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Newest Member: BestialTendencies

Just Found Out :
20/20 Hindsight--What I wish I'd done

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hurtinky ( member #26152) posted at 4:16 AM on Thursday, October 21st, 2010

That thing about calling them, crying, yelling, cussing them out, begging, pleading...and doing it because they need to see/feel the consequences of their behavior...well, the best scenario following that kind of behavior is that they will feel less inclined to want to accept responsibility. The worst scenario, which happens all of the time, is that they will actually use your very understandable hysteria against you. Your understandable reactions of hurt, anger, pain, and heartbreak will be re-framed by your WS as craziness. They will hold it up and say, "See, my BS is crazy, and this is the proof." And the world is full of people who need to believe it.

So, don't do it. It NEVER, EVER, helps. I'm telling you, IT. NEVER. HELPS.

Just 180 180 180. Even the folks who your BS can usually manipulate with lies will notice your cool, collected calmness and they will know, they will feel, that you were screwed over and that your WS is guilty.

180.

[This message edited by hurtinky at 10:17 PM, October 20th (Wednesday)]

Me --> BS
D-Day 10-1988
D-Day 9-12-2005
S 9-13-2005
D 3-6-12


posts: 1500   ·   registered: Nov. 11th, 2009   ·   location: Kentucky
id 4862065
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strike3 ( member #29593) posted at 4:27 AM on Thursday, October 21st, 2010

I wish I had listened to my parents and never married the piece of shit. Okay Mom & Dad this one is for you. YOU WERE RIGHT!!!!

What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say

*****

posts: 476   ·   registered: Sep. 14th, 2010   ·   location: USA
id 4862083
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ob-la-de ( member #23735) posted at 7:44 PM on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

bump

Time will tell

posts: 958   ·   registered: Apr. 23rd, 2009
id 4866706
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Trying_To_Decide ( member #29792) posted at 4:18 PM on Sunday, October 24th, 2010

Brilliant!

I have already seen evidence of many of the outcomes you described.

Starting my time frame back a few weeks...

Me, the BS:38 ...now 43
WH...STBX:39 ...now 44
3 kids, 16+ years

posts: 530   ·   registered: Oct. 6th, 2010
id 4867799
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SCORNED ( member #6301) posted at 5:36 PM on Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Bump for the Newbies

"The cruelest lies are often told in silence."

Robert Louis Stevenson

posts: 12361   ·   registered: Jan. 23rd, 2005   ·   location: southwest
id 4876091
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neverendinghurt ( member #15859) posted at 5:53 PM on Thursday, October 28th, 2010

I wish I hadn't been so willing to believe that he was telling the truth after Dday.

I wish I had realised that most WS lie and lie again.

I wish I had known about trickle truth.

I wish I had found SI sooner.

The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.
James M. Barrie

posts: 26070   ·   registered: Aug. 20th, 2007   ·   location: Seattle
id 4876147
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WHATDOIDONEXT ( member #29937) posted at 12:29 AM on Monday, November 1st, 2010

bump

DDay Sept 12th 2010.
BW 47.
FWH 46 (Penitent95).
Married 5 years
2 DS's 1 & 3 years old.
2 SDD 17 & 19 years old.

As a phoenix rises from the ashes I to shall rise from embers that were once my old life.I shall rise anew. Stronger, wiser.

posts: 195   ·   registered: Oct. 25th, 2010   ·   location: UK
id 4881214
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Jen ( member #26584) posted at 3:20 AM on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

newbie bump

Me former Booger Bear ...
https://youtu.be/1TcLw3TOIN8
Hand Me Down MatchBox 20
https://youtu.be/iFdOAyyn76M
Love Falls by HellYeah

posts: 19991   ·   registered: Dec. 15th, 2009   ·   location: Where's the fucking rainbow ???
id 4885413
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lostsuol ( member #13706) posted at 1:42 AM on Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Need to keep this on the 1st page!

Still a struggle...

posts: 815   ·   registered: Feb. 20th, 2007   ·   location: Canada
id 4887239
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still confounded ( member #7826) posted at 3:01 AM on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Hi, newbies. This is a great bunch of advice.

