I've been abandoned and betrayed by who and what really matters and what I've got left is food. Here is where the link between food and God exists. In that isolated place, it is a short step to the conclusion that God - where goodness and healing and love exist - abandoned us, betrayed us.
This passage, from Geneen Roth's book, really struck a chord with me.
I often wonder why I seek God in so many places - in church, in nature, in my child's eyes, in yoga, in prayer - only to find that He's not really there. At least, not for me.
In truth, I've struggled with this notion of an elusive God for quite some time. I even stopped going to church for a while because I was angry with God's passiveness.
The most critical time of abandonment - by God - came when, in the midst of my separation, I fell down onto my knees and begged for Him to soften my ex's heart and to take me back, lovingly and unconditionally. It didn't happen. And when it did, it wasn't loving and there were tons of conditions.
I continue to look for God in dark corners and during the dark nights, I eat because I can't feel Him; I can't sense His presence. I feel very, very alone.
God is goodness and healing and love. I know that. I've felt it at many different times in my life and for many different reasons.
It's just that I lose sight so easily of my own faith and I doubt my worthiness of having goodness and healing and love all the time.
And I slip into the space of abandonment and betrayal.
Where it all goes downhill.
Goodness.
Healing.
Love.
Faith that it can all be mine. Not just during the daytime hours but any time I like.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Geneen
I originally created this blog to acknowledge and work through the issues I've had with emotional eating over the last twenty-something years. Somewhere on the path, I lost touch with the purpose of this particular blog and began using it to vent about all the "stuff" in my life.
And somewhere on the path, my struggles with food re-surfaced, significantly, and began to overflow into other areas of my life.
One of my favorite authors on the subject of emotional eating is Geneen Roth. She's written several books, all of which I've read, and I went to see her speak back in 2001, when I first moved to Sacramento.
Recently, she published a new book, entitled, "Women, Food and God."
The book made a media splash. A big one. Oprah had Geneen on her show and also featured her in O Magazine. Big authors, many of my favorites - Ann Lamott, Annie Dillard and Christiane Northrup - spoke out on the significance of addressing spirituality and food together.
I'll spare you the details but I needed to get my hands on this book last month. I should have bought it much earlier. A downward spiral that only accelerates with the passing days is not a good place to be in. Thankfully, Target had lots of copies and I had some time each night to read.
There's so much to this 198 page book. I read it and I re-read it. Now, I'm going through with my highlighter. Eventually, I should probably get my journal out.
Right off the bat - on page 2 - Geneen drives it home. Here is what she writes:
Our relationship to food is an exact microcosm of our relationship to life itself. I believe that we are walking, talking expressions of our deepest convictions; everything we believe about love, fear, transformation and God is revealed in how, when and what we eat. When we inhale Reese's peanut butter cups when we are not hungry, we are acting out an entire world of hopelessness, of faith or doubt of love or fear. If we are interested in finding out what we actually believe - not what we think, not what we say, but what our souls are convinced is the bottom-line truth about life and afterlife - we need to go no further than the food on our plates. God is not just in the details; God is also in the muffins, the fried sweet potatoes, and the tomato vegetable soup. God - however we define him or her - is on our plates.
This passage made me cry. It made me realize how my eating directly affects my spirituality and ultimately, my connection to God. It made me see that every time I eat when the last thing I need is food, I am expressing hopelessness and loss of faith. I am doubting love; and I am in constant fear. And when I really stepped back and looked hard at those areas, I could acknowledge that yes, indeed, these are incredibly painful topics and that yes, indeed, I need better coping strategies.
So I'm going through the book for a third time. And using this blog as it was intended. At least for now.
More to come.
And somewhere on the path, my struggles with food re-surfaced, significantly, and began to overflow into other areas of my life.
One of my favorite authors on the subject of emotional eating is Geneen Roth. She's written several books, all of which I've read, and I went to see her speak back in 2001, when I first moved to Sacramento.
Recently, she published a new book, entitled, "Women, Food and God."
The book made a media splash. A big one. Oprah had Geneen on her show and also featured her in O Magazine. Big authors, many of my favorites - Ann Lamott, Annie Dillard and Christiane Northrup - spoke out on the significance of addressing spirituality and food together.
I'll spare you the details but I needed to get my hands on this book last month. I should have bought it much earlier. A downward spiral that only accelerates with the passing days is not a good place to be in. Thankfully, Target had lots of copies and I had some time each night to read.
There's so much to this 198 page book. I read it and I re-read it. Now, I'm going through with my highlighter. Eventually, I should probably get my journal out.
Right off the bat - on page 2 - Geneen drives it home. Here is what she writes:
Our relationship to food is an exact microcosm of our relationship to life itself. I believe that we are walking, talking expressions of our deepest convictions; everything we believe about love, fear, transformation and God is revealed in how, when and what we eat. When we inhale Reese's peanut butter cups when we are not hungry, we are acting out an entire world of hopelessness, of faith or doubt of love or fear. If we are interested in finding out what we actually believe - not what we think, not what we say, but what our souls are convinced is the bottom-line truth about life and afterlife - we need to go no further than the food on our plates. God is not just in the details; God is also in the muffins, the fried sweet potatoes, and the tomato vegetable soup. God - however we define him or her - is on our plates.
This passage made me cry. It made me realize how my eating directly affects my spirituality and ultimately, my connection to God. It made me see that every time I eat when the last thing I need is food, I am expressing hopelessness and loss of faith. I am doubting love; and I am in constant fear. And when I really stepped back and looked hard at those areas, I could acknowledge that yes, indeed, these are incredibly painful topics and that yes, indeed, I need better coping strategies.
