Can We Make Polyamory Work and Save Our Relationship?
My partner wants to by poly vs I’m a hideous beast.
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Hi Doc,
Thought you might like a comic-book style crossover of two of the greatest hits:
My partner wants to by poly vs I’m a hideous beast.
The synthesis of these things creates a new, mutant chimera intent on destroying my well-being. I’m totally fine with the idea of my partner seeing other people. I like to see them happy, and they thrive in that “new relationship energy” state. They have my blessing. I’m not a jealous person, and I’ve never believed another human has the right to demand exclusive ownership of another.
We haven’t slept together in months, or possibly years, and I think they need novelty. That’s fine, I’m happy with them in every other regard. We’re kind of at an impasse about how to be intimate outside of that NRE phase though.
While I understand that there’s no obligation for me to also be poly, I am curious. But it raises the question: could I do it even if I wanted to, or would I just be some kind of “Polycel” (my apologies to that brand of plaster products)? I don’t really feel like a sexual being anymore after going so long without, just let me play guitar and read about Bigfoot. Seeing an attractive person is like seeing a sick monster truck. Cool, and kudos to them, but not part of the world I belong to and they can probably do better jumps over buses than me. I sucked at dating and like relationships because I don’t have to be an anxious wreck second guessing mysterious codes and signals anymore just to get a text saying “you failed at being attractive!”. I can be around attractive people when there are no stakes because I don’t need to stare at the floor incase my presence offends them. The idea of putting my entire self-worth on a platter again just so it can be dashed on the ground isn’t one I relish. Also, I’ve always been a shovel-faced, slope-shouldered, near-sighted homunculus (hence my affinity with cryptids) but at least I was thinner and had less grey last time I let myself be perceived a few years back — thank the lord for hoodies and baseball caps.