“Flash those bright neon flickering signs at me and I still won’t see them “

Or should I say I chose to ignore them? I am very good at seeing and hearing things I want to see and hear. Sometimes it’s good out in public, because I miss the really bad things I prefer not to see, but in a relationship I really need to listen to what the other person is really saying not what I think or want them to say. 

By ignoring what others say or do, I’ve been surprised by the reactions I get when I think I’m doing what they’ve asked for. To find out I’m really doing what I want for them.

Anyway, back to the signs…

I was rebellious, but in a sneaky way. I would do things that my parents wouldn’t like, but things that I could easily lie my way out of. Things like; “why weren’t you home when your sister got home from school?” My answer, “I missed the bus my sister was on because I helped another student in my class. So I caught the other bus, but it got stuck in traffic so I missed the connecting bus home.” ( the 2nd bus stopped at the shopping centre and all my friends were going there).

Or I would say I spending the night at my friends and tell her mother if my mum called to tell her we were out and we were spending the night there. Of course my boyfriends parents were away so I was staying at his house. (I was over 18, legally an adult, but afraid to tell my parents the truth, in fear of them throwing me out of the house or having to sit through an explanation of why God says no sex before marriage or the sins of the father have been passed down the generations).

I keep veering of the path of the subject but I think it all explains a bit about me.

Back to the signs I should not have ignored…

1. I never spoke up for myself 

2. I hid everything I felt

3. I ran from everything so I didn’t have to deal with it

4. I pretended everything was alright ( and I did an amazing job of it). Everyone but my youngest cousin was surprised when I left my husband.

5. I never saved for the future, I relied on others for that. I acted like a princess who deserved everything she wanted, but didn’t want to work for it. I kept waiting for this knight/prince to come along 🙄.

6. I walked down the aisle because I wanted to get out from under the control of my parents and the church. ( I was a fucking idiot!).

The signs, fear, laziness, no self worth, immature, fear, no self confidence, lies, fear of not being liked/ loved for choosing a life I wanted. You may ask where stubbornness comes into this? I was so stubborn I had to show my world my life was good, I made the right choice, this turned in to selfishness because I did what I wanted in my marriage and told my husband “no”when he wanted something. He even quit his job and sold our family car so that I could have my dream of living in Italy for 3 months.

I hope that my children do what they want and talk their father and I about anything. They shouldn’t fear anything.

E.