The Mourning After

It’s taken me a long time to work out why I still feel continuous sadness since last speaking to Lisa, but I think I’ve now worked that I’m in a place of mourning, almost like I’ve lost a soul and yearning to always have it back. I think about her, and miss her daily. There are a lot of things I miss about her that replay over in my head.

It’s been a year since I lost Memphis also, there’s an infinite hole that cannot be filled not having my shadow beside me anymore. The constant reminders when I go to my parents place, which does not help when he’s talked about so much. I just want to squish him and see his big smile.

It’s been a year since I’ve heard from Riss also, I have no idea why there’s been nothing but silence. But I’ve been fine without it for some time now and my day to day goes on. I do struggle on those hard days though, the ones like today when I’ve signed up to again have surgery in my neck. The overwhelming sense of doing something like this on my own again. I’ve no one to give me a hug and talk it through, and make me feel better. Much like the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. Given she’s dealt with it too, it would have been someone good to lean on. But I no longer have anyone for that, none of the good ones who do understand. And the ones that are there don’t understand and that feels just as bad.

It’s hard walking around carrying all this, and on top of my physical health that I can barely walk around anymore.

I’m not sure what to do anymore…

Storms, Sunsets and Salty Ocean Spray

I’ve spent quite a long time spending my days at work and doing my usual life things, walking around with a sadness that’s dragging behind me. I know what it’s from, but I’ve never been able to accurately put it into words. I don’t like dragging it around, I’d like to be happier, have more enthusiasm with things in my life. But it’s just there and I’ve had no idea how to deal with it previously until I had something appear in my Instagram feed from one of my favourites, J.M. Storm.

When you find beautiful depth with someone, nothing else will ever do. Nothing else will ever be good enough.
Because you have been awakened to the fact that mere moments in the abyss holds more intimacy than years on the surface.
And once you become conscious to that, there is no going back to sleep.

JM Storm

Heartache Holiday

I took a week off work to get away from answering phone calls, getting smashed by work tasks and just some general time to myself. Which I didn’t really get, I’ve been doing stuff for the cricket club while I’m away on my laptop, including this blog post!
I’ve had some time off, I’ve been for some walks, I’ve taken some photos, been for some drives and eaten food in different places. So it’s not been all bad.
But given I came back to my home town which is where L lives now, it’s been a constant state of low anxiety and heartache because I do miss her very much. I’ve been much the same state, without the anxiety, that I miss her every day, and I’ve been like that since we stopped talking.
I’d give anything for a hug from my twin flame and a kiss on the cheek.

el Presidente

The cricket season is almost to a close, with the pending Senior Presentations in two days. It’s been a challenging season, to say the least, with far too much micromanagement of people who can’t make decisions on their own, those who don’t want to take on any tasks. With lots of those who are happy to give their own opinion but not roll their arms up and get things done.

Hopefully, the winter period will be time for me to get a lot of stuff done on my list to get things organised for the next and it’ll run a bit smoother.

I feel like there were a lot of underlying tasks that were never done by some of the previous committees, and nothing written down for newcomers. Nearly everything I’ve had to deal with this season was decisions made by the previous committee but not enough thought or planning put in, and I’ve had to manage and patch things along the way, without doing anything that I thought would help the club succeed to where it wants to be. So anything I thought would help the club, has not had any time to be thought about or started.

I guess we’ll see how the winter period goes and what happens leading up to it.

So long, old boy

Last Saturday, I had to say goodbye to my shadow. 13 years of the best a boy could give me.
Am I sad? very much, a part of me has left and there’s a hole in the earth.
There’s no warmth left in the corner of the lounge room anymore.
I knew it was coming but it came up so fast, and I feel like I missed out on the last few moments with him.
While I was there when he passed, and I held his head in my hands and told him I loved him. I still feel like I’ve missed out on the last few moments to take him to the beach or out for a drive.
He returned home today, ashes in an urn. But it’s not the same.
I’m going to miss the hair stuck to me, his paw on my foot, or staying as close as he can to me whenever I’m around.
He was my place to go to when I needed comfort, and now I have nowhere to go.
I’m going to miss him for a long time.

