Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey everyone, welcome
back to Life's a Blog.
I'm Trina Stewart and today'sepisode is one I never thought
I'd record.
It's been really hard to try tocontinue on with this podcast.
There's so many memories, somany triggers.
I've talked about it in therapyand she's encouraged me to
(00:28):
write more, speak more, talkmore, because as I move forward,
I've learned so many lessonsthat so few of us take the time
to recognize.
Recognize.
So this episode is about safety.
What I thought it was, how Ilost it and how I'm rebuilding
(00:54):
it piece by piece.
Not the kind of safety you puton like a seatbelt, but the kind
you feel in your nervous system, the kind that lets you exhale.
I lived without that kind ofsafety for a long time, 52 years
, in fact.
Yes, I was married for over twodecades and for much of that
(01:18):
time I carried a secret I didn'teven know.
I was caring Because the truthwas hidden, covered in lies Lies
about drugs, lies about sex,lies that kept stacking until
they became a wall I couldn'tclimb over anymore.
When the truth started tounravel, when I found out about
the drug abuse, the sexaddiction, I was devastated.
(01:40):
More than that, I was ashamed,and ashamed that I didn't see it
sooner, ashamed that I thoughtI could fix it Because for so
long I believed I just lovedharder, forgave more, gave
second, third, tenth chances.
Maybe I could save him.
It was a very hard time 2018.
(02:02):
And I know many of you havewent through much of the same
and we all feel like we'rewalking alone, soul warriors,
trying to find ourselves, whilethere's so many other women and
men who have went throughbetrayal trauma For many years
prior to the fact that potbecame legal, I was absolutely
(02:23):
against him smoking pot and Idon't know if it was my gut that
kept saying it was a gatewayand he kept refuting it, or
whether it was just my past withmy brother that pot made me so
scared that it was a gateway.
I truly believe now that mysense me knowing him, I think my
(02:47):
gut was telling me that thiswas a problem far deeper.
I just didn't want to realizeit.
So, november 16th 2018, I becamevery proficient at Google and
Google History and Google Traveland Google Maps, and I found on
(03:09):
his Google that he went to adispensary after promising never
to do drugs again and I saidlies, lies, lies.
Can you not tell the truth?
Can you not tell the truth.
This was at 6.35 am, three daysafter I learned about the
(03:34):
indiscretion with sex, and hisresponse was what are you on
about?
Remember that line?
He said wow, the ego is massive.
And yes, you did hurt me.
You degraded me.
Now you've hung up on me.
Why the fuck do I bother?
Work first, me last.
This has always been the way.
Have a good day.
You've ruined my fucking life.
(03:58):
This is not the first time.
I hate a pot too, but you wentright ahead and planted tons of
pot plants right in our backyard.
You've always done what youwanted, what you want, what you
get.
Well, don't call screaming atme while I'm.
My heart is breaking in two,don't?
I'm not the problem With me,it's us first.
(04:21):
Always not anymore.
No, I'm sorry, fuck you.
Nothing, I got it.
I am glad you slept so welllast night because it's all
about you.
I ask nothing from you.
Unlike many wives, I dowhatever myself, so when I'm
upset, I expect a littlecompassion, that's all.
If you can't do that, thengoodbye.
(04:42):
I'm packing and going.
You have zero problem chattingand looking at your ladies at
work.
Don't give me that poor excusethat you're busy.
Your actions have sent me crazyand now it's my problem.
Thank you, I see you fully theperson you are.
(05:12):
And then I went on to Google andI saw the text message he sent
to me where he asked what areyou on about?
What are you on about thismorning, you, dumb cow?
That broke me in two and Iwrote back dumb cow.
Dumb cow was a screenshotyou're a ducking piece of shit,
calling me a dumb cow.
If that's what I am to you, ifthat's what I meant to you duck
(05:38):
you, dumb cow.
I never saw you call your ladyfriends at once.
And if that's all I am, if myhurt feelings mean nothing to
you, what am I to do?
I really thought you loved me,but dumb cow, after all you've
done.
Dumb cow, I got it.
I'm a piece of shit to you.
