Thursday, December 28, 2006

The choices we make....





You readers may have noticed a lack of blogging on my part. I will attempt to explain myself as best I can.. although this has been quite possibly the toughest month or so of my life... literally.

I don't know anyone with good timing when it comes to me.. even me.

I had convinced myself that Eldon was over me and it wouldn't matter one bit what happened with my future, because he didn't want to be the one to share it with me. He did everything in his power to convince me of it. Everytime I tried, he pushed me further away, until finally I went.

Now, months went by since our breakup... I didn't mention it on the ole blog because I was secretly hoping that he would remove head from rectum and see what he was giving up.

During this time, I also met a really great new friend. I've made mention of him before. Josh is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. He's fun, interesting, caring, selfless, compassionate, patient, and an all around good guy. Some would even suspect that he's "too good".

The day we met, we had a conversation where I told him we could ONLY be friends, as I was still hung up on my ex-boyfriend and hoping to get back together with him. He understood and accepted that, and we went on our merry way becoming really good friends.

Eldon went on yet another business trip, and while on the east coast, went out with my friend Jesse. Everything I heard, from both Eldon himself and from Jesse was that he was finished with me and "I have too many issues" etc. I was completely convinced that I was not even a consideration for Eldon anymore....

Cut to the night of "Robot Punch". The irony of the name of that show could not get any thicker.

Son of Rust was playing a show at the Hawthorne Theatre.

Great show by the way...

Pretty much all the usual suspects were there, as well as some people that I work with. Someone commented to me that I work with a lot of hot chicks... I don't disagree!



Everyone was there.. including Eldon.


So everyone was hanging out having a good time, and then during the very last song, Josh turns to me, and says, "I can't take it anymore." and kisses me. Right in front of everyone I know.. including Eldon.

I was aflood with emotions. I was really happy.. and also fearful, that being that most of my friends I had because I met them through Eldon, were going to hate me for moving on. Oddly, it was exactly the opposite. People actually congratulated us. They were genuinely happy for me. Everyone of course, but Eldon.....

I got a text message the next morning from Eldon saying that we needed to talk if we were going to salvage our friendship. Ok.. friendship. That's much better than what I thought, because all I heard all night was how "pissed" Eldon was.

Eldon comes over and tells me he wasn't pissed. He was hurt. It felt like someone "punched him in the stomach". He also tells me that he was stupid for letting me go, and desperately wants another chance. I could see it in his eyes. He really had come to the realization that he loved me.... and it tore me apart.

So began the great indecision of 2006.
The back and forth. I'm dating Josh, and here comes Eldon trying to win me back...

and Josh in his own quiet way, trying to keep me without being too pushy.


Keep in mind, this was also while I'm in school. (Side note: Jack won the obedience competition at school, because I rock. :P )

I'm worried about failing my classes... Josh is being incredibly understanding AND helping me study.




I'm losing my mind with indecision, guilt, work, school, and overall drama, I started to develop involuntary bulemia. Bouts of random throwing up. I've literally lost so much weight you can see my upper ribcage in my chest.

I'm not all clear on the motivation, except that I felt like I needed to give Eldon his chance. I told Josh that I had to know if it was real... and I broke it off with him to go back to Eldon. Josh, although very very hurt, fulfilled a promise he'd made to me and still came over every day to help me study... and even with the drama, we could not have a bad time together.

And since we'd already planned on going to my company Christmas party together, Josh and I went together. I didn't want to deal with or have to explain my drama to everyone I work with. It seemed much easier this way, as my coworkers had met Josh, and weren't really aware of Eldon other than the flowers delivered to my work. The work party was not fun. It actually made me feel pretty crappy. But we were all dressed up, and Steff and Kevin suggested going to Embers. That sounded great.


And it was. We drank way too much, which wasn't great, but it allowed me to forget the drama going on, and just "live in the moment" as Steff kept saying all night. And I did. We had a really great time, just being ourselves, the way we always had been.

The last day of my last final, I had been saying I was going to run away to the beach and take Wes for a run on the beach as a way to relax and reward Wesley for the extreme lack of attention I had been paying to him. I also thought it would be a good way for Eldon and I to reconnect, as we had been apart for so long and really needed to get away from everything to find ourselves in each other again.

It was also the day of the ridiculous storm. 100 mile an hour winds on the coast, and we're standing on the beach being sandblasted to pieces. It was very freeing. I felt alive and happy then. I thought the stress was over, and was going to allow myself to finally relax. A beautiful sunset finished off the day, and then the storm took over and took the power in the entire town.

We awoke, freezing from the lack of heat due to the power outage, to an equally pretty sunrise. We went to Eldon's parents house.



and then once the sun came out, Eldon and I went to his rock. A place that had always held a special place in his heart. It was there, that he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.. and I agreed.



I agreed fully. Or so I thought. I was happy with my decision, until we came back and I saw Josh.... At that point I started to doubt I had made the right decision. He was devastated, but held himself together fairly well. Meanwhile, I began to unravel. It was the triangle all over again... Indecision set in and I was back to not knowing what to do. I hated myself for feeling this way, especially after I had already agreed to marry Eldon.

But I couldn't lie to myself.. or to either of them, and I slowly began to go insane. I had a choice to make that was going to hurt someone no matter what I did. There were points where I would find myself laughing maniacally and crying hysterically at the same time. I was in love with two wonderful men, and they both, (in spite of the fact that both of them should have told me to go to Hell at this point,) couldn't bring themselves to let go of me either. It got to the point where the two of them went for a walk to discuss things, and then they came to me, telling me that they both agreed that at this point, it didn't matter who I chose as long as I was happy...


