Hodgepodge, Part One

There are some things Twitter is good for - sharing links, witticisms, promotion. It's not grand for anything over 140 characters that isn't hosted somewhere else, though. A blog is nice for those long, thought-out ideas that have some meat to them. What to do with those random thoughts and ideas that are too big for Twitter and too small to blog, though? Or those after-the-fact thoughts that could add to a previous post, but would just get lost in the comments section at this point?

Stick 'em all in one big post, of course!

Every so often, I'll be posting a hodgepodge entry, to collect some of these random thoughts and postscripts that don't really warrant posts of their own (and get these things out of my brain and onto "paper" once and for all!).

Things Mono People Say, Part One:

Before I get whacked upside the head with the "you don't speak for ME" stick, no, I'm not speaking for all mono people here. I'm speaking for THIS one (points thumbs at self). Your mileage may vary.

That said, I know a lot of Poly folks get really REALLY irritated when they explain their relationship preferences to people and hear, "Oh, I could never do that," in return. It feels judgmental and condescending, and I get that.

But here... come on over and check it out from this angle...

I tend to try to really relate to people's experiences. I'm one of those folks who'll respond to a friend's story with one of my own, not in a spirit of one-upmanship or competition, but to illustrate that I can sympathize, or that I've been through something similar in my own life. I realize that this habit can look like one-upmanship, though, and I try to be mindful of it (although I'm not always successful).

As someone who tries to relate my own experience to others, if I can't relate, then I say so. I think it's a good thing to know where your communication gaps are. I believe saying, "I could never do that, " is some peoples' means of doing just this.

Basically, you're being told, "I don't understand this," but without those exact words. Maybe under the right conditions, if you're interested in bridging the gap, it could lead to a real, in-depth conversation as you dig into the "why" behind it all. Maybe just knowing that there's a gap is good enough.

Of course, it certainly can be a dismissive comment, in which case you should certainly feel free to dismiss their opinion right back.

Postscript: On Trust (And Bad Automotive Analogies):

The original post

Postscript 1 - Trust and Potential Game-Changers:

A day or so after I posted this, I realized that this ties in somewhat with Franklin Veaux's latest (in-process) book/memoir and the concept of game-changers in relationships.

While I don't care for unilateral veto arrangements (IMO, they seem to only breed resentment, not actually fix the problem), I am looking for reassurance here. That the next person my partner falls in love with won't irrevocably change our relationship. A game-changer here could destroy our relationship if it dilutes it past the point where it doesn't feel like a "relationship" anymore.

I like Franklin's words in his post, though:

the next step is to say "Even if things change, I have worth; my partner will seek wherever possible to make choices that honor and cherish our connection, whatever changes may come, because I add value to his life. 

The following part about doing it without doubt and fear? Well, I'm not there yet. I'm not sure if I ever will be, but at least it's good to have goals. I do trust that my partner values our relationship. The fear comes in when I wonder if he'll find another relationship he values just as much, and what happens then?

Being brave, though, is not the same as being fearless. It's moving forward despite the fear. And I do that every single day.

Anyway...

Postscript 2 - Self-nurturing, and a reference to the "Balance" post:

Another thing that popped up after I posted this came out of a conversation with my metamour. Her method of dealing with the occasional worries is to do some self-nurturing - to take some quality time for herself and therefore make herself healthier and happier outside the relationship. In turn, that helps her feel stronger and more confident within the relationship.

I was all set to write something about how, being an extrovert, it's difficult for me to enjoy solitary activities, unless it's something I can really get lost in - and those activities are few and far between.

That's all true, but it felt off. I realized I was using that as an excuse, to hold myself back and explain why I can't, or don't, and that's crap.

Yes, I'm an extrovert. A big, ol' blinkin' neon-sign extrovert. I will gladly talk your ear off (especially after a glass of wine), or I will be just as happy to listen to your stories. I love being around people. Yet, I too used to enjoy certain solitary activities.

