The moment you realize that staying together for the children’s sake is not really benefiting them at all.
Ready, Set, Mingle!
Ready, Set, Mingle!
Thursday which we call here in Manhattan is Thirstdays. Celebrate that the weekend is approaching. Opportunistic time to go to an afterwork networking/social event and meet others of the opposite sex that have similar interests and drive as you. Three months out from my divorce, I have attended a few of these events. Now might you ask…..”Are you ready to get out there aren’t you still coping?” And my response as I would say to anyone with my angelic smile….”Why of course…can’t be dwelling on what didn’t work forever” While secretly I am like “Hell Yeah!”. Thursday evenings are reserved for my dating life…which includes networking or of sheer luck an actual date. Babysitter reserved, nails done, and dressed in one of my more sexually appealling work attire outfits I am all set. Now being a little seasoned in how this rolls….it typically starts off with me ecstatic to see my single girlfriends which provides me ease that no matter what happens in my free couple of hours, I will have a great time hanging with and catching up with the chicas. As a divorcee in her 30s, in this city with plenty of single women who are also in my age range and lets just say dont have any liabilities to tend to but themselves….two words: “competition” and “challenge”. Where “challenge” is not exclusive to the women but also to the men you meet. Often at these venues I meet either the 1) single approaching 30 year-old who is beginning to think he wants a serious relationship but has limited dating experience 2) the mid-30 to early 40-year-old that has never been married, wants a family but has a too independent lifestyle which makes them clueless on how to put forth the effort or 3) the divorcee or single dad who is enjoying post-singlehood too much that I have to question when do they spend time with their children. While these are usually the 3 options, I am always optimistic that there is a diamond in the rough out there who may fall in either of these buckets but is willing to put the effort to shine out from his category. Conversely, if not successful in meeting that gent I am able to meet a possible business connect or friend. So I flash my smile, work the room and start up a conversation. Past initial physical attraction, agreement of some similarities through small talk between myself and a gent, there is always the question of “status”. What is your status??? Now prior to the completion of my divorce when I met my girls as a stress outlet, I cringed when that question was presented. Seriously, who wants to meet someone who is going through the works of a divorce? Translation: She is not really available and is unstable. Now, while not quite reveling in my defined status I look forward to saying I am single and divorced….a better option of the two. However, that still poses challenges. I still see a slight disappointment that I am not single without any attachments whatsoever or I meet the sleazeballs that are elated and think I am in search for just a good time. However, I will say every now and then I do meet a true gent that is open to exploring the possibility of dating a divorcee. That is the encouraging part….I guess that is why I look forward to my Thursday mingle nights and getting out there. What is the worst that could happen….I meet new people and enjoy a couple of cocktails with my girlfriends. Not a bad alternative.
The Linkage of Trust and Communication
Many times when entering in a relationship or friendship there is initial acceptance of a certain level of trust. What increases your level of comfort with someone? Is it time that has elapsed since initial engagement or the depth of your communication? When reflecting over the obstacles faced in my previous marriage and relationships, I cannot help but to say now had we communicated our thoughts better this issue would of been a moot topic. In my opinion, trust and communication are directly correlated. Between two people of the opposite sex, this becomes a challenge. When speaking to my girlfriends we have very descriptive conversations, share our emotions whether it is the way our feet felt in our brand new pumps when we hit the town last night or how we are excited in meeting a new guy. Men on the other hand tend to be more reserved, keep it simple share on a need to know basis. If you want to know how there day was gotta pry it out by asking specific questions. “What type of feedback did you receive from your manager on the presentation you were up all night preparing for?”….Not just how did it go. On the other hand, a man asks a woman how her day went… Us women will start to go on and on… But they don’t want to hear all that. They just want to know it went well and as a result there will be a peaceful evening. The imbalance in my opinion can create trust issues if the man and woman aren’t understanding of the communication expectations from each other. What communication feedback do I as a woman want. When initiating the possibility of a relationship: communicate expectations. When you are dating: still communicate updated expectations. When exclusively dating or married: still communicate updated expectations. When I mean expectations not the I want to get married in x amount of months….. Gees…. Some men hear expectations and think us women are trying to race them to the altar. No not the case… Well in my opinion for most women. Just what type of woman or man you like, what thrives you and goals. These expectations change… So it is important to stay updated. I believe this to be true for men as well. Only difference maybe the communication will need to be more direct less colorful from a woman to a man and a bit more descriptive from a man to a woman. When there is too many unknown variables….alternative conclusions and assumptions are made. Expectations are not met and trust begins to erodes as opposed to increasing. Hence, in my opinion communication and trust are intertwined together.
Origins
Welcome to my blog. I am recently divorced and am often asked how I was able to transition so quickly in an appearingly drama-free divorcee. By this I mean a woman/ single mother of two that has a solid co-parenting relationship with my ex-husband, stable family household, successful career, active social life and confidence to begin dating. While I will not say it was not drama-free, and missteps were not taken, I do agree that I succeeded in completing the divorce process without some of the financial headaches, emotional burdens that many married couples fear of or divorcees continue to agonize about. My journey is not complete and I hope to share some of the methods I took to avoid a overbearing divorce process and my journey to becoming a happily divorcee. I will post different topics that will include the decision in getting a divorce, deciding whether you need a lawyer, custody matters, working on a manageable relationship with your husband/ father of your children, forgiving, keeping the drama at home and not letting it impact your professional life, facing your children, maintaining balance with a social life and getting back out there without the appearance you are “baggage ridden”. Please follow my blog and hope my personal experiences will be helpful to you in making the decision of getting a divorce. Divorce is a difficult decision and an emotional draining experience. I hope that I can help in alleviating some of the unnecessary missteps that prolong the process or creates unnecessary stress. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
Happily Divorced and After 