Angered by love, loved by assault. (7)

Accumulative Anger. That’s what it became. As the years passed by I continued to layer on the pain, anger and hate. I no longer verbalized my feelings, but rather tucked them away deep as if to pretend they were not there. That only created a ticking time bomb. One that was set to go off in time despite words of wisdom or direct guidance from those who cared to see our marriage flourish. I recall sitting in church struggling to hush the girls to keep them quietly engaged. My eyes wandered to a family across the way. Their children would sit so perfectly upon their daddy’s lap. They had an ease of comfort being with both daddy and mommy. I secretly studied his actions. dressed in a suit and tie, he held their mommy’s hand. Every so often throughout the sermon he would gently smiled into her eyes and she would reciprocate. It was like he was holding his whole family in front of the lord that day. Him being there acknowledge to me that no matter what, his family would come first and he wanted to lead them in love, in Gods way.

Returning home I would find my husband passed our on our couch or living room floor. He never slept in our bed anymore. He was a gamer and spend most of his nights and early mornings passed out on the floor after numerous hours of play-station. from then he would sleep until late afternoon or into the evening. Many times I wished he just no longer lived there. What was the sense? his night life lead to a dead sleep all day that I could not wake him from. This created a barrier for him to keep any job. He simply could not wake up to go to work. I’d struggle to run a reasonable home for the girls when I had to work around his body in the middle of the floor doing laundry, cooking and cleaning. The final straw for me was learning of his drug addiction. I heard pretty much every lie in the book and was forced to be a detective that send even the most sane person into insanity. By this point our anger for each other was so hot domestic violence ran ramped in our home. The scary part? was we did not even recognize it as a major issue. There were holes in the walls that represented our last fight. Once a hole was repaid a new one was made. I was as guilty as he was. Every straw, every mini bag I found reminded me of his habit and how he was going to any length to get a fix. Even the lady neighbor next door began to request I pay up his depts. Apparently he was lying cheating and stealing from her and I was the go-to to fix it all. Trust me, I tried so hard to repair his damage you see. The problem was, I could not help him. I myself was already too far gone. The day he took my car, and left me home to get his next fix I took a brick and smashed the windshield out of his jacked up mustang GT. I realized I was damaged. I had become this person who I never intended to be, and the harder I tried to hold it all together, the more of the girl I once knew was gone. This is when George entered the picture. This is why I allowed myself to let it all go Problem was, I did not know how to jump lives, I let what happens happen and when I indulged in a love relationship with my neighbor I told Mike straight up. I finally voiced that was what I wanted. He used his anger and brokenness as a last attempt he had to get me to love him back. With his hands around my throat he squeezed so hard I could not breath. His eyes were dark and I blacked out. When he let go I still had a fighting chance. But life was suddenly changed. I had to jump now!

Captivated by an offender (6)…

I want to apologize for my sporadic blog posts guys! When I began this ongoing blog, I had better hopes I would blurt out my history in only a few blog posts and my future posts would be about my daily thoughts. Clearly this became more of a chore then I had hoped for. I’ll continue on. Not only for you, but for myself. Someday my recall of the past might make for a great memory later, or book? Who knows? Regardless I’d like to give you better effort to show you my life, living with a sex offender.

To date I have introduced myself and my neighbor living across the street- the sex offender. At this point I still live in my grandpa’s house. I have my two girls, and I am in a wilted marriage. My best support comes from my best friend Jill, who lives 2 roads over from me.

After our neighborhood get- together, where I exercised my love for picture taking, I found myself two months later on an exciting adventure though our small town with “Him.”  The most memorable part of this excursion was not just the picture taking, but the small gestures he did. Not planned, but natural responses. He had this genuine intrigued for me. He seemed to be so inspired by my carefree, upbeat spirit. One memory that stands out from that day was when we took a sharp turn up a dirt road toward the mountain. music blaring, we were chatting and laughing and then boom! the corner was there! As the car jerked there was a direct response from him, like that of a parent who’s guarding their precious child. Out went the arm, Ya know? The kind that is similar to a  karate chop- straight arm catching you before you face bash the dash.  All afternoon as I was soaking in natures beauty, I was also indulging in the small ways he was making me feel special. Just the fact that he noticed my passion in art and wanted to participate was huge. I was missing that kind of partnership in my life. Now before you gasp at my adultrous ways just understand, my heart had been cultivated long before this day. Let me dip back a little bit further.

