revjim.net

lonely

something to lean on

(again I leave myself only 13 minutes to write.)

Somtimes I feel a deep, inner searching that leaves me feeling melancholy and alone. This has been the case lately. The most often used “solution” (though it rarely if ever works) is to intentionally occupy my mind with other thoughts and distractions. This often leads to me leaning on friendships or relationships that I shouldn’t lean on for lots of reasons. Either they are already too stressed to deal with my neediness or they simply don’t have the time. Or I don’t have a very strong or close relationship with them outside of these times so the dynamics of that relationship tend to be very lopsided. Or I attempt to lean on them in a manner that they simply can’t or won’t support (hugs from a non-hugging person, drinks with a non-drinker, etc). Or I revisit old, failed friendships in my mind (and sometimes beyond that) in an attempt to restore some portion of the past when I believe that I felt better.

It seems to come and go in waves. I think of all the people I’ve ever even briefly talked to about it, my friend Kelly seems to understand what I mean the best.

It’s all a big mind trick of course. In most cases the “me” that I express during these times is very real and exists even outside of these times. But the urgency and persistence with which it is expressed causes the message to be confused. Ultimately, it also causes confusion in my own head resulting in a terrible circle.

lonely has no opposite

lonely has no opposite

I was important.
I was not alone.
I had you.

I left.
I felt lonely.
I felt insignificant.
I was without you.

Looking behind me, I see
Though I was not alone,
I was lonely still.
Though I was important,
my importance was trivial.

Looking ahead, I see
I am alone,
though unlonely.
I am unknown,
thought my importance is significant.

Lonely has no opposite.

stagnant

I feel like I need to keep writing, even when I don’t know what result I’m seeking. I have nothing to explain, because I don’t even understand it myself. I have nothing to share because I feel as though with each passing day I get closer and closer to a complete stop. Stagnant. I have nothing to gain. I have nothing to prove. Yet I feel like if I don’t make some sort of noise — some scream in the dark — I’ll go unheard, unseen, unfound. And then I’ll be as good as gone.

drowning

Somewhere at the bottom of all this I know that I do have something to share, something for others to be excited about, something to proclaim, something people will remember. I just can’t seem to find it. And I feel like if I don’t get there soon, I’ll lose my chance. So I’m panicking.

Even though most days pass without any sort of mentioned or noticeable change in my physical or emotional life I know that something is changing — something is moving. Not because I feel it, but because I remember what has happened. It’s like this:

12 years ago I lived on coffee, cigarettes, and whatever food happened to pass in front of me when I had time for it. Slowly, second by second, in the most invisible way possible, I grew insecure, distrusting, fat, and afraid. I didn’t notice any of this happening, I just woke up one day and realized it. I was 15 pounds heavier than I should be. Most of my friends were abusive users. I tried to clean it up. I straightened everything out. I got back on the right track and moved on with life. Then I woke up one day realized it again. I was now 30 pounds heavier than I should be. While I had friendships, I hadn’t really let myself get very close to any of them. I was ignoring my wife. I was disappointed in myself in a regular basis. I was severely unhappy and all the money and time in the world wouldn’t fix it. I hadn’t challenged myself in so long. I had become stagnant. I had become complacent.

Only this time it wasn’t the past. It isn’t the past. It’s me. The present. Now. Right now. That is what I am. Fat, and stagnant, and lonely. And drowning in it all.