Open Marriage Podcast

"What Are We Doing?"

Khalia and Blair Edwards Season 1 Episode 3

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0:00 | 57:34

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At some point, this question gets asked in most relationships. Reservations vs expectations are the topics of this episode!

SPEAKER_01

Everything is up, cameras are going, recording, everything is going. You know what I realized? You um I mean we're kind of like going through like our relationship and seeing each other's quirks, habits, uh red, beige, white flags. Um something that you've always told me about is whenever I get into do mode and trying to do something, I get very cold and very standoffish. Before I press play, I was in do mode and very standoffish too. You notice that? It's so sad.

SPEAKER_04

We haven't really talked uh the last hour and a half, although I was working a little bit, but usually you'll be telling me stories. That's why I even asked, like, hey, what are you thinking about?

SPEAKER_00

Work.

SPEAKER_04

I said, Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I'm my my mind was going at a thousand miles per hour, just thinking about okay, all right, we have to do this at a particular time. I gotta get the camera going, I have to record. I'm like thinking of everything to do. And I think at one point when I was when we were changing clothes, you tried to come in and you tried to give me a kiss, and I'm like, Yeah, yeah, all right, let's get go. Yeah, you felt that didn't you?

SPEAKER_04

It wasn't the right time. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01

I'm so why are you apologizing? I'm the one that's in the rug. I am so.

SPEAKER_04

I was hoping, I was hoping I could make an adjustment to the vibes, but we're good now, and we're doing a really great job being consistent, so bravo.

SPEAKER_00

Episode three. Episode three.

SPEAKER_04

You know, I did get uh we've had some like family and friends reach out over the course of us releasing the podcast, and someone had told me they're like, Blair just looks so stressed out. He just thank you for noticing to which I said, you know, he really wants everything to be very meticulous and perfect. There's a rhyme and a reason to everything he does, it's methodical.

SPEAKER_01

It's uh it's a curse and a blessing to be a Virgo, to be a Capricorn. Uh sign we need stability, we need to be grounded, it needs to be right. In my defense, though, they saw the first episode, and that was when everything was as wrong as it could get. But we've gotten better with the setup. So, I mean, hopefully, oh I don't know. Maybe they'll see the the second episode, he's like, That boy still looks stressed. The third episode, they're like, That maybe he shouldn't be doing this.

SPEAKER_04

No, it's great.

SPEAKER_01

Bravo to you.

SPEAKER_04

The setup is 100% Blair because I I've asked if I can support, and I think you've kind of taken over the reins here.

SPEAKER_01

I apologize. I I think this is this is something that I'm still learning how to do in a relationship. It's not only ask for help, but if I'm aware of something that I could be helped with communicating that with you, but right now I'm like, No, it's all me. Sorry, you got no you're you're you're valuable, you're always you're always willing. You you give me the best support in the world. I'm just like, there's nothing you can do for me. I'm so sorry. What I what I what I bank on is when we press record, you do what you do best, which is communicate, you lead the way, and you show show us how it's done.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, fair enough. I can assume my position.

SPEAKER_01

Careful, girl.

SPEAKER_04

That is not what I meant.

SPEAKER_01

So I I the the the door was open, and I just walked through.

SPEAKER_04

I was just anyway. That's a pain point. I feel so okay. Side note, before we get started with this episode, the first episode came out. I happened to be out of town on a work trip, and I wasn't doing anything else while I was listening to the episode. So I was super keen and zeroed in on every detail that was happening. How I was positioned on the couch, how I was engaging with you, my facial expressions, my body um positioning, whatever. Then I kept hearing me say the word anyway a million times, and it was as if it was like nails on the chalkboard. So I'm not saying that word this podcast, and if I do, I just need you to call me out or remove it when you go to edit it later.