My husband Mike and I were married for almost 10 years. I was 17 when we got engaged and 4 months later when I turned 18 we married. It just was that next step in life two people take. For me it was in ordinance. We were young love. We used each other to get by in life. Moving out at 17 was pretty stupid of me, but I did it anyway. It’s one of those things you do that doesn’t grief you until many years later, then you can’t take it back, you cant just have a due-over. But oh, how my life could have been different.

Mike and I were playful and spontaneous, but we were still growing. We did not have compassion for one another. Early days together we did our best to hold jobs. Weekends were for drunk parties and friend sleep overs. I was not prepared for life. I could not pay bills, he had no commitment to work and we constantly found ourselves homeless. These early days were only preparing me for resentment in the future.

Mikes mother lived in New York State that’s why we moved there. We finally hit a dead end in work and housing where we currently were.. I found out I was pregnant and I think he felt the only help left was his mom. We stayed with her while he got a job and earned enough for a place of our own. Fast forward 2 years and there we were with our daughter Grace and a loaded uhaul moving us back to NH.

I welcomed daughter #2- Charity in 2007. Shortly after her birth I crossed paths with a friend from my past. We started to hang out again. We recapped the days she would come over an drink. Since those days she had has a daughter same age as my oldest, AND had a son same age as Charity. She and her husband were on the rocks lately and she was finding comfort at my house. So much comfort that I grew suspicious when I’d came home and she was there. Before I could conclude anything crazy, Mike delivered to me the absurd news.

We were on the couch one evening. I was holding charity to comfort her before bed. I never would have guess that I would be the one needing comforting that night. He said please don’t be mad at me. What I’m about to tell you happened a long time ago, but I need to tell you this now. Lindsey and I slept together. My world stopped and the air became thick. he continued to try to explain that it happened before we moved to NY and before I got pregnant.  There was more; in the last few months he was trying to determined if her oldest daughter could have been his, the timing was right that it could very have well been. The saving grace was that she looked just like Jared, Linz’s husband. The more he elaborated on his infidelity the more panic and disbelief I experienced. I cried burring my face into my baby girl. Yes we were not perfect, no we were not deeply in love, but this was my life and marriage. Until that moment I had never even entertained the idea of Divorce.

Sadly, I was quick to dismissed the idea of divorce after the initial sting had faded.. My efforts were to keep our family together.  I never would have guessed how this would continue to plague our relationship, or worse, the relationship horrors that were coming.

Photography and the offender. (5)

(this post is a continuance from blogs I made previously, please refer to them below, they are number by order)

My best friend Jill had a way with words, she was straight forward and at times, quite blunt. She called it how she saw it and to be frank, it was pretty spot in how others saw it too. After a brief encounter with the sex offender living next door It sent chills up my spine to hear her say “what a gentle spirit he has.” Those where my words! No, those where my thoughts! Those were my feelings! My vibes that I thought were faulty! I didn’t say a word to her.

I smiled and the swirling black fog of doubt dissipate like the sun rising on a cool morning.

Life went on.

A few weeks later my neighbor (antsy as all out, God love her) was pacing her driveway waiting for some tree service men to arrive. She had been anticipating this for some time and today was the day to clear away some lifeless trees from her yard. She’s a humorous character for sure, and sometimes she doesn’t even know how funny she really is. Add a little stress and some ADHD and you have my neighbor!