So I'm going through the book for a third time. And using this blog as it was intended. At least for now.
More to come.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Help.
My favorite band is touring this fall.
The only guy I've had even a remotely great connection with since my ex (that's four years, in case you're wondering) is offering to fly me back east and take me to see my beloved OAR.
Press "Replay."
Florida.
St. Augustine, this time.
The timing is great and it's horrible.
I'm excited and I'm terrified.
I can't commit and I can't see myself not going.
I've always wanted to see OAR with someone who loves their music as much as I do and I've never wanted to be this vulnerable.
I know and I don't know.
I have objectivity and I have no sense, whatsoever.
I want to run into this opportunity like I did the last time; and I want to run away.
I got quiet yesterday; so quiet. I prayed, meditated - told God to please help me to surrender this situation; take this man who I'm so captivated with and let him float away in a bubble or just vanish to his own corner of the world - and I waited, and I listened, with every sense of my being.
And I played 37 tracks of OAR.
And I cried.
And I wondered why I couldn't just still be married.
As I acknowledged this enormous responsibility of always making good choices for myself; because good choices for me, are great choices for Ben. Like dominoes - I fall and he falls. I stand strong and he stands stronger.
And everyone wonders why a long weekend in Florida with my favorite band is such a gut-wrenching decision. The consequences, always the consequences. No one understands consequences like a parent and no one deals with stark contrasts of consequences like a single parent.
And I didn't have any more direction; no more of a sense of what to do.
And he waits for my answer.
As I wait on God.
And a strong hand to guide me or at least, a gentle nudge.
A good friend of mine sent an article sometime ago about the deteriorating moral compass of our nation. The author had an incredible point: too many people listen to their heart, rather than their head.
The heart lies. The heart cheats. The heart strays. The heart, unlike the head, is untrained, it lacks intelligence, it falters and blames.
"The head, " I keep telling myself. "Your head will not steer you wrong, it will not leave you, it will provide the right answers to the hard questions.
Sometimes my head hurts from all the decisions. And I want to turn to other instincts.
But I don't trust my heart.
The only guy I've had even a remotely great connection with since my ex (that's four years, in case you're wondering) is offering to fly me back east and take me to see my beloved OAR.
Press "Replay."
Florida.
St. Augustine, this time.
The timing is great and it's horrible.
I'm excited and I'm terrified.
I can't commit and I can't see myself not going.
I've always wanted to see OAR with someone who loves their music as much as I do and I've never wanted to be this vulnerable.
I know and I don't know.
I have objectivity and I have no sense, whatsoever.
I want to run into this opportunity like I did the last time; and I want to run away.
I got quiet yesterday; so quiet. I prayed, meditated - told God to please help me to surrender this situation; take this man who I'm so captivated with and let him float away in a bubble or just vanish to his own corner of the world - and I waited, and I listened, with every sense of my being.
And I played 37 tracks of OAR.
And I cried.
And I wondered why I couldn't just still be married.
As I acknowledged this enormous responsibility of always making good choices for myself; because good choices for me, are great choices for Ben. Like dominoes - I fall and he falls. I stand strong and he stands stronger.
And everyone wonders why a long weekend in Florida with my favorite band is such a gut-wrenching decision. The consequences, always the consequences. No one understands consequences like a parent and no one deals with stark contrasts of consequences like a single parent.
And I didn't have any more direction; no more of a sense of what to do.
And he waits for my answer.
As I wait on God.
And a strong hand to guide me or at least, a gentle nudge.
A good friend of mine sent an article sometime ago about the deteriorating moral compass of our nation. The author had an incredible point: too many people listen to their heart, rather than their head.
The heart lies. The heart cheats. The heart strays. The heart, unlike the head, is untrained, it lacks intelligence, it falters and blames.
"The head, " I keep telling myself. "Your head will not steer you wrong, it will not leave you, it will provide the right answers to the hard questions.
Sometimes my head hurts from all the decisions. And I want to turn to other instincts.
But I don't trust my heart.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Big
I've decided that I have my own Mr. Big. He's Chris from Florida and I don't know what to do with him.
Chris and Mr. Big share a lot of the same characteristics: they're funny, charming, smart, great-looking. They are also both a bit squirelly. I don't know how Carrie's fate turns out with the second SATC, but I wasn't so convinced the first time around that Mr. Big, or "John" as we find out in the end, was really going to deliver in the long run.
Kinda sounds familiar.
After my emotional tryst in Florida, I came home with too many tears and a raw sense of being way too vulnerable. Can you really ever be too vulnerable? You can if you're me and I certainly was.
I didn't know what to do with Chris so I composed a letter in my head, which eventually became a draft in my Inbox, and the was finally sent as a lengthy message at 4am on a morning when I knew that it was perfectly composed in a way that closed the door, sealed the deal, cleared the space and would allow me to move on. I held my breath, and pressed "Send." Then, I exhaled.
At 5am, I felt my shoulders start to relax a little.
At 6am, like a bird perched on a ledge, I spread my wings and I flew. Away from the situation, away, away, away. I walked away from East Coast time and any expectation of getting a response. I took a long, hot shower and breathed into the space that seemed to be wide open; the space of peace and surrender.
This lasted for about an hour. And then I began to obsessively look for my message indicator light to blink on my phone. I looked for the light, the blink, for two days.
