Yup.Do I sense a little passive-aggressive going on here?
Thanks and I am short, getting shorter all the time. Who knew first you grew up and then you sink down.Thanks for the laugh(s), Aneeda! You are a marveous writer!
And I especially like your phrase "I'm short for my weight." I'll have to remember that one!
![]()
you thru the wrong thing away lolI disagree. He normally doesn’t eat jelly beans, he was eating them because they were mine. He keeps his candy in his room so I can’t have any of it. When we moved into this house we each got a cupboard for our private not to be shared food. He filled his and then put his coffee, which he didn’t have room for, in my cupboard. I don’t drink coffee.
He is terribly jealous of anything I have, it’s so strange. He’s always been that way, and has gotten worst over the years. Good thing I don’t wear dresses.
The conversation was about food. You said you had your own cupboards of food, which you then denied and I said I can’t relate to that because my husband always puts me first which doesn’t mean he always comes second because I always put him first also. That’s where the ‘mutual loving relationship comes in so nobody ever plays second fiddle and while I’m not as old as you, I’ve never in my life considered this a bad thing nor have I ever heard any other couples with mutually loving relationships suggest otherwise either. You are the first person I’ve ever met in my life who considers a mutual loving relationship a bad thing.And that’s great. We both love each other. We both care for each other. But what does that mean?
Seriously, what does it mean? Because if your husband always puts you first then he’s second. Then the relationship is not equal. What does your husband give up so you can be first? If you can’t live in my circumstances, as you’ve stated, and I hear you, and others saying this-you must be put first. Second isn’t good enough for you or others.
I am not being personal to you, Keesha. I am seriously trying to figure something out. Many people have drawn lines in the sand, on relationships, on this site. The, well, if my other person does that I’m out of here. I’ll go live in a cave. Yeah, sure you will.
Where do you hang the toilet paper in a cave?
My husband has always put himself first. My husband, as a TEENAGER, an 18 year old, killed men, woman, and children. In a war. This continues to happen as my country, is always at war. Virus or no virus. My husband was taught to put himself first so he could survive.
The freedoms so many people on this site whine about lacking in this current crisis are guaranteed by him and others like him who face the virus while still responsible for protecting us and insuring their freedom to complain about their lack of their freedom cause they have to wear a mask. Believe me, the people in the us military are not wearing masks. Hard to site a rifle with a mask on.
I am trying to figure out if my husband is changing/evolving into a different person as happens with humans, having some kind of mental breakdown, or simply entering a new phrase of becoming even less aware that I exist. Although I sometimes wonder as well if I exist.
I want an equal relationship. I want to know why, after hating jelly beans for over 70 years, he suddenly has his hand in my jelly bean jar, which he doesn’t now because I threw it away. The jar, not his hand. Sigh.
Keesha I am not just responding to you. I said that. Why would you think I was just responding to you when other people wrote other things. Since you read the posts, I guessed you would notice this.The conversation was about food. You said you had your own cupboards of food, which you then denied and I said I can’t relate to that because my husband always puts me first which doesn’t mean he always comes second because I always put him first also. That’s where the ‘mutual loving relationship comes in so nobody ever plays second fiddle and while I’m not as old as you, I’ve never in my life considered this a bad thing nor have I ever heard any other couples with mutually loving relationships suggest otherwise either. You are the first person I’ve ever met in my life who considers a mutual loving relationship a bad thing.
I’ve never demanded to be put first nor has he ever demanded to be put first. That’s just the way a mutually loving relationship is. Not once did I suggest leaving. Not once did I suggest you live in a cave. Once again, we were discussing food since that’s what ‘this’ particular argument was about.
That’s all I touched on. It’s only now that you’ve brought up the fact that your husband has ptsd that he suffers from. This wasn’t mentioned before and not once have I ever whined and complained about my lack of freedom or that I have to wear a mask. For the record I haven’t once whined and complained about the virus or pandemic. Another topic you’ve thrown in. Once again, our conversation was about ‘food,’ but since it was brought up, I’ll have you know that my man served in the military for years also and I most certainly don’t take my freedoms for granted.
My conversation with you was about food. That’s all I was discussing. These other topics you brought up after the fact. Your last paragraph you state you want an equal relationship. Well that’s what my husband and I have. That’s what most couples want which is what I was discussing with you; even said you deserved it , which got taken as a bad thing.
I refuse to feel bad for having a mutually loving relationship with my spouse where we are viewed as equal. Its what you are longing for and I wish you the best in achieving it but have no suggestions how to reach that.
I responded directly to what you were discussing.The first part was about the separate food cupboards which you wrote about. When I brought it up you told me I was confused however I showed you the post.Keesha I am not just responding to you. I said that. Why would you think I was just responding to you when other people wrote other things. Since you read the posts, I guessed you would notice this.
No place did I say I thought a mutually loving relationship was bad. Nor did I say I wanted that type of relationship. In fact I think I said I didn’t even know what you meant by that. I still don’t. You and I have two different types of marriages. We can not compare them! Mine involves 4 disabled now adult children.
The experiences I’ve had and the stresses in my marriage are completely unknown to you. You don’t have children. You don’t have disabled children. You don’t have 3 children that died, one that was found in his crib, early in the morning, by his dad, my husband. And the thread is about my husbands odd behavior which involves food issues.
Children change a marriage and the people in it. It divides the loyalty of oldest adults. Thus Ronni’s and Ron”s issues. They love each other deeply and are trying to figure it out. Just because “love” is involved, that doesn’t mean a relationship can be successful.