I met her outside and offered to sit with her until the tree guys got there. The girls had been in my back yard playing and I was experimenting with my camera taking shots of butterflies and flowers. It wasn’t far to wander to my neighbors backyard where I continued snapping shots. I documented the days events as time passed by, I had shots of the trees as the where being limbed down. Pictures of Jillian, beer in hand and hard hat on. Of course she was there, she didn’t want to miss this opportunity to be front and center with the contractor men. I even had a photo of George, helping clearing brush. One picture that stands out in my mind is him laughing with Jill. It represents such carefree spirits, just enjoying life. It forever sits in my treasure box because those are memories I will forever love.

The weather was supurb. The company was nice, the jokes and laughter can be heard still today in my heart because that day of hard work gave us all a bond. As night fell the little street had a glimpse of the setting sun through the clearing of where trees once stood.

That would not be the last time my camera would exercise it’s creativity with that man, George, my neighbor. The same guy breaking free from being just known as the sex offender.

My best friend. (4)

(this post is a continuance from blogs I made previously, please refer to them below, they are numbered)

Jill was my best friend. She’d kinda appear out of nowhere and when you least expected it. I enjoyed her company, but she had struggles in life that were not easy to see as an outsider. The more we were together the more I understood the barriers she faced .

I met Jillian at a bar. It was opening night for the dinner theater I was preforming in- Die Claudius. I had the role of the belly dancer. She was in charge of the accounts for the restaurant. I noticed her bustling in and out of the office in the basement next to where our play group was getting ready. She was a beautiful blonde with great style. She didn’t say much, but went about doing her tasks. It wasn’t until the closing of the dinner, and the play was over, that we had the opportunity to get acquainted. The bar open and dance music played. We joyfully danced amongst the other actors on the floor. In time we drew near to each other. We found ourselves in a playful dance off, impressing our onlookers, and maybe ourselves too. She showed me how to properly shoot tequila, salt lick and all! I don’t know how to explain it, but we just bonded. Maybe it was a bit of rebellion that we both had. Nevertheless we shared the same spunk. I just know by the end of night she had to load me up into a 1970’s Corvette owed by the restaurant owner, to bring me home, drunk as a skunk.

To my surprise, she lived two streets over! From then on we were bonded!

She would walk to my house when she was in town, although she would spend weeks at a time at her boyfriends place a few towns away, or traveling.

On one occasion she came walking down the road, almost model like, with her bright smile as to say, here I am! We sat in my porch rockers and discussed the latest happenings over a cup of coffee. Whose the guy ? She nodded accross the street. I could see him standing in his garage with the front door open. He had music playing and a beer next to him as he tinkered on some project. It would take that entire conversation with her to explain all I knew about him. Explain his convictions, his behavior, him taking my girls for a wagon ride and that he had my pan! After I finally unloaded. I waited for her reaction. Jillian shrugged ” I wonder if he as more beer?, I’mma gonna go say hi” and over yonder she went. That’s it? No whispers, no murmurs? No gossip? Not even a gasp of shock!

From the comfort of my chair I could see them shake hands. I could hear her laugher. They talked and she scored herself a beer. Although she was entertaining and easy on the eyes, I could see his gaze on me as they neared the end of his driveway. It was a soft, gentle gaze ( if I could explain a gaze) and as they parted ways he smiled at me and waved.

I waved back and waited for Jill, I knew she would tell me everything about their shared dialogue and all the vibes she felt because at that moment I concluded my vibe-feeler was broken. I could only sence a tenderness, that didn’t fit the label I had for him.

Jill sat down and without asking she let it out, what she said sent chills up my spine….

Hello, My name is…. (3)

(this post is a continuance from blogs I made previously, please refer to them below, they are numbered)

Time to meet this guy I thought to myself. I recall a few years in past he had stopped by to visit his grandpa next door. I can recall him riding a motorcycle at one point. And prior to that he had had dialogue with my then husband and came in my home to admire the new remodeling we were doing. At the time I was sick as a dog and only allow my eyes to sneak a peak out from under the blanket I had over me, as I laid lifeless on the couch. He was handsome and charming I can recall, but the timing was wrong, my soul was not searching.