Then I got my response.
What I honestly wanted Chris to say was: "I understand, good luck, it was great in Florida, you're a good person, blah-blah-blah."
What he actually wrote was: "I like you so much. You're such a good person. We're so compatible. I'll be in SF next summer for good. I want to see more of you. I want to see you soon. Thank you for being so honest and candid. I won't play games with you."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
No, no, no.
It wasn't supposed to go like that. He was supposed to be scared off by all my expectations, by everything that I want. He was supposed to freak out by my reference to OAR's "Hey Girl" song. He was supposed to bow out.
So I sat for a few days and meditated. Well, actually, I didn't really meditate but I ruminated and that's a lot like meditation, yet far less relaxing.
Then, two days ago, a"Chris" text at 4am:
"I just bought a ticket to CA!"
Me: "When?"
C: "Halloween weekend."
Me: "What are your plans?" (I'm thinking that he should have contacted me prior since he knows that I do not vacation when on "Ben time" unless absolutely necessary and even then, I keep it to a minimum of one or two days away.)
C: "No plans! Just coming out West. Flying into SF."
Me: Silence.
More silence.
C: "I want to see YOU!"
At that point, I wrote back and laid it out in the briefest of texts:
"I have Ben. You need to tell me when you want to see me and I'll see if I can swap days."
C: Silence.
He must have gotten the point because he called me that night - at midnight his time - and talked about how excited he was to come out and see me. And then, the clincher:
"I want to meet Ben."
I swear to God, I thought the phone had cut out, the reception had gotten bad, that my hearing was finally compromised from all that loud MP3 use.
"You want to do WHAT?"
"Meet Ben."
"My son, Ben? Benjamin?"
He started to find humor in my reaction: "Yes, Ben! I want to meet him, why are you so shocked?"
"Because I don't introduce Ben to men that I date."
OK, that last sentence wasn't exactly what I said but it's what I was thinking because I momentarily lost all my brain cells and what I actually said was something like this:
"Ummmmm. Gosh. That's, ummmmmm, really nice. Really. Sweet, ummmm, yeah. Right. Well, anyway, it's a holiday weekend and Halloween is kind of a big one for kids, at least for mine, you know he loves trick or treating and getting all the candy that he can and I let him have all he wants and it's pretty much a given that he'll have a big stomachache and then I pick out all the junk that I don't want him to have, while he's sleeping of course, and I get all the dark chocolate out; oh, and the Twix too, sometimes Kit-Kat, although I'm really much more about the Hershey kisses these days and gosh, I wonder what he'll be this year; he really hasn't indicated what might be interesting, in terms of a costume, and anyway, I hide the candy that I pull out of his bucket and it's funny, he never seems to notice that there's less in the morning, then as the days go by, I start to throw out more and more, and wow, gosh, you want to meet him, well, gee, did I mention that we alternate holidays and it's his dad's turn this year for Halloween so I really don't think that the whole meet and greet is the best idea because it's a pretty short weekend and it's not like I can get Ben to San Francisco and I don't even know if I can get child care for one day and..."
Yeah, you get the point.
Talk about getting caught off guard.
I know a few things right now:
1. I may or may not see him in October. I'm not in the mood for my emotions to get all fucked up.
2. There is also no way in fuck that he's meeting Ben.
3. I don't know what this guy has over me, but whatever it is, it's not strong enough for me to do any of the following:
a.) cancel my eharmony membership
b.) stop going out on lunch and coffee dates with interesting guys
c.) hold out hope for one single minute that he might actually re-locate here
So, I feel a little better about the framework and about my own expectations, which are, basically, zero.
The thing with Chris is that he could be so much more than Mr. Big. He really could. Whether he will be, remains to be seen.
Perhaps not be me.
And that's okay.
Chris and Mr. Big share a lot of the same characteristics: they're funny, charming, smart, great-looking. They are also both a bit squirelly. I don't know how Carrie's fate turns out with the second SATC, but I wasn't so convinced the first time around that Mr. Big, or "John" as we find out in the end, was really going to deliver in the long run.
Kinda sounds familiar.
After my emotional tryst in Florida, I came home with too many tears and a raw sense of being way too vulnerable. Can you really ever be too vulnerable? You can if you're me and I certainly was.
I didn't know what to do with Chris so I composed a letter in my head, which eventually became a draft in my Inbox, and the was finally sent as a lengthy message at 4am on a morning when I knew that it was perfectly composed in a way that closed the door, sealed the deal, cleared the space and would allow me to move on. I held my breath, and pressed "Send." Then, I exhaled.
At 5am, I felt my shoulders start to relax a little.
At 6am, like a bird perched on a ledge, I spread my wings and I flew. Away from the situation, away, away, away. I walked away from East Coast time and any expectation of getting a response. I took a long, hot shower and breathed into the space that seemed to be wide open; the space of peace and surrender.
This lasted for about an hour. And then I began to obsessively look for my message indicator light to blink on my phone. I looked for the light, the blink, for two days.
Then I got my response.
What I honestly wanted Chris to say was: "I understand, good luck, it was great in Florida, you're a good person, blah-blah-blah."
What he actually wrote was: "I like you so much. You're such a good person. We're so compatible. I'll be in SF next summer for good. I want to see more of you. I want to see you soon. Thank you for being so honest and candid. I won't play games with you."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
No, no, no.