(05:59):
And his response was what thefuck?
And that was this morning.
It was a voice to text what areyou fishing for?
I wish I could go back.
I love you and miss you.
No, you don't.
And I don't want to talkanymore past.
Dumb cow.
You said it.
(06:20):
You may have sent, may have notsent it, but you said it.
I'm packed, car is half-packed.
I'm done with your lies.
You have hurt and humiliated meto the core.
I am dying inside what You'releaving me.
Trina, what are you doing?
The dumb cow was a giveaway ofwhat you thought of me, but too
(06:43):
coward to say the rest.
Well, it's been years, I'msorry.
So how far back do we have togo?
I have no clue.
I'm clueless to your actions.
I'm loving myself andrespecting myself.
I told you how did you findthat it was not sent?
It was a voice to text?
Yes, it was.
Then you hit delete before youhit send.
(07:04):
I'm done with your Googlehistory.
I just don't care.
After seeing that Hurt to thecore, I'm done talking.
You're not the man I thoughtyou were.
I loved you dearly and don'tyou dare take that away from me
because you did those actions,not me.
(07:27):
There's no talking to you.
All you do to me is demean me.
You make me feel like I'm lessthan you, make me feel like I'm
a piece of shit.
You and your actions has mademe feel like I'm nothing.
From the girls to planting potplants, to taking pills, you're
always disregarding my heart.
My heart, my heart is broke.
If you can't understand that,this is your problem, not mine
to throw back in my face.
I'm done fighting, done crying,even though I'm prepared for
(07:49):
many tears.
You've made me feel like I'mnothing and I think it's time to
go.
It's time to go.
I was so excited for this nextchapter in my life.
I mean that from the bottom ofmy heart, and your silence speak
volumes.
Right now, you do notunderstand.
You will blame me in the endbecause your ego can't take the
pain you've caused.
I get it.
I've always loved people toboost their egos and bring me
(08:12):
down.
This is something I have towork on, one of my biggest
faults, to be honest, that Iplan on seeking counseling for
so I can have awesomerelationships and work
experiences going forward.
His response I have over 250emails.
Phones will not stop ringingfor me.
I don't have the time, trina,I'm fucking dying over here.
(08:42):
A very sad interaction.
My heart was broke.
I didn't know what to do.
I felt so alone.
But the biggest thing is Ididn't know what to do.
I felt so alone, but thebiggest thing is I didn't feel
safe.
I'd go to bed at night and tossand turn, wondering what the
next thing was going to happen,or the next thing I would see,
(09:03):
or the next thing I'd find out?
Or was he going to buy moredrugs?
Or was he going to find anotherwoman?
These were always huge thingsthat made me scared and feel
unsafe.
I felt so safe with him forover 30 years we were 23
(09:23):
together and, I believe, 8dating.
I felt so safe with him until Ifelt safe no more.
But here's the truth.
Addiction is not something youcan love someone out of, and
when I realized I couldn't fixit, I lost something deeper than
trust.
I did lose my sense of safetyIn my own home, in my own
(09:48):
marriage, in myself.
The thing is you just don'twake up one day and feel unsafe.
It creeps in slowly throughmissed calls, suspicious
behavior, gut feelings yougaslight yourself over.
I can remember suspiciousbehavior in my husband's
(10:08):
relationship and my ex-partner'srelationship that was identical
.
They were always in a rush toget off the phone.
They would call, but then allof a sudden they'd be in a rush
to get off the phone.
But once I knew the truth, Inever could unknow it.
(10:31):
And every apology, everypromise, every reset, it all
started to feel hollow, likeliving in a house where the
foundation is cracked and you'restill trying to hang curtains.
That's what those years becameA slow erosion of peace, a
silent war within myself overwhether to stay or go.
(10:51):
War within myself over whetherto stay or go.
And when you live that long insurvival mode, you forget what
real safety feels like.
So when I finally left, I stilldidn't feel free.
I was terribly broken andinstead of sitting with that
pain, I ran into something thatfelt easier A distraction,
(11:15):
another man, more whiskey,laughter that barely touched the
surface.