Hi, do you take walk-ins?

I took a trip, it wasn’t a big one. But I drove an hour out of Adelaide to pick up a used camera I had said I’d buy. Nikon D3100 with an 18-55mm lens and an 18-200mm lens so I can take photos of the cricket, and I hated every fucking moment I spent in the Navara. Granted I did get to go on the new Northern Expressway bit at night and see none of it anyway.

When I decided to swap from a sedan to a 4×4 dual cab I thought it might help me change my life up a bit and let me do new things. I’d go to the drive-in and lay in the tray, I’d go down to Moana beach with some friends and for once, I might actually swim in the ocean instead of just walking along with it and taking photos. I might even go away camping with Riss, I’d even spent Two hundred dollars on swag for it. Which has spent two years sitting in my closet. I thought I could pick up timber and build things in the shed too.
First came the fuel consumption issue, then came the engine light issue, then the head unit packed it in and I had no Bluetooth, and the front speakers didn’t work either. The throttle body got replaced, the EGR got replaced, and finally, the engine light issues went away. But it still went through fuel like my nephews go through juice boxes.
Then I noticed the seeping in boots around the suspension. I did my tax and send it off to the accountant and saw that between the parts, travel, insurance and loan repayments I’d spent $7500 on it in a year. That’s the difference between the money I have in savings and having enough for a house deposit.

I was pretty distressed over it, so I figured I’d stick it up for sale once the registration was about to expire. There’s a chance, I’ll get more than I paid for it thanks to Covid. People aren’t buying new cars and a lot are going for 4×4 utes so they can go camping… just like I was going to do. The drive to Nuriootpa was horrible, it was bouncy, wobbly, noisy and just all-around shit to be in the car for that long after a days work. It wasn’t comfortable at all, not to mention it handles like a fucking houseboat.

But I’ve come to resent that car, buying it, but also making me realise my friends are flakey. I’m tired of text messages being replied to in 5-7 business days while they fuck about on social media. Or those who stop contacting you once something “new and shiny” comes into their life. It’s made me realise what a good friend is, and isn’t. A few years back I thought that I would give people my time because to me I time was a valuable thing and they deserved my time and attention. Now I’ve realised, all they did was fucking waste it.

I finally stopped texting first, and it’s amazing how many people don’t talk to you if you don’t start the conversation.

Things are pretty quiet on the social front, social media and friends. Outside of work and my parent’s I haven’t been around anyone since the start of June. My phone sits on the coffee table at night, I don’t message anyone and they don’t message me. I haven’t had anyone to talk to, but does it really matter when they don’t care in the first place to check up on someone they’d consider a friend? Ironically, people tend to change their attitude toward you when you begin treating them the way they treat you. Which is what’s happening, that’s assuming they talk back in the first place. I guess it’s time they put a little more effort into friendship if they still want it, and I’m going to be heard from now on.

I’m not a door mat, I’m a welcome mat.

Would you rather listen to my story or attend my funeral?

I’d consider myself lucky when it comes to the pandemic living in South Australia, as we’re only having our second lockdown. A proper one anyway, the pizza guy doesn’t count because he lied and never had COVID.

But 3/4 the way through a week-long lockdown, I’ve struggled more this time around than before, and not because of the lockdown itself, and not being able to go out. I’ve had to go out for work a couple of times, and also to go see my dog. I took a bit of time after to go for a peaceful drive in the hills where no one was around or could get spotted. Ironically, there was a bloke walking along a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

But I’ve struggled with, lack of human contact. Outside of work and my parents I’ve not been near anyone for two months up until it was Marissa’s birthday, which was a trip to see Space Jam 2.
While I had the best time with Tink, it’s only ever a band-aid fix for how I feel. She’s always good fun, she rushed in late wearing those viral TikTok leggings I got her for shits and giggles. I didn’t think she would wear them let along out in public, she must want to cause a riot with her ass in public, in her Lola Looney Toons jersey and pink hair. I wouldn’t have her any other way though, it’s her extension of personality that rubs off onto the boys making them lunatics too that make me laugh and smile.
It’s also super adorable watching her trying to get her feet on the seat in front like a small child, and her tiny feet.