It wasn't supposed to go like that. He was supposed to be scared off by all my expectations, by everything that I want. He was supposed to freak out by my reference to OAR's "Hey Girl" song. He was supposed to bow out.
So I sat for a few days and meditated. Well, actually, I didn't really meditate but I ruminated and that's a lot like meditation, yet far less relaxing.
Then, two days ago, a"Chris" text at 4am:
"I just bought a ticket to CA!"
Me: "When?"
C: "Halloween weekend."
Me: "What are your plans?" (I'm thinking that he should have contacted me prior since he knows that I do not vacation when on "Ben time" unless absolutely necessary and even then, I keep it to a minimum of one or two days away.)
C: "No plans! Just coming out West. Flying into SF."
Me: Silence.
More silence.
C: "I want to see YOU!"
At that point, I wrote back and laid it out in the briefest of texts:
"I have Ben. You need to tell me when you want to see me and I'll see if I can swap days."
C: Silence.
He must have gotten the point because he called me that night - at midnight his time - and talked about how excited he was to come out and see me. And then, the clincher:
"I want to meet Ben."
I swear to God, I thought the phone had cut out, the reception had gotten bad, that my hearing was finally compromised from all that loud MP3 use.
"You want to do WHAT?"
"Meet Ben."
"My son, Ben? Benjamin?"
He started to find humor in my reaction: "Yes, Ben! I want to meet him, why are you so shocked?"
"Because I don't introduce Ben to men that I date."
OK, that last sentence wasn't exactly what I said but it's what I was thinking because I momentarily lost all my brain cells and what I actually said was something like this:
"Ummmmm. Gosh. That's, ummmmmm, really nice. Really. Sweet, ummmm, yeah. Right. Well, anyway, it's a holiday weekend and Halloween is kind of a big one for kids, at least for mine, you know he loves trick or treating and getting all the candy that he can and I let him have all he wants and it's pretty much a given that he'll have a big stomachache and then I pick out all the junk that I don't want him to have, while he's sleeping of course, and I get all the dark chocolate out; oh, and the Twix too, sometimes Kit-Kat, although I'm really much more about the Hershey kisses these days and gosh, I wonder what he'll be this year; he really hasn't indicated what might be interesting, in terms of a costume, and anyway, I hide the candy that I pull out of his bucket and it's funny, he never seems to notice that there's less in the morning, then as the days go by, I start to throw out more and more, and wow, gosh, you want to meet him, well, gee, did I mention that we alternate holidays and it's his dad's turn this year for Halloween so I really don't think that the whole meet and greet is the best idea because it's a pretty short weekend and it's not like I can get Ben to San Francisco and I don't even know if I can get child care for one day and..."
Yeah, you get the point.
Talk about getting caught off guard.
I know a few things right now:
1. I may or may not see him in October. I'm not in the mood for my emotions to get all fucked up.
2. There is also no way in fuck that he's meeting Ben.
3. I don't know what this guy has over me, but whatever it is, it's not strong enough for me to do any of the following:
a.) cancel my eharmony membership
b.) stop going out on lunch and coffee dates with interesting guys
c.) hold out hope for one single minute that he might actually re-locate here
So, I feel a little better about the framework and about my own expectations, which are, basically, zero.
The thing with Chris is that he could be so much more than Mr. Big. He really could. Whether he will be, remains to be seen.
Perhaps not be me.
And that's okay.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Closure
How do you take a person, an experience, a feeling, a weekend's worth of memories and set it all free?
Apparently, Chris had no problem doing just that, yet I can't seem to follow suit.
So I decided to tie the proverbial bow on the situation and set it free, at least in my mind.
Florida was too good. The time was so easy. The laughs were frequent; the conversation unending. There was instantaneous chemistry; there was talk of deeper things. There was a kayak, vodka, a boat, sushi, hidden bars that offered gorgeous views, warm pools that were so shallow that you could lay on your belly, nose-to-nose, and kiss the other person. There were late nights at the gulf where the moon couldn't have shone any brighter. There was a dinner where we sat so close and ate so much. There was his hand, always around mine or encircling my waist. There was so much, yet so little.
And I can't do that "so little" part anymore. I'm too old for that. I'm too responsible for that. If I had known that Florida would have literally fucked me up for days, I wouldn't have gone.
Last week, I decided that it was time to get on. To stop ruminating, brooding, what-if-ing the whole damn thing. In my heart, I knew that if I could write an honest letter, that I could close the space, answer the lingering questions and push ahead with the clarity and focus I need to get my son into First grade this week and to start soccer and to volunteer in the classroom and to start up our new fall schedule with clear energy and emotional stamina.
I wrote the letter at 4am on Friday. I just go up and did it. What better time to get something off your chest and out of your heart when the airplane awaits for the next adventure? When the house is quiet, when my mind is quiet, when my heart is oh so ready to talk and talk.
And it did. I think the letter to Chris was potentially the most candid letter I've ever written to any male (other than Kevin). I poured out the contents of my heart and I held firm in my stance of not wanting to be "the girl who flies off for fun weekends here and there." I gave him the option to reply. Or not. I promised him no judgment, no hurt feelings.
Not surprisingly, there has been zero reply. Kathie - my best friend who came with me to Malibu this weekend - joked that he "had to send it to his Landmark people for review and input." I kind of wonder if I completely brought too much truth and reality into his "Ritzy" world and maybe, yes, he is shoring up his Landmark folks for a good "Landmarky" reply.