"Sometimes, the rest of your life starts with goodbye."
D-day April 2005
(Married 33 years, together 35)
Divorced Dec. '05
Life is good, but it took a long time to heal.

posts: 1329   ·   registered: Aug. 8th, 2005   ·   location: up the river, NY
id 4898580
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Red Sox Nation ( member #26358) posted at 6:39 AM on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

I made every mistake in the book when I found out. I begged. I contacted the OM and tried to convince him to leave my ex alone. I tried to get her parents to help. I failed miserably every time I even tried to execute the 180.

In hindsight, I wouldn't change a thing.

Yes, I might have had an effect on the affair. I might have preserved a little dignity here and there.

But I can also say that I honestly did everything I could to let her know I wanted to save the marriage. And I did everything I could to make myself a better partner. The fact that this meant nothing to her meant there was no marriage in her mind to save. Which makes her the one to blame for the divorce.

Oh, I share blame for where the marriage was. I wasn't a perfect husband. But I did love her, and I did my absolute best to save the marriage, whole-heartedly.

What I gained from that is peace of mind today.

And I don't care that she retains anger today because I outed her affair to her parents, and I called her a slut one time in the mediator's office, and I read a diary of hers and searched her computer for information.

It means more to me that my son still looks up to me. And even her lawyer viewed me as the reasonable one during negotiations. And I found that I can trust again and accept the love of a lovely woman.

Sure, sometimes I look back and wish I did something right before the first affair started. I probably could have made a difference then. But once that affair barn door opened, and I was in the place we're all so familiar with in JFO, hindsight doesn't mean a darned thing.

If you can work together to repair the damage, that's terrific and I'm rooting for you. But as long as you're genuinely trying to work things out and taking marriage seriously, you don't need hindsight. Because the one who had the affair is the one who will have the doubts down the road. And that's not your problem once the judge signs the papers.

When someone tells you who she is, listen; when someone shows you who she is, listen carefully.

posts: 1921   ·   registered: Nov. 30th, 2009   ·   location: Midwest
id 4898813
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Blindbat ( member #29495) posted at 10:34 AM on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

I made every mistake in the book when I found out. I begged. I contacted the OM and tried to convince him to leave my ex alone. I tried to get her parents to help. I failed miserably every time I even tried to execute the 180.

In hindsight, I wouldn't change a thing.

Yes, I might have had an effect on the affair. I might have preserved a little dignity here and there.

But I can also say that I honestly did everything I could to let her know I wanted to save the marriage. And I did everything I could to make myself a better partner. The fact that this meant nothing to her meant there was no marriage in her mind to save. Which makes her the one to blame for the divorce.

Oh, I share blame for where the marriage was. I wasn't a perfect husband. But I did love her, and I did my absolute best to save the marriage, whole-heartedly.

What I gained from that is peace of mind today.

And I don't care that she retains anger today because I outed her affair to her parents, and I called her a slut one time in the mediator's office, and I read a diary of hers and searched her computer for information.

It means more to me that my son still looks up to me. And even her lawyer viewed me as the reasonable one during negotiations. And I found that I can trust again and accept the love of a lovely woman.

Sure, sometimes I look back and wish I did something right before the first affair started. I probably could have made a difference then. But once that affair barn door opened, and I was in the place we're all so familiar with in JFO, hindsight doesn't mean a darned thing.

If you can work together to repair the damage, that's terrific and I'm rooting for you. But as long as you're genuinely trying to work things out and taking marriage seriously, you don't need hindsight. Because the one who had the affair is the one who will have the doubts down the road. And that's not your problem

Round of applause!!!

I agree with the OP that you need to avoid rose-coloured glasses in this situ, be very realistic and above all don't leave things too long in the hope that your WS will come to his/her senses. If they don't in a short time, then they probably aren't going to, or at least not before it's too late. For your own health and sanity, don't let it drag out.

But IMV you can never regret doing everything you feel necessary to save the M. That's for your own health and sanity too. Do everything you need, then when it's not enough, walk briskly away. You'll know when there's no alternative.