Yard work is a big one I still enjoy, although a snowy February in the Northeast US doesn't lend itself to much yard work. Shoveling, perhaps, but that's less soothing to the soul. Splitting firewood (with the aid of a log splitter) isn't so bad, but the lack of daylight is a bit demotivating.

I've pretty much forsaken the rest, and I think my propensity to just save the "need-to" activities for when my partner is away is part of the problem. I don't exercise that much any more, and I know that running used to be something that kept me grounded. I enjoyed doing it. I felt good, I was healthier, I had more energy, and I felt better about myself. It's also something I enjoy doing by myself.

I mentioned this in my review of the Poly Weekly podcast (which I link to below) - do something self-nurturing, because distracting yourself doesn't really work all that well otherwise. You'd think I'd follow my own advice.

It's all part of finding that balance. Taking time (QUALITY time) for myself is just as important as quality time with my kids or my partner, and I need to realize that taking an hour here or there isn't going to dramatically screw anything up. It can, however, remind me that I'm important as well.

Postscript 3 - Trust versus Taking for Granted:

My partner and I had a followup conversation as well. He feels that we don't trust our cars as much as we take them for granted. We don't celebrate the fact that our cars get us from point A to point B, we just take it for granted that they will.

I'll start off by saying that, as good as any analogy can be, it's limited by virtue of the fact that it's an analogy. It's not exact. I'm not attaching too much weight to my car analogy (although I've been having fun with it).

However, the conversation gets me to wondering where that line between trusting and taking something/someone for granted really is. I'd like to invite comment here, since I find that line extremely blurry and confusing.

I trust that my partner loves me and wants to be in a relationship with me, but I can never take it for granted (see above Postscript 1) - while I know he's committed to me, there's always the possibility, given his nature, that he will grow to care for someone just as much as he cares for me, and it may lead to changes in our relationship (whether he wants that or not right now). It's not doubt of his love for me, but the awareness that his love for others can become a game-changer. I am always aware of this possibility. I cannot take our relationship or an idea of having a future together for granted. Does this mean that I don't trust that we have a future together? I don't know. It means that I certainly don't have blind trust in what that future looks like, although I trust that my partner wants a future with me. 

Clearly and concisely communicating levels of trust (and what it is you're trusting in!) can be extremely difficult when you only have one word for it.

When we think of taking something or someone for granted, it connotes a lack of appreciation, and I understand that this is a negative thing. I find that part negative, myself - having someone just hang around in the background because they'll always be there? Meh. Why not just have a cardboard cutout of the person if you're not appreciating them? However, there is also an ease that comes with being able to just relax and not always be vigilant of the things that may pull the rug out from under me. How do I get to that level of trust without some level of taking things for granted?

My partner finds nothing positive in taking something for granted. I find this constant vigilance when something pops up to be tiring. I would like to not feel this concern every single time something could potentially change our relationship. I would like to take THAT part of our relationship for granted - that it'll take moving mountains to change it to a point where it's irreparable, regardless of how much he grows to love someone else, as long as we still share the love that we do. Is that distrust, then?

I don't know. Maybe we need better words in English for these concepts, because somewhere in the middle, you get a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a mess when you try to discuss it.

More food for thought.

Postscript: Addendum to the PolyWeekly podcast review:

Just something that was kicking around in my drafts, and I figured I'd do some cleanup...

The original podcast

The original review

During the "Distract" portion of the podcast (not really "Distract, Distract, Distract" but "Discuss, Distract, Do" - I should probably just go back and edit that blog post), Lusty Guy advises the letter writer to go out on a date herself in order to pass the time.

If you and your date are on the same page, that's great, but things are going to become lopsided really fast if your date wants to move toward a relationship with you, but to you, they're a distraction when your partner is away. My recommendation is to think long and hard about this one, and to be fair and honest to the other person.