The thing is, I feel a lot better. Almost like I can say, "thank you for the beautiful experience, now let me throw it back at the universe, at God, maybe into the past; some place where I don't have to see it, to feel it, to remember it."
I so desperately needed some closure. A letter may not close the chapter for good but it's a damn good start. Hitting "Send" was time enough to get my shoulders to drop two inches, my eyes to close for the briefest of seconds in relief and my heart to soften, just a bit.
There are a lot of other things that I need to focus on. Chris simply doesn't deserve all that space. And energy. And time.
Closure. It's a good thing.
Apparently, Chris had no problem doing just that, yet I can't seem to follow suit.
So I decided to tie the proverbial bow on the situation and set it free, at least in my mind.
Florida was too good. The time was so easy. The laughs were frequent; the conversation unending. There was instantaneous chemistry; there was talk of deeper things. There was a kayak, vodka, a boat, sushi, hidden bars that offered gorgeous views, warm pools that were so shallow that you could lay on your belly, nose-to-nose, and kiss the other person. There were late nights at the gulf where the moon couldn't have shone any brighter. There was a dinner where we sat so close and ate so much. There was his hand, always around mine or encircling my waist. There was so much, yet so little.
And I can't do that "so little" part anymore. I'm too old for that. I'm too responsible for that. If I had known that Florida would have literally fucked me up for days, I wouldn't have gone.
Last week, I decided that it was time to get on. To stop ruminating, brooding, what-if-ing the whole damn thing. In my heart, I knew that if I could write an honest letter, that I could close the space, answer the lingering questions and push ahead with the clarity and focus I need to get my son into First grade this week and to start soccer and to volunteer in the classroom and to start up our new fall schedule with clear energy and emotional stamina.
I wrote the letter at 4am on Friday. I just go up and did it. What better time to get something off your chest and out of your heart when the airplane awaits for the next adventure? When the house is quiet, when my mind is quiet, when my heart is oh so ready to talk and talk.
And it did. I think the letter to Chris was potentially the most candid letter I've ever written to any male (other than Kevin). I poured out the contents of my heart and I held firm in my stance of not wanting to be "the girl who flies off for fun weekends here and there." I gave him the option to reply. Or not. I promised him no judgment, no hurt feelings.
Not surprisingly, there has been zero reply. Kathie - my best friend who came with me to Malibu this weekend - joked that he "had to send it to his Landmark people for review and input." I kind of wonder if I completely brought too much truth and reality into his "Ritzy" world and maybe, yes, he is shoring up his Landmark folks for a good "Landmarky" reply.
The thing is, I feel a lot better. Almost like I can say, "thank you for the beautiful experience, now let me throw it back at the universe, at God, maybe into the past; some place where I don't have to see it, to feel it, to remember it."
I so desperately needed some closure. A letter may not close the chapter for good but it's a damn good start. Hitting "Send" was time enough to get my shoulders to drop two inches, my eyes to close for the briefest of seconds in relief and my heart to soften, just a bit.
There are a lot of other things that I need to focus on. Chris simply doesn't deserve all that space. And energy. And time.
Closure. It's a good thing.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
SPF
There should be a SPF for love.
Being the SPF Nazi that I am, I slathered myself in 100+ Coppertone while in Florida. Didn't even go for the organic stuff. I wanted full protection.
And damn it, I still got burned.
Granted, I have a golden tan that is lovely - far prettier than the brown skin I see here in Sacramento all summer - but I also have one scorched heart.
The thing of it is, there's no reason to have a burned heart. I knew the complications going in. I knew the risks. I knew of the possible outcomes. I took the chance.
Yes, I did: I TOOK THE BLOODY CHANCE.
And it's not his fault, it's really not.
He wants what I want and I do believe that he will get there.
But he also has a mistress. I met her a few times while we were there and I didn't much care for her. Had I known she would be around on the trip, I would have known more about my seemingly wonderful guy's personality.
Yes, his mistress is with him a lot. She announces herself on his ever present Blackberry. She pushes herself into our conversations and makes it known that she needs him in other conversations. She is controversial. She is loved by many, feared by some, hated by others.
Her name is Landmark.
My guy didn't tell me that he's a "big gun" leader for Landmark. Which explains how outgoing he is, how confident he is, how communicative he is, how present he proclaims to be.
Except that he wasn't all that present when things went downhill small bar we were in and he proceeded to pass out in the bathroom. On the toilet. Then the bartender carried him to a bench where he slept for two hours while I smoked cigarettes (that's our secret, please) and drank beer.
I wonder what Miss Landmark would have said about THAT.
To be fair, I don't mind Landmark. I briefly considered enrolling in a course at one time. I know a lot of people who have thrived with Landmark. I know it also to be a bit of a cult; a place that "feeds" information, validates like crazy and allows its followers to hide behind its well-polished fascade.
I'm picking on Landmark because "she's" an easy scapegoat. I believe that if Chris pulled back from Landmark and truly pursued the things that he wants:
1. Move to the Bay Area
2. Find principal position
3. Marry
4. Have a child
5. Play music
...that he may have an actual shot at one or all of the above.
But until he cuts the Landmark umbilical cord that is feeding him, I don't think that there's much of a shot.
Chris captivates me with his brains. I love how he thinks. I'm amazed by his schooling. His ideas are groundbreaking.
Chris makes me feel amazingly sexy in a school-boy way. He leads me by the hand, he kisses me so gently, he tells me I'm pretty.
Chris takes care of details. He gets me another glass of wine, encourages me to eat the last prawn, makes sure I'm comfortable and happy.
