangelo respectively.

And there we are, back at 'is this cheating?' question again. I think it is dangerous terrain you are treading here. Especially since you have already met for a few times with a clear understanding that there is chemistry between you. Michelangelo will most likely take it rather hard, and I see no particular reason to keep adding to that hurt by continuing this friendship on the sly. I agree with Indie - you need to let them know that what's going on. Not necessarily the whole 'I think I might be falling in love and in fact, I might be poly - here's a few articles for ya!' part, which can be a bit overwhelming, especially since your relationship will seem to them to have sprung out of nowhere with no warning.

Many times we lie, even if just by omission, to those we hold dearest, and think we are protecting them from what they can't handle. It is still highly disrespectful to decide beforehand what somebody can and cannot handle, and it totally undermines the foundation of the relationship. The longer you continue with this secret relationship, the more betrayed everyone will feel when it all comes out in the open. I do this alot and every time it becomes harder and harder to rebuild trust again.

What does Michelangelo think Vixen is doing when she is chatting to you? What has she told him about where she's going when the two of you have met up? It would be interesting to hear Vixen's side of this, too.

...but I think it's too soon for either of you to discuss this with Michelangelo and Red -- except, of course, I do think you should let them know that you have a friendship and correspondence going on. I think it's fair and respectful to let them know that, so that anything more that might develop down the road won't come as a shock.

It will come as more or less of a shock anyway, I fear.
 
This is dangerous terrain you are on. Not uncommon, but dangerous. I like what every one has said so far and agree. I would add also that meeting M is a really good idea.

Be friends first! See how that goes. Grow into this. It sounds like if you have a hope in hell of being V's boyfriend then you will have to spend time with all of them. Play this as two old friends getting together after re-discovering one another and move forward from that place. Rather than "tad da we want poly! I want to fuck your wife." As you said, he is not going to be receptive as is.

I wouldn't hold your breath for this to work personally. It might, but not without a huge amount of work and possible pain for all. Why not wait and see how it goes. Your girlfriend for starter needs informing of your intentions to get to know them better. Some boundaries need setting around that. She might not be open to you even getting to know V as a friend.

Might I suggest, from a lot of experience, "don't cheat!" Have a read here under a tag search of "cheating," and you will soon see why. The destruction that happens in the wake is greater than the sexual release. Remembering the pain and deceit will be all that's left, not the momentary bliss of touching her. Its NOT worth it, seriously. Everyone losses in cheating.
 
Hi Alan

Coming in on this late and haven't time to read the whole thread but just wanted you to know that there is a strong poly group in Brisbane. They meet up once a month in a pub at West-end. You can probably find them yourself if you google or if you message me I will hunt out the details. There are lots of different variations of poly in the group and they are useful people to talk to.
 
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Thanks everyone . . .

Well I greatly appreciate all your advices! I have referred Vixen to this thread. You are all absolutely right of course . . . ;)
 
Questions for "the Group"

Thanks guys for your opinions and your support.

Latest updates:

Vixen has accepted that she doesn’t love her husband (Michelangelo) as much as she thought she did. Vixen will probably break up with Michelangelo but I have not asked her to do this, and in fact I am saddened by this turn of events.

Vixen & I love each other. I don’t want to be the source of a breakup between Vixen and Michelangelo, but I think my presence has made Vixen feel that she has been living her life unconsciously for quite some time . . . anyhoo . . . Michelangelo is ultimately Vixens decision . . .

Vixen doesn’t really have the time to devote to me in the immediate future (maybe only once a fortnight) & is therefore happy for me to also be with Red, to “make sure I don’t get too lonely”. Vixen says she sees Red as her “agent” in looking after me while she, Vixen, cannot. But Vixen tells me that she doesn’t see this as a “forever” arrangement and that she is not poly, and will eventually want me to give Red up, once she (Vixen) can devote more time to me.

I have explained to Vixen that I actually have feelings for Red and that I need to “come out” to Red about my wish to pursue my feelings with Vixen. Now what Red makes of all that, will be another story!

And if Red dumps me (a likelihood!), what happens then! In Vixen's world, would I find a new “agent”? I have put this to Vixen but we haven’t come up with a solution yet.

I have tried to use neutral language here, but I have my own thoughts and feelings on (a) what Vixen has said to me about eventually giving up Red, and (b) about the “agency” arrangement, but I would be interested to see what “the group” says about these 2 issues before I express myself . . .

Remember, Vixen is also reading this, so please be gentle on us both . . .
;)
 
Hmm, I resent the idea of putting someone on hold and giving them into 'safe-keeping' by another. To me, it totally devalues both the person who is to be put on the hold and their (not self-assigned) safe-keeper, who is seen as an intermediary thing to facilitate the progress of another relationship.

I don't see Vixen (hello Vixen, do join in whenever, we are a friendly bunch) being very realistic about this at all. While she has every right to not be poly if that is how she feels, then you are eventually looking into a mono/poly relationship, if you feel you are poly.

I think you should also get Red on the loop. It seems a bit unfair to be discussing her assigned role & function in your life and the future thereof when she probably still thinks she is developing a happily monogamous relationship with you!
 
Vixen doesn’t really have the time to devote to me in the immediate future (maybe only once a fortnight) & is therefore happy for me to also be with Red, to “make sure I don’t get too lonely”. Vixen says she sees Red as her “agent” in looking after me while she, Vixen, cannot. But Vixen tells me that she doesn’t see this as a “forever” arrangement and that she is not poly, and will eventually want me to give Red up, once she (Vixen) can devote more time to me.

Screw being gentle, I am going to be blunt. That is just fucked up.

Why should you give up Red, if you have feelings for her? Why would Vixen think she can dictate who you love? It is simply selfish and unreasonable for her to say, "Well, it's okay for you to be involved with her while I have no time for you, but when I'm ready, you better snap to it and only be with me!" What bullshit. I wouldn't stand for that kind of callous selfishness.
 
Hi Alan (and Vixen),

If I were to read between the lines, it appears that because of your past history together and the strong emotions involved in reuniting, it seems that the strength of the connection between the two of you is stronger than with you and Red. However, I also get the fact that you have developing feelings for Red as well that may or may not deepen over time.

As others have said, it does not seem fair to Red to intentionally put her into an "interim" role until the time that a deeper relationship becomes possible with Vixen. If you love Vixen and also have feelings for Red, then the sooner it is possible for everyone to talk about their needs and desires and what they are willing to accept and not accept the better. I know this is probably difficult, but at least everyone can make an informed decision about how each wants to move forward.

This kind of openness is risky business! I honestly hope that you and Vixen do get to be together one day as it seems like your connection has withstood the test of time! However, I also hope this connection does not come at the expense of who you are, and also at the expense of using Red as an interim until this is possible. All the best!
 
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