a few months ago, i wrote this blog about... well, disconnecting from a woman i was very good friends with. it's a bit strange how it all happened. my friend is also my tattoo artist and is her tattoo artist as well. the tattoo artist tagged her in an instagram photo one day and i insta-stalked her feed.
i know, kind of strange. creepy. whatever, go fuck yourself. i did it. you know you've done something like it.
so i saw... well, i saw a woman who had changed for the better in a lot of ways. she seemed freer, happier, even more herself than she was when we still hung out regularly. i still thought about sending her a card. i ended up following her on instagram, thinking that if she straight out blocked me it was a sign that whatever had happened had irreparably damaged our relationship. she didn't block me.
one day she posted something on instagram that really made me think. it said "sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectation". it resonated with me. i realized that i put expectations on our relationship - i expected her to support me in a way she was unable to at the time. it was like the situation (at least my part/side of it) became so clear to me. so i direct messaged her, letting her know that the post made me think, and what it made me think about, and trying to take responsibility for my part in whatever had happened. she messaged me back, she took responsibility for her part in what happened - and that was important to me. it validated what others had told me: i hadn't done anything wrong per se. i hadn't driven her away or done something so bad/wrong/whatever. it was just we were both in specific places that almost made it impossible for us to be there for each other, for us to be friends at that time.
we ended up meeting for dinner a couple of weeks ago. it was strange at first: she's in a MUCH different place in her life than she was about 15 months prior when we stopped talking. but i am, too. i'm in a much healthier place. she's in a much healthier place. we're both more honest with ourselves and with others. and seriously - it was almost like no time had passed. it's the same, but it's different - it's a different relationship that is healthier and more balanced for both of us. and i'm thrilled to have it back.
i've also committed to an amazing thigh tattoo by said tattoo artist. pam poovey from archer is like my spirit animal. i love her (i haven't seen season 5 yet, i've been told that might change, but seriously - i don't care. she's been amazing through 4 seasons). when my artist was working on awesome husband @_antgas' hand tattoos, i mentioned how pam poovey was my spirit animal and she went nuts - she said she really really wanted to do an archer tattoo. we worked on some ideas, she drew up an amazing tattoo, and i recently had the outline done on my outer left thigh.
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| seriously - this tattoo is super bad ass. follow @misstattootara on instagram. |
yeah. it's pretty awesome. and in reality, the fact that it's on my thigh is a big deal for me. i follow a lot of body positive blogs and instagram accounts and twitter and shit like that. and i've seen photos of SO MANY beautiful big women with awesome thigh tattoos. i think it's super sexy and makes them look really confident and i started thinking about getting a thigh tattoo about a year ago. i had settled on a couple of other ideas when my tattoo artist said she wanted to do an archer tattoo.
pam poovey is kind of another big girl who is awesome. i mean, if you watch archer, you're probably familiar with some of her exploits and background from the first four seasons. let's see: she kicked men's asses in underground fights to pay her way through college. she has an infatuation with lana but still bangs archer for a while. she says what she wants and doesn't give a fuck about what people think about it. she's a little crass and really bold and super confident. yet she's a damn HR rep... sure, she's not always great at her job, but still. pam poovey is really my spirit animal; a lot of her character is who i want to be or who i already am. i'm a fat girl who metaphorically kicks ass, i'm bisexual, and (outside of work) i say what i mean and refuse to sugar coat it.
whatever - i identify with pam poovey. and i love my tattoo, and i can't wait to have it colored in.
my tattoo artist is on instagram - @misstattootara. seriously, she does amazing work. if you're on long island and in need of a tattoo, DM her. and, hey, i'm on instagram and twitter @stephgas.
i'm also working on a lot of crap with my therapist. i've started seeing a psychiatrist for medication management, am addressing some of my disordered eating behaviors (unhappily but whatever), and working out. i'm not watching what i eat or working out to lose weight - i'm doing it to feel good. that seems to make it more enjoyable because i'm not obsessing over every calorie eaten and burned. i'm weight lifting with awesome husband @_antgas and a couple of his coworkers. my brother and sisterfromanothermister occasionally join in as well. awesome husband @_antgas is all about going hard and 'gains'. the phrase 'gains, bro' is uttered numerous times, often in jest but not really 100% joking. i hit a new PR (personal record) on saturday with a 910lb straight leg press. yesterday my PR was 115lb chest fly thingy. i don't know the names of everything, i just wander around behind awesome husband @_antgas and wait for him to tell me what to do. honestly, that makes it fun and easy and i really like working out. it just makes me feel good.
so, new ink, new meds, new weight training - a lot of things going on but it's all good... it's all healthy.