[This message edited by Blindbat at 4:35 AM, November 10th (Wednesday)]

Noli illegitimi carborundum
Not yet as divorced as I'd like to be :-(

posts: 713   ·   registered: Sep. 1st, 2010   ·   location: The Land of Chocolate
id 4898872
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Hope Whispers ( member #29920) posted at 1:43 PM on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

That thing about calling them, crying, yelling, cussing them out, begging, pleading...and doing it because they need to see/feel the consequences of their behavior...well, the best scenario following that kind of behavior is that they will feel less inclined to want to accept responsibility. The worst scenario, which happens all of the time, is that they will actually use your very understandable hysteria against you.

I have to say that my experience was the opposite. My shocked and hysterical behavior actually is what caused my FWH to stay. He later told me he was prepared for some crying and pleading when he announced he was leaving, but was surprised when he saw how badly I wanted to keep the M intact. He rethought his actions, and decided to stay and try to R. His exact words to me were "I really underestimated you." He thought that since we had been drifting apart and hadn't been intimate in quite a while, I wouldn't really care that much if he left the M. (of course, what he didn't realize at the time, was that I was so hurt and confused by his actions during the A, of which I was totally in the dark about, that I withdrew from him.)

That horrific D-Day was July 9, 2010, when he announced he was leaving and I learned of the OW. My FWH ended the A on July 11th, there has been NC since and he has never looked back. We are in MC and both in IC and so far (knock wood) our R is progressing well. My FWH has told me he is grateful that I cared enough to plead & beg - preventing him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

Just my humble opinion - I think it often depends on the person. I think if the WS is conflicted about their actions (as my FWH was) it could turn things the other way.

Me (BW) 54 ~ FWH 50 ~ DD: 11 Married 18 Years (Together 20)
D-Day 7/9/10 (the whole kit n kaboodle)
MOWs 1 & 2: Each ONS 2005 & 2008 MOW #3: LTA 5/08-7/11/10 In R

posts: 66   ·   registered: Oct. 22nd, 2010   ·   location: U.S.
id 4899010
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hard_yards ( member #23549) posted at 5:42 PM on Thursday, November 11th, 2010

bump


I feel like I'm in a parallel universe... everything looks the same... but something's just not right...

posts: 1383   ·   registered: Apr. 8th, 2009
id 4901317
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bigpicture3236 ( member #27861) posted at 12:35 PM on Friday, November 12th, 2010

Bumping for newbies.

If you love something and hurt it dearly, then chose not to fix it...you never deserved it in the first place.

posts: 3607   ·   registered: Mar. 7th, 2010   ·   location: Michigan
id 4902655
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SuspiciousWife ( member #18108) posted at 2:33 AM on Sunday, November 14th, 2010

bump

Me - BW, 44
Him - FWH, 44
OW - former co-worker
3 great kids
DDay - April 25, 2008 - mostly EA with one make-out session

posts: 557   ·   registered: Feb. 8th, 2008   ·   location: East Coast
id 4905217
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AttemptStrength ( member #27947) posted at 6:19 PM on Monday, November 15th, 2010

bump

BS me
WS him x2 A's
1 autistic DS

I'd never have spent the money on a wedding dress if I knew I was just going to a costume party.

posts: 1992   ·   registered: Mar. 16th, 2010   ·   location: Wisconsin
id 4907337
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lordhasaplan? ( member #30079) posted at 8:12 PM on Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

BUMP

BS- Me (45)D-day: 5/18/10, lies and TT till (11/26/10). Currently in R.Don't carry others crap. It's your job to fix yourself, not your spouse.

posts: 2114   ·   registered: Nov. 10th, 2010
id 4911300
smile1

alluringillusion ( member #4029) posted at 6:17 PM on Friday, November 19th, 2010

bump

"I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

posts: 768   ·   registered: Apr. 8th, 2004
id 4915232
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alluringillusion ( member #4029) posted at 3:22 PM on Sunday, November 21st, 2010

bump

"I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

posts: 768   ·   registered: Apr. 8th, 2004
id 4918151
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