As for military service, yup, I was in the army as well. But I didn’t slog through a jungle and try to kill someone who was trying to kill me. I tried to kill my typewriter, but they didn’t let me have a gun..
It’s not about you.
I was making a point that my current husband was not a terrible person. That has nothing to do with your husband, and in fact, since you are in Canada and I’m in the US nothing I wrote effects anything your husband has ever done. I never brought your husband up. Why did you?
Seriously, what does it mean? Because if your husband always puts you first then he’s second. Then the relationship is not equal. What does your husband give up so you can be first? If you can’t live in my circumstances, as you’ve stated, and I hear you, and others saying this-you must be put first. Second isn’t good enough for you or others.
I am not being personal to you, Keesha. I am seriously trying to figure something out.
Hmm, he has sabotaged me in the past to make himself look better, but the need for that kind of activity is long gone. As you get older and family and friends fade away, for various reasons, and sabotage goes away. No one around to look better for. We just moved and then the virus hit.
When he started changing, about five years ago, with the name thing, there were issues. What’s interesting is my little guy, with DS, notices the changes as well. He will tell his dad not to speak to me that way, to respect me, she’s your wife, be nice, etc. Disabled people get a lot of input on how to conduct relationships.
So that’s another change, Ronni, he’s become more public with his comments which have made me more public with mine. I am very reactive. OMGosh, we are becoming THOSE people.. But I made it very clear, before we married that I had been a punching bag once, wasn’t being one again.
Afraid, no. Uncomfortable at times, I think so. Hard to explain. He’s more withdrawn and seems more and more distance, which causes him to be more and more angry. Which makes him give more and more excuses for his behavior, and those excuses make less and less sense.
And again, it takes two. I am no angel. But at our age, after so many years, it makes no sense to divorce, especially for me. While I am interested in improving things, he’s not. He just seems to get more and more resentful and odd.
A friend of ours used to tell her husband (also a friend) "If you want to argue you right ahead and look up your ex-wife, as this Texas gal you're married to now don't argue!"...lol.Yes, in an ideal world that would be how it works, but it doesn’t. I have no control over what he does. He is a grown man. I am not his mother. But, yes, I now take the easy road. He can do as he likes for the most part. As long as I can do as I like as well.
Any attempt to “control” him results in emotional abuse. Always has, always will. It just is not worth it anymore. It’s not a question of what is better, or who deserves better. I am no great shakes myself. I give as good as I get.
It’s a question of getting through what remains of my life in the best way possible for me.
His need to argue over ever little thing drives me crazy and I refused to do it. i hold up my hand, tell him to stop, and refuse to listen or engage. If he wants to eat himself to death that is his choice, I am not the food police. If he wants me to leave his cereal alone fine. But, the oddness of his behavior is, lol, odd.
As for me, do I have food issues, yes. But I don’t over eat, ever. Could not over eat if I wanted too. I have a terrible weakness for sugar. Not chocolate. Just sweet. I don’t eat well, there are so many foods I can’t eat. A couple of months ago my doctor told me that I should probably switch to baby food. It was time.
OH MY Gosh, I refused. She said the time was coming. I have to face facts. No, no I don’t. The fact is, I am, as all of us are, dying. Just doing it a bit faster perhaps than some others and I’d like to do it in peace. Not concerned about why, all of a sudden, he has to eat jelly beans.
As for the chicken, lol, it’s just an example of his continuing strangeness over food. And no, I’m not buying and cooking a chicken.
Understanding anyones situation is impossible. You are only hearing my side.
I eat mostly canned meats, digestible. Hot dogs. Very few veggies. Eggs, cheese. Too much bread. Bread is a downfall. Ice cream when my stomach hurts to much. It is what it is. No holding hands on the front porch sharing jelly beans.
Just us at home now.One of my favorite sayings is "Don't let your reaction become your response." From what you've related here, it sounds like you don't do that...you don't respond just from reactivity. Because of my own past, I am very supportive of people who refuse to be punching bags. I was one too. I won't do that any more, and so sometimes my responses are more aggressive or challenging than would be considered normal.
But see, notice I said responses, because they are responses and NOT reactions. Even if they're a bit aggressive, they're still responses. My reactions might be out the frigging roof, but I most always recognize that I've been triggered and so I just won't respond till I'm a little more balanced. MY go-to is "I'm not going to have this conversation right now" which is code for STOP TALKING OR I WILL EXPLODE! I only had to explain that to Ron once thankfully. He is good at giving me space when I need it.
Sorry...wasn't meaning to make this about me. My point is that just because you respond aggressively (I don't know if you are or not,) it doesn't mean you're being reactive. You may be in complete control of your response, it's just a harsh one because that's what you feel the situation calls for.
OK, so not afraid, just uncomfortable. That's still a red flag, y'know? Or at least a very pink one. He's gotten worse in the last 5 years, by your statement, there is some kind of change, behavioral or personality-wise, even your son has noticed it so you know it's not just you.
I don't know what resources you have available to you, but I would encourage you to give this some serious thought and see what is available to you in terms of .... I'm not even sure what? I guess encouraging him to get some kind of new evaluation, get him to see a doctor for an exam (potential physical causes for his changed behavior) or at least to get a sense of what other options may be available to you.
He's escalating Aneeda. That much is obvious. I worry for you, and for the child(ren?) you have living with you.
Yup, that’s what the testing I made him do a couple of years ago showed.I never read this thread before and now have read only this page. Re: mustard---wow, he's so hostile.
Nope and a few years back I made him get rid of the bayonet (huge knife) from his marine corps days. I saw him getting worst and I’m not stupid.Hum, if there are any firearms in the home, get rid of them.