Chris dials it down. We sit by the pool and he digs into my US and OK magazine stash. He doesn't rush. He's content to rest his hand on my knee and stay a long, long while.
Chris tells me stories of his family; of his traditional parents who are Methodists, married forever; of his brothers, of his wonderful nephews and two nieces who are soon to be born. The pride in his face - when he speaks of his family - makes me want to know them.
Chris and music are mesmerizing together. His band's "Final Approach" becomes our tag line for the countdown of our days together.
Chris confuses me. He wants me to stay. He wants to me go. He asks fact-finding questions but leaves the biggest one out: "Will we see one another again?"
Chris goes to work on Monday. I should be long gone. But I'm not. I'm in his old Miata, in his town, finding my place on the shore of the Gulf. Warm salty tears mix with warm Gulf-y waves. What does he want? Why am I here? The answers scare me.
Chris takes me to Tampa late Monday night, while simultaneously facilitating a Landmark call. He wants one more dinner with me. The call is put on hold and resumes when the entrees are served. I wait. I get up, make my way to the restroom. My flip flop breaks. My expectations break, too.
The call is completed. Chris chastises himself for not being more present. He takes me to my airport hotel. He asks to stay; he's tired and it's a long drive home. Of course I agree.
At 5am, I rise and dress. He helps me with my bags and to the shuttle. I don't remember how we say goodbye.
The tears start in the shuttle.
They continue into the Tampa airport.
I ease into my aisle seat and the flight attendant's gaze meets mine. She approaches. "Are you OK, honey?"
I am OK, yes, that I am. But...
I'm not a playmate. I'm a mom.
I'm not a date to look forward to in six months. I'm living now.
I'm not certain that the real Janeen went to Florida. That girl took a rockin' body, small bikinis, teeny dresses, gold flip-flops, big eyelashes, sparkly lip gloss and a huge tolerance for wine and vodka.
Maybe we were both playing the parts of two very, very different people.
I get off the plane in Houston, find my gate, find a Starbucks, dig for Ativan. Nerves calm. Momentarily. Then the flight is called and the tears start again as we are lining up to board.
Once again, I find my seat, bury my head this time and turn on my MP3 player. The songs that I loaded for the trip are haunting: OAR's "That Girl" and Lili Haydyn's, "Saddest Sunset." And then "Final Approach" breaks in just as we begin to take-off.
Finally, the Ativan settles me and song by song is played in a surreal and dreamy haze.
In Sacramento, only 11am and the day is beautiful, my mother pulls up. I push my suitcase in her trunk and then slide into the passenger side of her car. It is then that I cry the hardest. I don't believe that she knows what to do. How could she? She's never been in this position before
I just want to be comfortable. To call the trip what it was and leave it there. For good.
But, I can't seem to get my bearings and I need to get them damn quick because we are leaving for LegoLand in one day. Meanwhile, Chris is on the coast- in a rented house - with 70 of his closest family and friends, celebrating his latest degree and his upcoming birthday.
Where does the truth lie? Is it in the Gulf, where I found so much peace and where I left so many tears?
Maybe there is no truth at all. Maybe it's just my latest lesson. Maybe it's my "Final Approach" to something really, really big. Maybe the game of love takes a wild detour when there is so little information, so much distance and so much glamour when it's finally right there to look at. Maybe I just don't want any of that at all.
Being the SPF Nazi that I am, I slathered myself in 100+ Coppertone while in Florida. Didn't even go for the organic stuff. I wanted full protection.
And damn it, I still got burned.
Granted, I have a golden tan that is lovely - far prettier than the brown skin I see here in Sacramento all summer - but I also have one scorched heart.
The thing of it is, there's no reason to have a burned heart. I knew the complications going in. I knew the risks. I knew of the possible outcomes. I took the chance.
Yes, I did: I TOOK THE BLOODY CHANCE.
And it's not his fault, it's really not.
He wants what I want and I do believe that he will get there.
But he also has a mistress. I met her a few times while we were there and I didn't much care for her. Had I known she would be around on the trip, I would have known more about my seemingly wonderful guy's personality.
Yes, his mistress is with him a lot. She announces herself on his ever present Blackberry. She pushes herself into our conversations and makes it known that she needs him in other conversations. She is controversial. She is loved by many, feared by some, hated by others.
Her name is Landmark.
My guy didn't tell me that he's a "big gun" leader for Landmark. Which explains how outgoing he is, how confident he is, how communicative he is, how present he proclaims to be.
Except that he wasn't all that present when things went downhill small bar we were in and he proceeded to pass out in the bathroom. On the toilet. Then the bartender carried him to a bench where he slept for two hours while I smoked cigarettes (that's our secret, please) and drank beer.
I wonder what Miss Landmark would have said about THAT.
To be fair, I don't mind Landmark. I briefly considered enrolling in a course at one time. I know a lot of people who have thrived with Landmark. I know it also to be a bit of a cult; a place that "feeds" information, validates like crazy and allows its followers to hide behind its well-polished fascade.
I'm picking on Landmark because "she's" an easy scapegoat. I believe that if Chris pulled back from Landmark and truly pursued the things that he wants:
1. Move to the Bay Area
2. Find principal position
3. Marry
4. Have a child
5. Play music
...that he may have an actual shot at one or all of the above.
But until he cuts the Landmark umbilical cord that is feeding him, I don't think that there's much of a shot.
Chris captivates me with his brains. I love how he thinks. I'm amazed by his schooling. His ideas are groundbreaking.
