Showing posts with label Cats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cats. Show all posts

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Becoming Human 6/21/15

I think things in my life are slowly starting to untangle themselves, I had a friend living with me for 12 days, having left a few days ago, that visit was a very eye opening time for me.

He helped me realize that although not everyone is willing to show me, I can in fact be loved.

I'm not sure he knows what he did and has been doing for me over the past few years, but if he ever reads this, I hope by the end he knows exactly what I mean when I say thank you.

When we first met, neither of us knew what our friendship would become, we were just two kids playing an online computer game.  There are several hundreds of thousands of people who play computer games, probably more than that actually.  But the night we met, was a turning point for both of us.

Although we didn't keep constant contact over the years, we have known each other for the past 5, only having met twice in that time period, including this most recent visit. Even so, we are pretty close to one another.

While he was visiting me, we got to know the little things about ourselves and the other.  I learned that he snores, and while I absolutely hated when my dad would snore, it was kinda cute with him. He has the habit of turning down the air every night before bed then complaining in the morning when it's cold.

I can't say I've ever seen one person consume so much food, not that he overate, but that I was not prepared to feed a guy.  Will definitely have to think that one over before the next visit, I'll have to stock up for sure.

We cuddled each other quite a bit while he was here, I knew that I enjoyed cuddles, but this reaffirmed it.  My parents didn't cuddle me when I was little, so up until about a year ago, I assumed I didn't like cuddling.  I haven't really been one for physical touch, but having him around all the time made me realize why I didn't like it, and that in fact, I did like it.

I don't like it when it's coming from strangers, aka my parents, their touch seems horrid, and revolting, it makes me want to cringe, actually I made that mistake once when my mom hugged me, she did not appreciate it, at all.

But touches, if that's hand holding, or cuddles while watching Netflix, were welcome.  He was sitting at the table one day and I was in my bedroom doing something, a song came on Pandora and I stopped what I was doing to wrap my arms around him.

It was something that I had always thought was right for that song, finally being able to do it brought me to tears, I'm not sure he knows that though.

I learned that cooking with someone doesn't have to be annoying and bothersome.  Generally when I'd cook at my parents house, it'd either be picking up what one of them walked away and forgot about, or being told to do <insert action here> while they use the computer.  With him it was natural, it didn't seem like a forced interaction.

I guess to an extent, I learned what being in a loving household was like.

It really is something that I didn't realize I was missing.
Doing dishes, cooking, laundry, general living together actions.

Now that he has gone back home and has started his move to a new state for work, I find myself wondering if I'll ever end up with that kind of relationship again.

How can I work and align my life so that someday, I have someone to go home to?
Knowing that when I got home, there was going to be someone that was excited to see me, someone that knew the real me, and still wanted to be around.

I struggle with seeing why anyone would want to be around me.  I don't see that I'm in anyways special and sometimes I even think that people would be better off not being around me, because they'd be happier without me in their lives. I try not to dwell on the last thoughts, I know they aren't healthy.

For me, I can usually only expend a few hours on social interaction with someone before it becomes dire for me to spend time alone.
With him, that wasn't the case.
I was quite honestly shocked, but not surprised in reality.

It's lonely now that he's not here.  Sure I have the cat that he and I adopted, she's been a great help to me.  Since he left, she's one that keeps me healthy.  Having to feed/water her provides a moderate structure to my life.  At night, when my mind is allowed to wonder just before bed, sometimes it'll take me to a dark place, one night while he was here, I ended up crying while trying to fall asleep, she jumped up on the bed and comforted me.  I was so very thankful for her being here.

Last night, she decided to sleep in my closet instead of curled up at my side or behind my knees.  I guess how I'd describe that would be heartbreaking.  It's crazy to think that something can become natural and normal in such a short time span, but between cuddles at night and companionship, it was an empty feeling for sure.

Hilary doesn't totally fill the void that he left, but she does try, and for a cat, she does pretty well at it.

The other day, I was having a pretty bad time, where a human would have talked and comforted me, she just kinda looked at me with a face that said,"Mom, you need to play with me."  We played with a hair tie for a little bit and I think she figured out that wasn't what I needed because she quit playing and curled up next to my feet on the floor.

I just sat there petting her for a bit.
She was comforting, I greatly appreciate the company she provides.
It's a support that I haven't really had before.

After leaving him at the airport, I cried.
I cried as I hugged him the last time;
I cried as I was walking away;
I cried as I was driving home;
I cried as I got into bed alone;
and I fell asleep crying.

Crying isn't really something that is common for me;
I didn't cry and my grandma's funeral;
I didn't cry when I found out my mom had cancer;
I didn't cry when my dog died;
but I did cry when he and I parted.

