.....Well.....I logged off after that last post and went to bed. I slept for 8 hours, which is the longest stretch in a long time. When I got up, I took S5 to a b-day party at the zoo, spouse was there too. It was a good time. I am able to be around her now without feeling like a starving puppy or acting like a junkie wanting a fix. We do not usually do a b-day thing together, but this was for a kid who was in the premie ward with s5 for a month, so it was cool to see them both together and both strapping young lads. Spouse took s5, I came home after and did absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. A hurricane was coming in anyway. Again went to bed and slept 8 hours until alarm told me to go to work and check damage.

SH_ , not sure how, but I had missed your comments before making my last reply:

Originally Posted By: SH_

Not that I am not sleeping fine, just that I am up at all hours reading and trying to find answers to questions...and not even sure what the questions are...


This is so true. Its been many months now and I am still reading new stuff, and as you say, sometimes I don't even know what I am looking for. Would suggest it begs the question of when that part ends, but the Old School still reports here, I know they teach, but as one of my professor's profoundly put it "I teach so that I may learn". So perhaps this part goes on.

Originally Posted By: SH_

I am sensing this may be yet another leg in the journey that we are taking and that there is opportunity for growth and progress...


I think you are correct. I am sure these legs have names. Wonder what this one is? Actually, no, no I don't. Wait...

Originally Posted By: SH_

Limbo as they call it is not a comfortable place...No pain, no peace, no sadness, no joy...just blah!...nothing.
Kind of like a vortex in time...a time that I will look back at as a hole in my life.


Yeah, I had forgotten - there is a name, Limbo. It won't be a hole. Look how many new friends we have made here, how much we have grown, how much we have learned. Yes, born of sadness, but perhaps just change. Let's use 'chrysalis' instead of 'hole'.

Originally Posted By: SH_

Fatigue can create a thief that runs through our heart and mind stealing that which we have worked so hard to amass...
You have built a fortune of knowledge, emotional intelligence, calm, peace with oneself, and direction.


You're right. Thanks for reminding me of this.

The hurricane moved out entire about three hours ago. The city is amiss with flood debris, but power is coming back on in places.The sky has a beautiful low lying sunlight. My son is here watching some weird sht on youtube, but he likes it (other kids playing with toys, could be weirder - could be teletubbies). The winds have dropped significantly. It feels like some peace - finally not so hot that I can't leave the windows open. Almost like the storm moved as some kind of cathartic leviathan through me.

Originally Posted By: ForGump

You have boiled life down into its existential bone. I wonder which way you will go. Or if you will go at all. No judgment here. I have no prescience about what works, or what is good.

One judgment, same as I've told JRuss: you have proven your core, at least to me. You are a good man. Ten times any man you might stop on the street.


ForGump, You may not know what works, but you know what is good. I wonder too, but you will know when it happens. And thank you for that, made me smile.

I spoke with a friend Friday night whom I have confided in since the beginning of all of this. He has not always understood my choices, but he understands when to keep his mouth shut. There is a whole lot of value in that during face to face conversations. He was facing some really horrible stuff himself and in his own M when I began on this journey. His R was more like the stuff MWD put in the DB book. Listening to my story I think helped him. He has gotten his W to begin counseling with him as a proactive measure. I hope they make it.

Originally Posted By: Cherry

This is useful for us all so we can continue to march ahead and regain our sense of self.

This makes sense, and well, I guess my thread was not called "the Fight for Self" for nothing.

Originally Posted By: Cherry

Ps, for fear of sounding like your mama, please take time to eat! You can't run a car with no fuel.

Nope, I need to hear it. I ate a big pile of Chinese take out last night. Not healthy, but the salty fried yummy hit the spot and matched well with a day of desiring no other achievements beyond putting some eggrolls into my face.

I close with mentioning that my son and I had a healthy dinner. Yesterday, when dropping off my son and spouse from the birthday, she gave me a long hug and a kiss on my cheek, then she told me she loved me. We were standing in some poring rain at this point, s5 was in backseat of her car, cue movie scene. I only said "drive safe" and left it at that, did not return the sentiment. The rain didn't stop for another 28 hours. Cut.


"There is no more important fight than the one for ourselves. Keep on winning." Ginger1, Read her newbies.
BD: Feb '16
D: Mar '17
Piecing: Putting the self back together was my piecing.
S6