So here we are roughly five years later and there comes a knock on my door. Hi, my name is George. Could I borrow a pan? Was I annoyed? maybe a little. I was trying to get the house cleaned and my two girls to bed. I had heard the rumors and I was not in the mood to appease any sort of pick up line. I quickly gave him the pan and wish him a good night, no hurry with the pan.

It was that night that I decided the time was right to see what this sex offender did to land the title. I took to the internet and sent out a search on the man next door…with my pan.

The mad dog watch page displayed a identifying mug shot as well as a brief description.

RSA: A:3 Felonious Sexual Assault 11/4/94

I contemplated how to handle living so close to him, how to guard outside play for girls. It weighed on me, but not intensely. I’m not an over reactor by any means. I didn’t find his behaviors odd at times we had contact. But I also understand that not all convicts show signs.

I quickly reasoned in my mind that avoidance would be best, until she came back around….

close up of human hand
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Entering a sex offenders life. (2)

this post is a continuance from a blog I made previously, please refer to them below, they are number in order)

Like I said in my fist blog I’m going to unravel the beginning of my relationship and how I got to where I am now in this parallel normal life.
As I mentioned earlier I have faced much of what others face. I was married at 18 had 3 little girls, and came to realize his infidelity. It was a challenge to keep a marriage together without trust. I tried to pretend all was ok. The final straw was when his addiction began. His desire to find any fix he could and the effects of it rapidly crumble all that I tried so hard to hold together.
I was broke, desperate and building quite an anger deep down.
We lived in my grandfather’s house on a quiet street. After grampa passed my mother inherited the small home. She used it as a rental for us so we could move back from Ny where we had spent a couple years. The street hadn’t changed much, all the families on the street were either the same owners or their families from the days my mother grew up there. Across the street was home to my grandfather’s rival. I can’t say they hated eachother, after all, my mother got along with his children for the most part. My grandfather just didn’t see eye to eye with Henry next door, the older he got the grumpier they both got. A few years after moving to that quiet street Henry passed away. This was nearing the end of my husbands and I’s almost 10 year marriage. But I didn’t know how to affirmatively cut the cord.

The news on the street was Henry’s grandson was moving into the house during the time probation period.
Sure enough, May of 2011 he occupied the house directly across from me. At first I didn’t see much of him. Murmurs from Neighbors, that knew the childhood of those from that street, claimed he was a good guy!  Best part of that younger generation in the family. A friend of mine who lived further down the road was skeptical. One day while we were together outside and the kids were playing he came by with his four wheeler. It had a bucket on the back and he asked if the girls would like a ride? I looked at their begging faces, sure why not? Go ahead I said, while he drove up the loop of the road my friend leaned over to me and wispered, “Be careful, he is a sex offender you know?” It was the first time I learned of this and although I was shocked at the information I played it off as no big deal, I shrugged and said, I’m not worried, they will be fine. But the truth was, deep down I was concerned, I had two little girls in the back of that wagon…..
See the first mention of sex offender put a negative seed in my head, I somehow without trying, created a monster in my mind. Let’s just say after that day I put my guard up.
But why? How did he become a sex offender?
I’ll get to that in my next blog…

Living inside a sex offenders world. (1)

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Understanding what we try so hard not to understand.

Hello, I see myself as average. I am new to blogging but not to the world around me. I am 32. On a personal level I feel like I have gone through a war and back during the last 10 years of my life. I know the trails I have faced are not uncommon for millions of other people. But what a view! I have my own perspective on life because of them. So please don’t be insulted by anything I might say or will say. I try not to hurt people’s feelings but would like full range to get my point across.
Maybe what is not so common (or is and I just don’t know) is, I am newly engaged to a sex offender. That’s right, top teir sex offender- for life. Thank goodness he is handsome. He was given this sentence long before I came alona (or grew up for that matter) we laugh about our 13 year age difference at times, but in everyday life it really is not that noticeable and for that matter couples with a gapped age range IS pretty common. I’d like to make the blogs to come about my journey. From then to now, the frustrations and joys about the lifestyle we live. I should unravel the beginning, why he made the list and how we found each other. I will do that soon in my next blogs to follow. Stay tuned.