I can't say they were 100% tears of sadness, because although it hurt, him having to leave, I was also crying happy tears, because it hurt, he having to leave.

Emotions aren't something that I'm use to expressing.
I learned what joy was in those twelve days, I learned happiness, sadness, confusion, comfort, and serenity.

I'm still not comfortable expressing emotions out loud, but I at least know that I have them now, and that's progress for me.

I'd been a fairly stoic and slightly somber person for a majority of my life, not really being happy, but not sad either, but not between the two either, because I hadn't known either.

I really think he showed me what it means to be human, and that I'm on my way to becoming human.

--Carson

Sunday, May 17, 2015

This House is Not a Home 5/17/15

I arrived in my hometown on Friday night, in about two hours I realized how ready to leave I was.
Not being able to leave until Monday morning, I don't know what to do.

Reasons why this is not my home:

1. The people (parents) are not my family.

Upon entering the house I was greeted by my cat, She was very loving and wanted cuddled.  Out of character for her, but I hadn't been home in about two months so it was expected.

My father was in the kitchen and said he was glad I was home for a while, and gave me a high five. Later on, while playing with my cat on the floor, he patted my head and gave me a high five again.

My mother was no where to be seen, not uncommon, and not unwelcome.  I was not ready to see her.  She made her appearance sooner that I would have liked, but we can't all have what we want.

During dinner they asked how my finals went, I responded with fine, not really wanting to delve into mind numbing conversation. End of dinner time conversation.

My father was done before my brother or I had made our plates, both parents remained at the table until we sat down.  They returned as we finished wanting to talk about mom's work day.

Quite frankly, I don't give a shit about how her day went.

2. I don't like it here.

You may say that's normal after leaving for college.  Perhaps it is, but I don't think that on the drive home I should be wondering how much conversation for the weekend I can get out of by taking naps with the cat.

Between that, and what kind of games I can play in my head to spend some time.

Summery of Saturday, being woken up by mom putting a cat in my bed.  Not my cat.  Being told to get up. Reading until my friends graduation at 2:30,  I miss him.

It's hard to miss someone you haven't met, but for me, the connect was formed and it's one that I want to keep.

Mom asked me to go to Walgreen's and the Library with her.  I told her no. She wasn't happy with me, shocker I'm sure.  Wanted to know why, and I told her I was watching a friend's graduation.  She decided to wait until it was over to go.

We went to more than just Walgreen's and the Library.  Got home 3 hours later, went to dinner with my brother, and we drove around for about two hours.

3. There's nothing to eat

This isn't a change though, even in high school there wasn't any food in the house.  I would actually prefer dorm food or even high school lunches to freezer meals that she buys from Walmart and tosses on the stove, claiming to have cooked dinner.

Junk food in the cabinets, and prepackaged foods in the refrigerator.  I haven't missed someone else doing the grocery shopping.

Had cereal for lunch and dinner today, Sunday, it's a good thing I like cereal.

4. There's no privacy, at all.

Thought maybe I'd change my clothes in my room before bed, instead of in the bathroom.  I shut the door, right as I went to undress, my door was opened with my mom bringing the cat in.

Tried to take a shower, she opened the door asking me to use her shower so she could wash the cat.

Neither time was there a knock.
There never is in this house.

5. My room is not my room

When my brother went to college, his room was his.  We didn't enter it for any reason.  Why should we have?

Now that I'm gone? Nah, it's a storage room, I have security cameras on my floor, paper and notes all over my desk,  because dad's desk is full.  I have shoes of my mom's, clothes that need to go to a thrift store, things that need returned.  No mine.

My mail that I received, on the floor next to my bed.

6. Too little too late

They are trying, mom wanted to watch a DVR with me, dad wanted to talk and watch the baseball game.

Oh yeah, because that's bonding time.

I don't like watching TV.

It's boring, mind numbing, just like any conversation with them.

There's no substance, and nothing to gain.

Pointless.

We never did things like this when I still lived here, can we go back to those times?
I don't like them pretending to be my friends.  They weren't around when I was under their roof, why should they get the chance to be around me when I'm not.

If I really wanted to see them, I'd have come home between Spring break and now.  If my lease stated right as my other ended, instead of having a few day lay over, I wouldn't be here.

___

They're pushing things, decisions, and themselves on me, and all I want to do is leave.

They may be blood related, but I can't change that.
Family is not the genes that make up your DNA, or the ones who raised you.
Family are those who act like it, who deserve to be around you and who you want around you.
___

Tomorrow when I leave, I won't have left anything behind, other than my cat. I'd take her if I could though, but she doesn't do well on car rides.


Maybe I can make something of the rest of today.
Might as well give it a shot.

Take care.