Care and Feeding of Friends with Benefits

I'm going to send another emoji today, I suspect.

In my experience, this is how it's done. If you're gonna explore unconventional relationships, you're going to be crafting each one by hand without much of a pattern to follow. To me, they key is not just an open mind, but an open heart. Let yourself be surprised and delighted. For me, it's always a tapestry of my own vision, the other person's vision, and the sparkle that is guidance from The Great Spirit.
 
Thanks FA.

I did send another emoji ... and a few words. Several days passed without any response. So I sent a question mark. This was followed by "Sorry, I've been very busy over the weekend". I asked what he did over the weekend and it came down to house cleaning and errands. There's no way he didn't have a minute to send a few words or an emoji.

His communication with me has taken on a very different flavor, from expressive and enthusiastic and excited to bland and entirely unexpressive. From "vulnerable" to what now feels like distancing.

I think he may be pushing me out of the little boat we were in together for a minute. Without explanation.
 
I sent him a text message, hoping to get to greater clarity, so I don't have to guess at what's going on with him and respond according to mere guesses.

He let me know that he's not pushing me away, but that he has a tendency to take a longish time to respond to messages even from his closest friends.

The conclusion of our brief back and forth communication is that we both need (and want) to take more time to get to know one another.:)

Edit:

I told him I can be a little quick to assume I'm being "pushed away," 'cause it has happened so much in my recent life.

He did tell me that he likes to..., endeavors to be "vulnerable" with anyone he's connecting with. So do I. I took a risk. .... Honestly, I more than half expected to be kicked aside.
 
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In my experience, this is how it's done. If you're gonna explore unconventional relationships, you're going to be crafting each one by hand without much of a pattern to follow. To me, they key is not just an open mind, but an open heart. Let yourself be surprised and delighted. For me, it's always a tapestry of my own vision, the other person's vision, and the sparkle that is guidance from The Great Spirit.

This message turned out to be more helpful than I realized right at first.

I actually really like this guy. He's sweet, kind, sensitive -- at least when we're actually communicating or being together he is. And all that appeals with four stars.

Never before having explored an explicitly defined (each in our own, yet mutual way) FWB relationship (type 2), it's rather like parachuting into an unknown land. He and I want actual, real connection and affection -- not just a casual sex 'buddy'. We're both generally good communicators who understand the importance of "vulnerability". And so the line between FWBs and "real relationships" is ... let us say extremely blurry. And then there's the age difference. Let me tell you, though he's half my age he's incredibly mature and sophisticated ... for a man of any age. He feels like a peer. I even told him so.

Ah... it's all quite a blur; and that's not bad. Nor is it good. It's just a bit of a blur. :p
 
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