But the contact from people has come in ebbs and flows, I’ve realised if I finally stop texting first it’s amazing how many people don’t talk if you don’t start the conversation. I guess that’s the difference between myself and other people, and I think these are the types of people who don’t realise the greatest give they can give is to simply include me in something.

The difference between now and a year ago, is I would have been dealing with both anxiety and depression. When I think about it, to me anxiety is the thing that makes you do drastic responses and irrational behaviour. But it has to be coupled with depression for it to do that. If something goes wrong the reaction might be alcohol or drugs, some form of self-harm to escape as quickly as possible. But now it feels like that’s worn off and all I’m left with is depression.

I feel no motivation to do anything anymore or care about people who don’t contact me. I’ve given up trying to organise things or catch up with people. I mean, why bother? They just don’t reply or told they are too busy to consider you worth your time.
But when you start treating people the same way they treat you, watch how they change. They become more proactive in organising things with you, getting in touch with you and seeing what you’re doing. You might react and change your plans because you’ll feel better when they give you attention. But when you start putting them off because you’ve made other plans or just don’t want to. Their behaviour changes even further, because now they know what it’s like not to feel like a priority.

I just wish people would be honest and forthcoming, and either make the effort or exit stage left and leave me to my own. Time for new friends? Or to get a bit more asshole-ish and call them on their behaviour?

But all this boils down to one thing that does bug me, I have no one to talk to. Much like the last post on here, I get talked over, ignored and left on “read”. No one’s here for me anymore to listen to me when I need it. So instead I sit here every night writing letters to ghosts, wondering how much more time I have left.

 

 

No one cares about your depression, until you’re dead.

Life has a way of getting to you, one way or another.

It’s certainly getting to me these days, and sometimes just when I think things are looking up. Life says “hold my beer”.

 

I once had a friend who said to me “no one cares about your depression, until you’re dead”. She was right, but she was also one who didn’t have enough emotional depth to understand what depression was like either. You could try and explain it and only reply with “you’ll just have to change that”. Thanks, I’m cured.

Trying to deal with depression isn’t easy, it doesn’t matter how blunt you are in telling someone how you feel, they inevitably will show that they don’t care. There won’t be help anymore, and the odds of them ever seeing the signs that suffering are pretty slim, even then, they’ll just ignore them.

This kind of treatment to those who are suffering is what makes it worse, a lack of recognition. The symptoms start to compound themselves.

At the moment, I currently feel like I’m walking around floating six inches off the ground, and people look right through me instead of at me. Like I no longer exist. They talk over me and suffocate me into silence.

These are the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with internally, and the simplest fix, at least to me. Is a hug, I literally feel like a helium balloon being dragged back down when given a hug by someone that I have some sort of connection with.

I struggle that I cannot see into the future any further that what my calendar appointments are for work.

Once again, I suffer in silence. Getting closer and closer to that point every day, and don’t see myself going a step back.

I continue to feel myself disassociate daily and I’m not sure at what point I’ll be able to come back down to Earth.

I have the only thing on my mind daily that feels like it’ll make a difference, and they are out of reach regardless of how much I stretch.

If there’s wind in your sales…

The government will tax you on that too.

 

Australia “a nation of hard-working individuals”. We’ve heard that a lot haven’t we? How hard Australians work.

In the modern era, we have to. In the earlier years when Australia was still booming, people worked hard because they wanted to.  To get the things they wanted with money they had earned.

 

We work hard now to have a comfortable life because we have to, but we do that because Australia, and mostly the government look like they took advantage of that hard work ethic Australia is known for and used to build a system that is full of corrupt, money-hungry individuals. A System that in its current state feels like it is only set up so those who are already rich, can get richer without needing to lift a finger, and for those who are hardworking. Work even harder just to get by. It’s a system set up to fail those that need it the most.