Chris makes me feel amazingly sexy in a school-boy way. He leads me by the hand, he kisses me so gently, he tells me I'm pretty.
Chris takes care of details. He gets me another glass of wine, encourages me to eat the last prawn, makes sure I'm comfortable and happy.
Chris dials it down. We sit by the pool and he digs into my US and OK magazine stash. He doesn't rush. He's content to rest his hand on my knee and stay a long, long while.
Chris tells me stories of his family; of his traditional parents who are Methodists, married forever; of his brothers, of his wonderful nephews and two nieces who are soon to be born. The pride in his face - when he speaks of his family - makes me want to know them.
Chris and music are mesmerizing together. His band's "Final Approach" becomes our tag line for the countdown of our days together.
Chris confuses me. He wants me to stay. He wants to me go. He asks fact-finding questions but leaves the biggest one out: "Will we see one another again?"
Chris goes to work on Monday. I should be long gone. But I'm not. I'm in his old Miata, in his town, finding my place on the shore of the Gulf. Warm salty tears mix with warm Gulf-y waves. What does he want? Why am I here? The answers scare me.
Chris takes me to Tampa late Monday night, while simultaneously facilitating a Landmark call. He wants one more dinner with me. The call is put on hold and resumes when the entrees are served. I wait. I get up, make my way to the restroom. My flip flop breaks. My expectations break, too.
The call is completed. Chris chastises himself for not being more present. He takes me to my airport hotel. He asks to stay; he's tired and it's a long drive home. Of course I agree.
At 5am, I rise and dress. He helps me with my bags and to the shuttle. I don't remember how we say goodbye.
The tears start in the shuttle.
They continue into the Tampa airport.
I ease into my aisle seat and the flight attendant's gaze meets mine. She approaches. "Are you OK, honey?"
I am OK, yes, that I am. But...
I'm not a playmate. I'm a mom.
I'm not a date to look forward to in six months. I'm living now.
I'm not certain that the real Janeen went to Florida. That girl took a rockin' body, small bikinis, teeny dresses, gold flip-flops, big eyelashes, sparkly lip gloss and a huge tolerance for wine and vodka.
Maybe we were both playing the parts of two very, very different people.
I get off the plane in Houston, find my gate, find a Starbucks, dig for Ativan. Nerves calm. Momentarily. Then the flight is called and the tears start again as we are lining up to board.
Once again, I find my seat, bury my head this time and turn on my MP3 player. The songs that I loaded for the trip are haunting: OAR's "That Girl" and Lili Haydyn's, "Saddest Sunset." And then "Final Approach" breaks in just as we begin to take-off.
Finally, the Ativan settles me and song by song is played in a surreal and dreamy haze.
In Sacramento, only 11am and the day is beautiful, my mother pulls up. I push my suitcase in her trunk and then slide into the passenger side of her car. It is then that I cry the hardest. I don't believe that she knows what to do. How could she? She's never been in this position before
I just want to be comfortable. To call the trip what it was and leave it there. For good.
But, I can't seem to get my bearings and I need to get them damn quick because we are leaving for LegoLand in one day. Meanwhile, Chris is on the coast- in a rented house - with 70 of his closest family and friends, celebrating his latest degree and his upcoming birthday.
Where does the truth lie? Is it in the Gulf, where I found so much peace and where I left so many tears?
Maybe there is no truth at all. Maybe it's just my latest lesson. Maybe it's my "Final Approach" to something really, really big. Maybe the game of love takes a wild detour when there is so little information, so much distance and so much glamour when it's finally right there to look at. Maybe I just don't want any of that at all.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Florid-aaaaaaggggghhhhhh!
In 23 days, I'm jetting across the country to meet up with a man I randomly met in Sacramento last month.
Yes, it is pure craziness.
No, I do not know what the hell I am doing.
Yes, I am freaking out.
No, I don't know about the long-term potential.
Yes, I am terribly excited.
So, the scoop. Here it is:
Chris and I met four weeks ago on a Friday night, downtown. I was with a girlfriend; he was with a couple (a guy and a girl).
I didn't plan on going to the pub that he was in with his friends. My friend and I were headed to the Mix to dance. We only ended up in the pub to kill time.
I didn't plan to sit across from him. I wanted to stay at the bar. My friend pulled me to where Chris and his friends were because she wanted to sit, rather than stand.
I didn't plan on locking eyes with Chris. I didn't plan on catching him looking at me, and stealing glances at him.
I didn't plan for my girlfriend to whip out her camera, hand it to him and say, "Please, will you take our picture?"
I didn't plan for him to start talking with us and for his friends to jump in.
I didn't plan for his friends to go back to their hotel room and for Chris to join us at the Mix.
I didn't plan on sitting with him for hours and talking about everything.
And I especially didn't plan to become totally captivated with a great guy who lives in 'effing Florida!
Chris is 42. He's a high school principal in Sarasota. He grew up in the Bay Area. He received his first degree at Sac State, then went on to just finish his PhD this week. He plays in a popular Florida indie rock band. He's divorced. He laughs when he talks and he is warm and engaging. He exudes kindness. He loves his family. He's solid.
I think.
I spent several fleeting hours with him but I knew I wanted more.
Apparently, he did too, because the next day his text said: "You are amazing. Can I see you again?"
Problem was, he was headed out of town to a memorial service and then would be flying back to Florida immediately.