I told myself I was startingover, but in truth I was numbing
the grief of a 24-year life Icouldn't fix.
I thought I was choosingsomething better, but I was
choosing something different,with the same core wound.
He had his own addictions andhis own chaos.
(11:37):
Oh my God, he had his own chaos.
I moved in, I dated for a longtime, but there was a lot of
chaos with the ex.
And then I moved in.
I found myself unsafe, just ina different disguise.
(11:58):
The second relationship wasn'tsofter.
It was actually much louder.
There were different lies,different portrayals, but the
same ache in my chest.
The second relationship wasn'tsofter.
It was actually much louder.
There were different lies,different portrayals, but the
same ache in my chest, the sameknot in my stomach the same fear
of speaking up because I didn'twant to be too much or too
sensitive.
This time it also included thesilent treatment, which is
(12:21):
probably the biggest emotionaltorture anybody can do.
And then I realized this isn'tlove, this isn't safety, this is
me clinging to someone else'sstorm, hoping they'd learn to
become my shelter.
And it hit me.
If I didn't choose myself, noone ever would I had to set some
(12:45):
non-negotiables.
Ever would I had to set somenon-negotiables.
One was the silent treatment isnot going to happen ever again.
I will not tolerate it, notwith him, not with anybody in my
life.
The silent treatment, like Isaid, I feel is the biggest
emotional, abusive action youcan take upon anybody that you
(13:08):
love.
The second was talking to hisex-wife.
There had been so much dramaand trauma that happened due to
her chaos.
I lost a best friend and thisrelationship really didn't feel
secure because of thatinteraction or those
(13:33):
interactions, so manyinteractions.
It was sick, abusive and justnot right.
And if he chose the abuse, thatwas his decision to make.
But I wasn't risking my safetybeing with him or conversing
with him or being a friend tohim, knowing the harm that could
(13:58):
be caused in the future.
So now, what do I do?
Safety isn't perfect or endlesspeace.
It's waking up and knowing Idon't have to lie to myself
anymore.
It's therapy, it's stillness,it's letting go of people who
(14:23):
couldn't protect me, even ifthey said they loved me.
I'm still healing.
I still carry the weight, but Ino longer carry it for anyone
else, and that's freedom, that'ssafety.
I can go to bed at night, closemy eyes and know that the
people I've chosen in my lifewill not hurt me, because I'm
(14:50):
very cautious of those who willhurt me.
My best friend even tried tocome back in my life and,
knowing that she didn't stand upfor me after 24 years of
friendship years of friendshipBased on the fact that I was
seeing this guy I can't allowher in my life again.
(15:14):
I don't back to the House IBuilt Me by Miranda Lambert.
(15:37):
I thought if I could touch thisplace or feel it, this
brokenness inside me might starthealing.
For a while, I believed goingback would fix me back to who I
(16:03):
was before, lies before thebetrayal, would fix me Back to
who I was before lies before thebetrayal.
But now, victoriously.
I know I can't go back, so Ibuilt something new One day, one
truth, one boundary at a time.
(16:27):
The only piece of advice I cangive to anyone listening is it's
okay to walk away from anythingthat no longer makes you feel
safe.
It's okay to grieve the versionof yourself that stayed too long
and it's okay to start again.
You can't fix someone whodoesn't want to be whole, but
(16:49):
you can choose to become wholeyourself.
It doesn't matter if it's arelationship, a work environment
, your parents, your siblings.
If you don't feel safe, thathardcore nervous system
(17:14):
butterflies in your belly unsafe, walk away.
It'll be hard, there will be alot of guilt thrown at you, but
you have to stay strong and youhave to forge ahead for you,
(17:34):
because you are the one thatmatters.
So thank you again for beinghere with me.
You can always connect with meon Instagram and Facebook at
Life's the Blog, ca.
I think I'm going to close itoff now.
(17:55):
This has been quiteoverwhelming for me.
So until next time, be gentle,be gentle, be gentle with
yourself, be kind to yourself,treat yourself and don't
apologize for choosing peace,because we all deserve a little
(18:19):
peace in our life.
Don't we Take care?