 

When I was 6 years old, my parents had divorced. My dad and I lived in a car and had only the clothes on our backs. I lived in caravans, couch surfed, stayed in peoples spare rooms for years until finally, we had our own rental. Even then, we still had to work hard. Clothes and furniture came from places like St Vincent De Paul’s and the Salvation Army. 

Between now and then, there’s been more rentals with my Dad and then on my own. Decisions I’ve had to make that no one at their age should have to make.

But at the age of 38, I finally felt like I could afford to buy a house, or build one. Given the government had a lot of grants available to help boost the housing industry and keep tradies in work.

The first thing for me was to see how much I could borrow, and if I could make payments, and also in the event of losing my job or an accident I was covered. I started looking into managing my money better by getting the 2020 updated version of Barefoot Investor. I changed banks, set up accounts for places for money to go. I looked into my superannuation because it can come with income protection and life insurance. Check and check.

I looked into building companies, house and land packages, places to build. I spoke to friends in the industry on things to look for when building, things that can go wrong. I looked at several display homes in different places and spoke to a lot of people.

And I came to the conclusion that the housing industry is just corrupt and full of bullshit, with peoples hands in each others pockets. That in no way benefits anyone who is trying to get a house.

When I got a bit closer and I looked at more plans and lots of land, I stopped into a builder and asked some questions. I knew what I wanted in my head, a 12.5m wide block that would allow me to have 3 bedrooms, living, study or second living room, and a double car garage. After going through the process of picking a floor plan, adding in the requirements, it blew my budget well out of the water. I knew there would be hidden costs, but there just seems to be a lot more that you never hear about, and most of it is pointless bullshit.

So I cut my size down, the larger the block of land the more costs. So down to a 10m wide frontage, which drops the price by $25,000, and down to 1 car garage. Still, I struggled to get it under the budget for a tiny place with no yard. I only came in under budget because I had to remove the air conditioning unit.

But there was all these extras, because it was inside an estate you have to choose a facade from the ones that are approved. But for some reason the basic one couldn’t be used at $0 extra. So bang, add on $3500, need some cupboards in your laundry to go along with that sink? Bang $800. Want to have solar panels? Bang, $600 to reinforce the roof so they don’t get ripped off during a strong wind. But wait, there’s the recycled water that has to be connected, NBN to go in costs another $1400. But wait, there’s more! Because it’s an estate they have other requirements, like that the roof gable is a 25 degree angle and not 22 like most, so this adds more costs into the house. It adds up, and continues to add up until you walk out, just like I did. Feeling flat and depressed.

It hit pretty hard for a few days that it’s just not a great idea to build a house, it’s more expensive than buying one. So I spent a couple days wallowing around with the feeling that I’m not going to go anywhere, or have a place to call my own. Until I started looking at already established houses.

After looking, if my budget is right I can look at something on twice the landsize with plenty of bedrooms, living area and garaging. I’m hoping I can get that far, as I’d like to get away from renting and have my own place.

An idle mind is the devils workshop

Reflect peoples attitude and behaviour back at them, and watch how they change. Or something like that. I saw a quote similar to that but I didn’t save or screenshot and I’ve never been able to find it since. Carpe diem next time I see shit like that.

I guess that’s the view I’ve taken my few on friends and whatnot over time. Tired of feeling like a pitstop, a counsellor to them with their issues. Only talking to me when they need it, getting help when it suits them. I’ve gotten tired of peoples behaviour, especially towards myself.

The one’s who will complain about never getting a text back from someone, but never reply to me. The one’s who show no interest in hanging out, or no time for me. But have plenty of time for anyone else. So when I start to close myself off to them and they get less attention, it’s like a rubber band. They come flying back and want to catch up, want to talk about things. But I know it’s just another temporary step.

I guess this all comes from having a lot of time to myself, plenty to think about when you’re alone. But I guess that’s why I try to fill my time with several projects, the database, the app, the magic mirror, the woodwork builds in the shed, various websites. So long as I don’t leave my mind idle I can distract myself from them, and when I’m doing those things or have it planned I don’t put it off because someone’s returned to contact and want me to jump once they want to do something. I guess it’s better to be productive at something rather than do nothing at all.