Thursday, March 10, 2011

I Don't Eat Solid Food, I'm Single Again


One of the worst parts of ending a secret relationship is when people who kind of knew about the both of us all along ask, "Why isn't Tall Blonde Alcoholic here with you?" I have to come up with a way of saying, "I don't know what he's up to and I don't give a fuck," without sounding too vitriolic.

I also have to suppress the urge to tell people how idiotic I feel. For the past six months, I've been taken for granted while he chased memories of his friends from his summer internship and made new friends outside of our circle. I was the one left alone all the times he felt like he'd rather be with his engineering friends. I sat in my room alone the night of our one-year anniversary because he was doing an assignment he had procrastinated on for a week. He didn't even make any effort to see me on his birthday, opting to go to a friend's friend's apartment instead and asking me if wanted to tag along.

Meanwhile, he and his gay summer roommate who lives in Miami have the same profile picture of the two of them together. His spring break plans, which I was conveniently not included in, happened to put him in, not only Miami, but in his gay summer roommate's apartment. If that wasn't enough, I distinctly remember a text from the gay summer roommate asking him, "Are you gay?" And I'm pretty sure that, "because I want to have sex," was where that conversation was going. I suppose I will never understand his desire for his gay summer roommate, who lives thousands of miles away, to keep him warm at night when I was in front of his face all this time. But they are both moving to the same area in New Jersey next year. So that question more or less resolves itself.

My belief is that if he really wanted our relationship to work he could have put forth the effort. But he couldn't, and more importantly, he didn't want to. I've spent weeks considering how I was going to tiptoe around discussing the breakup so as to not make myself seem like a self-absorbed and embittered victim. But I honestly consider the demise of our relationship less my failure than his. Either he was too spineless to tell me he didn't love me or he was too selfish to care about anybody's happiness but his own. 

But the unbearable unfairness sets in when I realize that all his shit ends up placing him in a position to move on, finally do what he wants to do, and be with the people he wants to be with. And I, the one who is theoretically better off without him, am the one who is alone, without anywhere to go on spring break.

I would liken being single again after a long relationship to going through physical therapy. More than not enjoying being alone, I don't know how to be alone. I feel like I have to relearn how to function without the constant companionship and support of another person. For the most part, I've grown accustomed to eating alone in my apartment. I've accepted only being able to share my witty comments to my pathetic followers on Twitter. [Just kidding. I love you all. Follow me here, here, and here.] The one thing I have yet to get used to is lying alone in bed at night. That is when I feel the most lonely, exposed, and vulnerable to the girl from The Ring. 

Previously, three days of debilitating loneliness was my limit and I inevitably went crawling back [I did this twice] under the false hope that things would be different [they never were]. This time, instead of waiting for him to change, I think it's time for me to change. This is the part where I flip my curly, blonde hair back and walk down the streets of Manhattan, alone yet triumphant a la Carrie Bradshaw. In reality, this will probably involve more, "Table for one, please," and spending Friday nights rabidly refreshing my Twitter page. The triumphant and liberating feelings have yet to materialize. 

After all this, I still feel like there is more to say, but I can't put into words how crushing it feels to listen to him tell me that I'm not worth the effort when I see him doing it for other people all the time. The most painful aspect is that he was the best thing I've ever had; having him made me feel lucky despite my otherwise shitty life. But he ended up disappointing me more than anybody ever has before.

I never thought I'd be in this position during the last semester of college. As time runs out, I feel like all the pieces of my life are falling away, leaving me without any plan for the future, without anybody to turn to, and without an understanding of who I am anymore.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

*hug*

Anonymous said...

I like your physical therapy comparison. I'm in the middle of a similar situation, and I've found the hardest part to be a sense of mourning over the (no longer?) shared experiences of the relationship. I can't imagine how this aspect would be if I were in a more hidden relationship.
I enjoy your blog, keep it up.
~ anonymous 30yo single attorney

Pseudoblogger said...

What a jerk. I'm sorry you're hurting so much, I can only offer you a chiche "it will get better soon."

mike said...

i can say "hugs". and I can say blah, blah, and things will...blah.. blah..but...fuck that... and yes, its.. but...

Anonymous said...

you can do better than an alcoholic :) ok, seriously though - you seem like an intelligent, thoughtful, attractive (per your last entry) guy, and with enough time, you will see that and move on. until then, try not to get into too much trouble. :)

Anonymous said...

Well dude, fuck bitches.

Aek said...

:-( Breakups are hard. 2 of my friends just broke up, and the aftermath still ripples. It wasn't a bad breakup, per se, but that it happened at all put mutual friends in an awkward position for a few days.

I think your analogy to physical therapy is pretty apt, as my friend would likely describe as such too.

TED said...

Condolences. The silver lining here is that if things had worked out swimmingly with TBA, in ten years you'd have become that stable-gay-couple-that-have-been-together-since-college, and everyone would hate you, so at least you've avoided that.

Also, if you're still feeling shitty about the break-up in another week or two, I think you should consider revenge. So much better than therapy.

Craig said...

You won't like my comment, but it appears that TBA is laid-back, doesn't put much stock in birthdays, anniversaries, and thinks that you're way too high maintenance for him--like a gay version of your typical straight husband. You want him to spend time with you, and can't understand why he would want to be with other people. You're two totally different people, which can be good but I think you need to step back and give the guy (and your future guys) more space to be themselves and to be with their friends, without resenting it.

dccised said...

Craig: Let's not mistake not-caring-about-somebody with masculinity (you know, as opposed to my fem/faggy behavior). But you're absolutely right; I don't like your comment.

Craig said...

Sorry, you're seriously hurting and I'm trying to psychoanalyze.

Anonymous said...

he was an alcoholic right? it would have led to something bad.