We've kept in touch over the past month, mainly via text and email. He defends his dissertation on Wednesday. His family is flying in to celebrate. His band is playing a big gig. He is busy.
He called me last week, though, and we talked non-stop. At the end of the conversation, he asked if we could get together this summer. My only time without Ben is at the end of July, right in the middle of the time when he has a commitment with the high school. He offered to come here, but for once, I have the more flexible schedule.
So, I am going there. He made the arrangements this weekend. Four nights at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota.
I googled the Rtiz.
HOLY SHIT.
He has to work part of the time so I'll have to entertain myself at the beach/pool club.
WOW.
He emailed me tonight to find out what I like to eat, what I like to drink, what music I like.
He said he would take care of everything, all the details, so that I could have fun and relax.
I am reminding myself to exhale.
I am also under no grand illusion that this could have a story book ending. Knowing me, the ending will be something like a long, tearful plane ride home. With a layover in Denver, where I cry my eyes out in the bathroom.
Or as my best friend said, "You'll start crying two days in when you realize how terrific this guy is and how logistically impossible it all is."
Of course she's right.
But I have to go.
I have to.
I never know what the right answers are, in terms of dating. And as far-fetched as this trip is, in some ways, it's comforting.
I have a place to stay, in his hometown. He has work to do, so I don't have to be on 'high alert' the whole time. The hotel and the beach are totally conducive to distraction-free, 'getting to know you' kind of activities. We can swim and have fruity cocktails. He can show me Sarasota. I can bring my computer, a stack of books and my MP3 player.
So, it's the big countdown.
I'm trying to use this time to prepare emotionally for any outcome. It's the only way that I can go in with a clear heart. And no expectations.
Expect to maybe have even more fun with the sweet guy who loves what he does and who has a soft way about him; a way that drew me in from the moment I sat down on the bar stool.
It's a long way to Florida. It's a long way to go meet someone I've known for all of a few hours. It's a long shot.
I know.
Yes, it is pure craziness.
No, I do not know what the hell I am doing.
Yes, I am freaking out.
No, I don't know about the long-term potential.
Yes, I am terribly excited.
So, the scoop. Here it is:
Chris and I met four weeks ago on a Friday night, downtown. I was with a girlfriend; he was with a couple (a guy and a girl).
I didn't plan on going to the pub that he was in with his friends. My friend and I were headed to the Mix to dance. We only ended up in the pub to kill time.
I didn't plan to sit across from him. I wanted to stay at the bar. My friend pulled me to where Chris and his friends were because she wanted to sit, rather than stand.
I didn't plan on locking eyes with Chris. I didn't plan on catching him looking at me, and stealing glances at him.
I didn't plan for my girlfriend to whip out her camera, hand it to him and say, "Please, will you take our picture?"
I didn't plan for him to start talking with us and for his friends to jump in.
I didn't plan for his friends to go back to their hotel room and for Chris to join us at the Mix.
I didn't plan on sitting with him for hours and talking about everything.
And I especially didn't plan to become totally captivated with a great guy who lives in 'effing Florida!
Chris is 42. He's a high school principal in Sarasota. He grew up in the Bay Area. He received his first degree at Sac State, then went on to just finish his PhD this week. He plays in a popular Florida indie rock band. He's divorced. He laughs when he talks and he is warm and engaging. He exudes kindness. He loves his family. He's solid.
I think.
I spent several fleeting hours with him but I knew I wanted more.
Apparently, he did too, because the next day his text said: "You are amazing. Can I see you again?"
Problem was, he was headed out of town to a memorial service and then would be flying back to Florida immediately.
We've kept in touch over the past month, mainly via text and email. He defends his dissertation on Wednesday. His family is flying in to celebrate. His band is playing a big gig. He is busy.
He called me last week, though, and we talked non-stop. At the end of the conversation, he asked if we could get together this summer. My only time without Ben is at the end of July, right in the middle of the time when he has a commitment with the high school. He offered to come here, but for once, I have the more flexible schedule.
So, I am going there. He made the arrangements this weekend. Four nights at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota.
I googled the Rtiz.
HOLY SHIT.
He has to work part of the time so I'll have to entertain myself at the beach/pool club.
WOW.
He emailed me tonight to find out what I like to eat, what I like to drink, what music I like.
He said he would take care of everything, all the details, so that I could have fun and relax.
I am reminding myself to exhale.
I am also under no grand illusion that this could have a story book ending. Knowing me, the ending will be something like a long, tearful plane ride home. With a layover in Denver, where I cry my eyes out in the bathroom.
Or as my best friend said, "You'll start crying two days in when you realize how terrific this guy is and how logistically impossible it all is."
Of course she's right.
But I have to go.
I have to.
I never know what the right answers are, in terms of dating. And as far-fetched as this trip is, in some ways, it's comforting.
I have a place to stay, in his hometown. He has work to do, so I don't have to be on 'high alert' the whole time. The hotel and the beach are totally conducive to distraction-free, 'getting to know you' kind of activities. We can swim and have fruity cocktails. He can show me Sarasota. I can bring my computer, a stack of books and my MP3 player.
So, it's the big countdown.
I'm trying to use this time to prepare emotionally for any outcome. It's the only way that I can go in with a clear heart. And no expectations.
Expect to maybe have even more fun with the sweet guy who loves what he does and who has a soft way about him; a way that drew me in from the moment I sat down on the bar stool.
It's a long way to Florida. It's a long way to go meet someone I've known for all of a few hours. It's a long shot.
I know.
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