Logically, I had already agreed to marry Eldon, so staying with him would have brought the least amount of pain. Except that I realized I would be sacrificing my own happiness so as not to destroy him. I couldn't get over the year plus of pain Eldon put me through as I loved him so much and he pushed me away over and over. Josh and I didn't have a negative history, because we didn't have much of a history at all. And no matter what I did, I couldn't suppress the way I felt when I was around him... even though I tried so I could be fair to Eldon and give him a real chance. I nearly decided that I should have just said goodbye to both of them so as not to hurt them anymore... but I couldn't do that either.. and neither of them would have let me. They wanted me to be happy, and if I was miserable, it would have made this horrible rollercoaster month not worth it at all.

I have this problem. I tend to try to make everyone else happy, to the point of sacrificing my own happiness to do it. Someone doesn't like something I do, I try to curb that, so as not to be an annoyance in their presence. Unfortunately it makes me walk on eggshells around people instead of being myself. I give and give till there's nothing left... and when I don't have anything else to give, people tend to turn on me and call me selfish for not giving more. As a result, I'm one of the most guilt-ridden people you've ever met. Hence, my "issues". There you have it folks. My bags are always packed for a guilt trip, and I seem to always have the tickets.

So in the end, I chose Josh. I feel absolutely horrible for what I've done to Eldon. I never meant to hurt anyone...and I managed to hurt both of them. But I searched my heart and that's the choice that was right. I finally acted selfishly for once and made a choice FOR ME.


meet joe black speech



I know that my decision will come with some fallout... but that's ok. Because I'm finally happy. I've found somewhere I belong.

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

You had me in the story...then you had to display Linkin Park lyrics!

2:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you should have dropped both of them and the three of you should never see eachother again.

12:26 PM  
Blogger a_dog's_life said...

and the fallout begins....

4:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Though it would be wiser to keep my mouth shut on the situation, being involved and all, I just can't make myself do it. Though not a new opinion it's certainly not the most common nor is it the best. None of us would be happy with that situation let alone it'd be impossible since we all know similar people, go to similar places, like similar things.

I had a lot more to say but what's the point, yay for the delete button. The only real point is this...sure it would be more fair to have done it that way as far as him and I are concerned, however it would not have been fair to her. Given the fact that we both care for her as much as we do we agreed after a long discussion with eachother, that we didn't include her in on, that all that mattered anymore was that she find happiness and put an end to the suffering shared by us all. Because in the end the only real thing either of us wanted, was for her to be happy and put that gorgeous smile back on her face.

4:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

how old are we?? If my name were included anywhere in this blog I would be extremely embarrased and would probably never speak to the blogger again. Brandy, I'm glad you are enjoying the attention. Josh there is still physcological help out there for you-because you need it. Eldon, ok you've made a mistake- now don't admit that you know them or the situation and if you see them walking your way-run like hell!

5:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ahhh Yes! This all brings back Junior High memories. You know, the times you would use any excuse to hug that boy/girl in the hallway at every break, and those times of being able to have multiple boyfriends and it being hunky dory, oh wait that was elementary school. At least in Junior High we started building enough self respect to not put up with being the 1st string boy one day and the 2nd the next.

6:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you have to use your blog as a medium for relief. You need to have friends willing to listen to you, and you to listen to them.

Other than that you probably need new cabinet members as friends to counsel you as well.

In case, I'm no one you know.

3:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm rarely one to use blog space to rebuke someone, but I have to here. In response to Katar, "She has friends who listen. Quite a few. She uses the blog medium as a way of venting, yes, but not in substitution of...rather in lieu of. Now, if you don't mind, go sniff up another tree, please. She's had her fill of (metaphoric) dogs.

12:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is in response to the commenter geoff. I find it to be very interesting that there was no response from the friends of the blogger to the two obscenely cruel comments from both of the anonymous posters. Only when katar makes a point to attack the blogger's friends does geoff come forward and strike back to simply defend himself.

The plot thickens. I think that katar may have a point about getting “new cabinet members.”

4:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Friends are a good thing no doubt however it's still always up to the individual to handle things the way that is best for them and to make choices that they feel are better for them. it's nice to have people to talk to... but in the end we need only look to ourselves for ways to cope with issues and find the answers we seek in life.

11:03 PM  
Blogger a_dog's_life said...

Opinions are like assholes, everyone had one and is entitled to theirs. But guess what folks? The only person running my life is me. Make sure your own back yards are clean before trying to tell someone how to clean up theirs. :)

11:14 AM  
Blogger Skidoodilybop said...

I know this was posted forever ago, but I wanted to put it out there that I'm proud of you!

I'm of the belief that you should be honest with yourself and others - even if it hurts. A few important people from my past withheld info, and lied to me because they didn't want to hurt me, but in the end it made everything hurt more. Better
to be told the truth and be allowed the chance to handle it, than to not even be given the benefit of the doubt. It's a sign of respect!

You did what was right for you, and that's what matters in your life - not other's dramatic responses and retorts, and disagreements. They may care, or simply want to advise, but they aren't the ones directly living with the consequences :)

Go you, and kudos for Eldon and Josh talking to each other about it, too. THAT is really encouraging to see in people - that they both care and respect you enough to man-up and talk it over.

Hopefully this turned a new leaf for you, and you find it easier in the future to stand up for yourself and your feelings, and make more choices that positively effect your life!

<3

(this is Katherine from MySpace, by the way - the girl in plaid from Geoff's b-day in '06)

11:36 PM  

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