At first, I did think maybe I could use this as a tool to further embarrass Jaymie. Thanks to the Gods of Cyber Space, soon after I hit publish on my first post, I found the Healing Heart. The members on this support site, that I recommend very highly, schooled me pronto about staying away from the other woman. Still for the first few months, I had all of our last names right up in front for the world to view.
I even added a couple of nice pics of the three of us. One of Richard and I celebrating his 60th birthday at Pebble Beach just nine short months after DDay, arms around each other looking as happy as newlyweds and Jaymie's Google+ mug shot. Shared both with anyone who found their way to my homepage.
No doubt when I began the blog, I was still residing in Crazy Town and I was frantically looking for a way out. It was over a year after DDay and even though there were many days that I felt nearly normal, there were more that felt like I was living a cowardly life, too afraid to admit my marriage was a facade. We would not be able to survive Richard's infidelity. I hoped by beginning to write, I would find a way to reveal the truth of what my future would be and how in the hell I'd ever get there without ending up in a straight jacket.
This is my 100th post. I am very proud of how far I've come since the first day I began to write, 12/01/11. I'm still very selfish about it. I write mostly for me. I still need to get to the end of my Crazy Town adventure because that's how I have learned to let it go. Type it, read it, briefly revisit the pain then exhale.....Ahhhhh....bye, bye unmerciful memory. Inhale and breathe in what brings me joy today. There is so much. I am very blessed. I am extremely grateful.
A blessing I never forget to count is you. You have changed much of the direction of this blog. You gave me an additional constructive reason to write. If the blog had remained just a negative narrative or a tragic tale of my old news, I do not believe I would have been able to walk this far on my Road to Happy. For me to continue to rejuvenate my happiness, this can't be all about me. I want this blog to be more than a record of my time in Crazy Town. I want it to be a place of recovery, a place for those of you that are struggling to find the strength to repair your damaged life.
The fact is... I NEED you people! Many of you thank me for aiding in your recovery, but you always return the favor ten fold. You are my new drug of choice. Jaymie is out, my readers are in. I guess it's like switching from a crack pipe to a treadmill. Both can be addictive but obviously one is the better choice if you wanna live a happy life. Is that a shitty metaphor? Yeah...probably. But, even after 100 posts, my writing will never win any literary awards. You're not gonna get Hemingway here, but you'll always get straight shooting. I tell you exactly what I think. I pull very few punches.
Each of us is in a different phase of recovery. No two people find their way out of Crazy Town the same way. However, I have noticed that many of you use my story for a bit of a vicarious thrill. You're too smart to lash out at your spouse's affair partner, so reading about my antics brings you a small measure of not-so-guilty pleasure. Am I right? It's OK to admit that. You'd have to be true saint to never wish ill will for the affair partner. Hell, you're a Mother Teresa clone if you never imagined them boiled in oil or flattened by a steam roller. If reading about my feeble attempts at payback bring you some tiny amount of titillation, feel that shiver of possibility then remember I have proven beyond any doubt, it ain't worth it.
Here's what we can do: If you wanna let it all out, declare your rage with the other woman/man, do it here. Write them a letter, say all you need to right here. Write it, post it or delete it. It worked for me. Maybe it can help some of you, too. Tell them exactly what you need them to know. Get it out of your broken heart and off your chest.
I'll start. My letter to Jaymie today will be much different that it would have been 100 posts ago. Here's what I would write to Jaymie today:
Jaymie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I wasted nearly a year of my life focusing on you. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough after finding out about your affair with my husband to put my pain on him. I'm sorry that I didn't know how to handle so much grief. I'm sorry that you had a front row seat to witness my pathetic attempts to repair my shattered heart. I'm sorry that I was so confused and damaged that I actually thought you might help me heal. I'm sorry I let my shock and anguish blind me to the uselessness of your existence in my life.
I'm stronger now. I'm smarter now. I'm so much healthier and happier now. Richard and I love each other more everyday and I am grateful I gave him the chance to prove to me he is truly sorry for the mistakes he made with you.
Life is good. I'm done with you.
But, I'll share this bit of advice....watch your back. The karma bus could be right around the next corner and you know you're due for a ride.
That felt kind of good!!
Your turn. If you think it might bring you any relief at all, start typing!
Writing can be such a powerful healing tool. I can surely vouch for that. You don't really need to write 100 posts to find your path on the Road to Happy. Sometimes one good rant will start your journey.
Thanks for reading my 100th post, but mostly, thanks for joining me on my Road to Happy. I never could have come this far without you.