~~

Okie dokie... hodgepodge over. New post coming soon. Northeast-type folks, stay warm and stay safe!

On Trust (and Really Bad Automotive Analogies)

Sometimes, even as things get easier, I find myself getting wrapped around the axle from time to time. A new date can lead to worries about the future... about who this person will become in my partner's life... about where that may leave us if he wants to spend more time with them.

It certainly gets frustrating for the Poly partner at times, especially if you've been down this road before.

Why don't you trust me?

If you're like me, you struggle for words here.

If you're like me, you DO trust your partner. You know that they love you and that they want to be in this relationship with you. You've seen that they enjoy your presence in their life and they enjoy being a part of yours. But there's something, though, that rung the warning bell, and it's causing you worry. It's not distrust, but what IS it?

My car.

No, not really, but bear with me.

I trust my car to get me from Point A to Point B. We all do. Yet we all also know that someday, our cars won't be able to do it anymore. Knowing that it will one day drive its last doesn't make me trust my car any less... I know that my car doesn't WANT to conk out on the side of the road. It's built to drive. That's what it does.

So I trust it, until something changes. A light goes on. A funny smell. An odd noise or a shimmy or a weirdness in how it shifts. Maybe it starts burning through oil. Maybe the mileage goes down. Either way, something changes, either immediately or over time, and you notice. Sometimes the change is even enough to cause serious discomfort (okay, perhaps the bad thermostat in my van while the temperatures are in the teens prompted this analogy) and you want to fix it NOW.

It's not time to give up the car, though, is it? It's time for maintenance. A tune-up, or an oil change, or maybe just running over to AutoZone and seeing what that Check Engine code really means. I still trust my car, but I know it needs attention. I need to take action and do something, or its lifespan will be impacted.

Some of us have pretty low tolerances. A light goes on, and we're at the mechanic to diagnose it. Others may give it enough time to know that when the "Service Engine Soon" light comes on, it's usually after it rains, and it'll go out once the engine dries out (ever get overly emotional while PMS'ing and then wonder what the hell THAT was all about two days later? Yeah. Me too).

Others have the faith and trust in their experiences, knowing that this behavior probably means that that part needs to be replaced, and oh, here's how to do that. Some don't have that level of experience, but are willing to learn. Some don't want to deal with the innards of their own cars at all.

I think you get where I'm going with this.

When things are running smoothly, then it's very easy to trust. There's reliability. There's comfort. Monogamous relationships by nature, don't change circumstances all that often, so it's easy to happily cruise along. When circumstances do change, it's often traumatic. The change itself is unexpected, never mind the circumstances behind the change.

Many Poly relationships regularly involve elements of change. A new date. A schedule change. A change in a Partner's partner's life that impacts you. More people means more complexity. More moving parts to break down or begin to wear against each other. Without a lot of experience, every change is a cause for taking that car to the mechanic.

It's not a lack of trust. It's not doubt over how much your partner cares about you. It's fear that this circumstance - this thing you hit in the road - may change your relationship, and you need to dig into it and diagnose it before you feel comfortable again.

Blind trust has its own set of problems anyway. Many a monogamous relationship has ended because the people in it have missed (or ignored) indications of a problem, or failed to maintain the relationship. I thought my marriage of 17 years was fine, until my Ex and I realized it wasn't, and we'd been ignoring (or not understanding) the warning lights for some time. Trust twists itself into complacency - "My car will never let me down," which is unrealistic when there's no upkeep being done.

Maybe, after all, it isn't a bad thing when a change causes your Mono partner (or ANY partner for that matter) to have cause for concern. It's not necessarily a lack of trust in their Poly partner. It could very well be more of a warning that some good maintenance needs to be done here. Hopefully after enough visits to the shop, some good quality work, and enough familiarity with how this particular car drives, it becomes more preventive maintenance rather than reactive. After all, nobody keeps up a car they've given up on.

~