Another Army Dream

actually, another Basic Training Army dream:

It started as a college dream. I went to sit down on the first day of the school year. I had a feeling of unease. Something wasn't quite right. I started wondering whether I was in the right classroom, the right course. Then I remembered that this was a class I'd taken before (the dreaded Calculus, my only near failure).

Then things all changed, as they do only in dreams. I was going 'round the different stations and queues on an Army base getting issued all my army gear and clothes. I stopped to put on my boots and realized I'd left my whole pile of gear unguarded (a no-no in the Army!) The drill seargents had thrown some of the stuff up in the trees or something.

The next while of the dream was me going through a maze trying to get all the army gear, loosing my place and getting lost. Finally there was a woman who accused me of being responsible for her young child being missing. She said her child had gone with Xyz (My youngest Son's name) and that's why it was my fault. I immediately challenged her because I knew that my son wasn't there and couldn't have had anything to do with hers. While this exchange was happening something between my legs grew to the size of a real leg, pointed straight out and erect. I poked her with it (not overly hard or an a sexual way, everyone's clothes were on). Then I woke up.

Encouraging Words

... tonight in our church small group meeting:

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."

Counelor's Questions #2

Write a few sentences about your relationship with Sex growing up. What did I learn good, bad? What did I bring about my relationship with Sex from childhood into adulthood?

Now ask the same questions replacing sex with #1, Mom, #2, Dad, #3 God.

Sex
My relationship to sex growing up was overshadowed by shame, guilt and taboo. 90% of the time it wasn't discussed. I became obsessed with it early on. Chronc masterbation, instead of being a phase of puberty became a permanet part of my daily existence. I learned loads of good things about technique, but I came to experience orgasm as a consumer and as a temporary treatment to a permanent hunger. As an adult I've learned to not be ashamed or guilty about sex, and I've learned (at least in my head) that sex is about celebrating my marriage and it's about mutual giving rather than one-sided taking.

God
The first word that comes to mind when I think about my understanding of God as a chld is, "catholic" which means untreatable guilt and God as a big scarey guy watching from far away, just waiting to hit me with a lightning-bolt for making a mistake. I did get that God and Jesus are one, and that Jesus died on the cross--and that it is very important that He did. I've brought into the present a difficult imagining God being close, intimate and really interested in me.

Dad
My relationship with my Father as a child had been my biggest problem growing up. I think I really minded him not being encouraging and emotionally available. The fact that he wasn't around much for me after he divorce really dominated my memories of my childhood relationship with him. My Dad expresses love by giving money and sometimes time, but not open converstion and never emotionally. I always wondered deep-down whether he really love(ed,s) me accept(ed,s). I think I buried my anger at him, maybe because if I expressed it I was afraid I'd never get that love or acceptance or closeness I so needed. Good things I got from my relationship with him include a love for my family, a dedication to providing a good life for my family, and leadership in many ways including fun in the home! I brought into my adulthood an akwardness about being close and open with my father, a nervousness and "need" to please and be affirmed by him.

Mom
My relationship with my mother...

Some nights easy, some hard

So there have been nights when I turned over only somewhat peeved and annoyed (and of course there have been plenty of nights--more, even--when she's graciously given to me such that I turned over satisfied and relaxed).

Still, last night was night number two. She talked about her slightly obsessive health worries. I listened and touched her caringly. But I was surprised and pissed to find that none of her touching was leading toward being sexual. As I boiled and stewed over the fact that it was gonna be another 24 hours (at least!) I realized I'm going out of town soon and so that'll be another "No". I wanted to say to her, "Well, you won't have to be romantic Thursday night either!" As if she doesn't want to have anything to do with me really. poor me.

I feel physical pressure and wonder if I'm being tempted to release it, only because I screwed up and came on my own on Sunday (see counter reset after a record 140 days!). I downloaded a full length movie and made the mistake of watching it, thinking I could keep from coming. Stradling the line is dangerous and not helpful. Ohhhh, mistakes mistakes mistakes.

Slept shitty and am gonna try to not be distant and pissed at her. I could hold a grudge and say, "screw it, I don't need sex tonight or tomorrow either!" But that won't prove or help anything. We're having a night in together, so I want to be good and stuff while not insisting on anything.

