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I'm already regretting this post. I know the responses are going to be hateful and exhausting. [I Married Curious]

So I'm married. It's been seven years now, so I should be getting the itch right?

Nope.

I'm very happy with the relationship. There are things that frustrate the hell out of me, but those exist in every relationship. The amount of work I do to take care of her as well as loving her can be exhausting at times. She can be really spiteful and it bothers me. I'm concerned that recently she's started 'reading more right wing stuff' because she's rebounding against the idea that we all need to be educated about racism.

But like I say, none of these are things that stop me from loving her. What's changed during lockdown is my understanding of myself. I've always argued against monogamy in a theoretical way, but being stuck in one place with one person - even someone I love - for these months has made me realise I am not a monogamous person. I guess that makes me polyamorous.

I've talked to her really openly and honestly about this. I've told her I've thought hard about it and explained exactly how I feel. I'd like the opportunity to say yes to situations that come up spontaneously. I've explained that I'm completely capable of falling in love with, and being in love with other people without this diminishing my feelings for her. I've said that there's no danger of me meeting someone and running away with them, because I'd only be interested in exploring with people who understand and respect that I love her and I'm not going anywhere.

She thought about it. Accepted that that's who I am. Went away for two days on a planned trip to see a friend.

When she came back she told me the whole idea made her sad and maybe we should just split up now to save things from falling apart over time. I immediately said this isn't what I wanted, the whole point is that I want to be with her, and be myself.

But I don't know if that's possible.

This is one of the rare posts where I'm actually asking for advice. What should I do?
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summersong · F
Time, patience, and open communication. It’s a complete shift in relationship dynamic that you’re proposing and you have had far longer to think about it than she has. Her answer may be no right now but, just as it was yes a bit ago, things may change. The only thing to do, I think, is to allow everything to unfold now that you have been honest with her about how you feel.

And good luck, you deserve happiness and the love you most desire.
@summersong Could you? This post has really made me think. Could you have that kind of relationship? I know in my soul that I couldn’t but that in no way makes it wrong... just wrong for me. Could you, though?
summersong · F
@DarkHeaven I support other people’s polyamory but no, I don’t think so. If I have committed to someone that’s kind of it for me. I’m either in or out. Just how things work for me, I don’t consider other people as potential partners unless I am unhappy enough in the relationship to move on.
@summersong Yeah. I’m the same.

CheshireCatalyst · 36-40, M
@summersong @DarkHeaven none of this changes the way i feel about her though. I could just go and do all this secretly and she'd never know, and she'd feel just as loved. It's frustrating that being honest has led to us talking about moving on, when lying would've kept things working fine.
summersong · F
@CheshireCatalyst no poly relationship can ever work without honesty and open communication. You guys already have that going for you. And no poly relationship is ever fully free from insecurity, regardless of compersion. All relationships are hard work, poly ones are just a different kind of work. There will be negotiation no matter what. There will be mixed feelings, no matter what. And if your wife is not interested in being with other people herself that adds a whole other layer to things.

I guess what I am saying is that it’s a complicated thing and if you truly want that kind of relationship (as opposed to sneaking around behind her back and not giving her the option of deciding what she’s comfortable with) you’ll just need to let her work through the feelings it brings up for her. Even if it does not turn out how you envision. And it’s hard, and it sucks sometimes, and you really do have my sympathies...I know you are caught in a tough place.