Relational Anorexia Questionnaire

If you answer with 5 or more yeses, then get help:



1. Withholding love from spouse at times.



2. Withholding praise or appreciation from spouse.



3. Controlling with slient treatment, anger or both.



4. Ongoing or ungrounded criticism.



5. Withholding sex from spouse.



6. Unwillingness or inability to discuss feelings with spouse.



7. Staying busy that there is little or no relationship time.



8. Making problems or issues about the spouse instead of taking responsibility.



9. Controlling or shaming spouse.



My answers were: 1. N (previously yes) 2. Y (less often now) 3. Y (much less often now) 4. N . 5. N 6. Y (rarely) 7. Y (less often now) 8. N 9. N



How about you?

Wishes...

She wishes that there was something else besides sex that really made me smile, that I got a lot of enjoyment out of. She's absolutely right, I can't think if anything else. I'd prefer to make it so I can get more enjoyment from sex, thus getting the satisfaction and enjoyment. I should lower my expectation toward sex and start appreciating other things in life. I'd rather get more from sex really. I wanna keep my screwed up ways. I stubbornly want my sickness to work. But that's not gonna happen. What do I want for a special birthday? A day of sex, of course! Okay, but what else?... Ummm.. She'd like to go on a walk out in nature. (I'm just wondering if that'll help to get her in the right place to enjoy sex more--quality time, etc.).
I gotta give up, let go. Again.... Still.....

I wasn't this obsessed and single-mided back when I was Masturabting and viewing porn. Things have gotten worse as I've took on the fight to see them get better.

Father, Son?

I had a new thought the other day. What if I calld my Dad to talk about what I'm going through? Not from the perspective of his involvement/blame/fault. Just for someone to listen. I imagine he's too busy or not interested, but maybe he would be if I'd ask. I imagine him trying to give some advice, getting me to see the bright side and maybe even an encouragement for hanging in there.


Hmmm. wonder if I'll give that a try.

Something to discuss with counselor

What "need" is okay? I seem to find myself feeling a deficit if she hasn't wanted to make love to me for a week or so (regardless whether we've gone through the motions or not). It's like I have this expectation for good sex to fill a need to be intimate, to connect, to be needed and wanted and desired. Is that okay? Is it uhealthy and asking for too much or the wrong thing from her and our lovin'? I know it's okay to have needs and sex and affection is there to meet some needs. But which ones?

Insatiable

It doesn't matter how often and how recently (after a few hours) it's been since sex, I'm ALWAYS wanting it. If we're home together and she's getting dressed, I'm getting dressed, or the kids are not around--It's going through my head that I want it, that we could do it, and that she doesn't want to. I know she's not interested. But I want it anyway. I could think about how no other husband, married for over 10 years and with children stands a chance of "getting any" in these situations. No other man is married to a "freak" or "nymphomaniac".

What a great fantasy, a nymphomaniac who's always 'gagging for it'. Sounds like heaven. Would I never feel sad because I'd always be in a state of sexual euphoria? Would I never be angry because I'd be on the edge of orgasm from morning to night? Would I never be bored because I'd always be smiling from the best feeling in the entire universe? Hmmm.

Hmmm. I know there is something addictive going on here where nothing will ever be enough. If I had an all-day-long B.J., I'd be happy as a pig in shit. But then the next week I'd be wishing for something even better. It doesn't make for a satisfying and enjoyable life to be isolated from everyone and everthing, all for the sake of one pleasure. Besides the fact that it's completely narcistic and self-absorbed.

Reality, again

I'm aware that I seem to be waking up and finding myself angry sometimes (even if we've DONE IT the night before). And sometimes I wake up and am not angry (even if we've NOT DONE IT the night before). So this is good if anger is detaching itself from sex and orgasms. An orgasm doesn't guarantee I won't be angry. Very refreshing if not having an orgasm doesn't guarantee that I WILL be pissed off too.

It doesn't make me so mad that she's not spontaneous. I think I might be accepting the fact that dressing sexy just isn't her. I can ask her to do this or that, she might even agree. But it's not what she wants to do. I'm very fortunate for our great love-life. We are both orgasmic and enjoy sex plenty. It's not like I only get it one night a week or on special occasions. She never uses sex to try to control or manipulate.

So here I sit, aonther time with the kids out and it's just the two of us at home together. She's ironing and either unaware of me thinking of how we could do it now, or she's just not interested. Sighhhhh. Porn has given me so many scenarios, so many unrealistic and male-centric fantasies. It' takes women (in reality, not in porn) a lot of time to get turned on. They have to be in the right frame of mind, with no distractions, They don't want to if they might be walked-in on. There are dozens of reasons why it's unlikely that we'll have a quickie or that she'll really enjoy making love at an unusual place or time. Be thankful. Accept it. Get over it. Count your blessings, dude!