SPEAKER_01

I can do anything you want. You know what I mean? I I want you to understand that you show up in the best light, regardless of what you may find is unpleasant to look at, and that's a that's the interesting thing about doing this podcast is it's supposed to be as organic as it can be. It's supposed to be as um there there isn't any facade that we can like, oh, pay attention to us in this kind of way. We just are showing up as ourselves, yeah. Um, which is terrifying, and partly the reason why I might be stressed because I'm thinking to myself, how much am I gonna ramble on before someone's like, yo, turn this shit off? I'm tired of listening to this boy speak, he ain't talking about nothing, you know. Um and I think that's also something I've been cognizant of is what are my what are my go-to phrases? What what did I say is another one of mine? Um it's one of those things where it's like if you hear me say that, that's because I don't know what I'm talking about, and I'm just trying to give myself more time to to to get my thoughts together.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, you politician.

SPEAKER_01

Trying my best not to do it anymore. It's horrible. But we'll get there.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, now that I'm aware, I will not be saying that word anymore. I don't even think I say that in my regular day-to-day life as often as I did in that episode. But I think it's because I was trying to get the conversation to keep rolling that it was the only transition that I was using, and we're done with that. Rookie mistake, we're moving on.

SPEAKER_01

It's fine. I I think um in in like school, you know, when you're trying to uh craft an essay, and you can use certain words to say in uh to supplement another word.

SPEAKER_04

SNM?

SPEAKER_01

Sure. I mean, you're the one I went to school. Okay.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, you also went to school.

SPEAKER_01

I went to school, but I was sleeping in school. If anybody knows me, I was that kid that wore the same hoodie every single day and was sleeping in the back of the closet sleep because I had extracurricular activities. School was just not on my mind. Now that doesn't mean school wasn't valuable, it's just that I had horrible priorities during Yeah, clearly.

SPEAKER_04

But yes, a synonym.

SPEAKER_01

So I would use instead of saying anyway, I could be like moreover or additionally, right?

SPEAKER_04

How did I go?

SPEAKER_01

I love that. Additionally, I love that. You gotta hear me say that during this whole podcast.

SPEAKER_04

I can't wait.

SPEAKER_01

Moreover. Okay, let's get back to it. Let's get back to it.

SPEAKER_04

You mean into it because we didn't even start?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's I'm sorry, ADD moments. Go ahead, baby.

SPEAKER_04

I love how I lead this podcast.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, because you inspire everything. You've inspired me, and I'm just gonna keep on singing your high praises.

SPEAKER_04

I appreciate you.

SPEAKER_01

Not as much as I appreciate you.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, so last episode we kind of talked about the firsts in our relationship, including our first date when we first met, and then um that was pretty much it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, uh, well, I mean, and then we had the second episode, and to go back to our notes, we were talking about can long distance relationships work, all of those things that go into that.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. And it only makes sense to kind of parlay into that time in a relationship where people typically will ask, what are we doing? Because it's always happens.

SPEAKER_01

What are we doing? I and and I think in in media it's typically, I guess you could say, uh, well, I don't want to say this because it might come off chauvinistic, misogynistic, uh claimer. Claimer, disclaimer, okay.

SPEAKER_04

Claim her. You did, you claimed me. It's right here.

SPEAKER_01

Everything that I say is not coming from a malicious place, it comes from a place of inquisition. That said, if I say anything wrong, just know that she is gonna whoop my ass and she's gonna get me right, and I'm gonna be. Oh, oh, now I understand. I'm so sorry. So I'm always open. When it comes to someone asking, what are we doing? Typically, you see that on movies and television shows. That's the lady that's asking that question. In a heteronormative relationship, in a heteronormative relationship. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I appreciate you. So, what you're saying is I'm the one who asked the question, What are we doing? Did I get that right?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, would you disagree with that?

SPEAKER_04

No, I don't at all. My question then to you is at any point in the relationship before we I mean, in my opinion, we were always together exclusively. But in hindsight, I now understand that that wasn't necessarily the case because you were still dating other people, I was still keeping my options open because I didn't know if you're gonna commit or not. Uh, and you know, I do have a clock, a biological one. Not that at that time it was I was rushing by any means, but it's something to be aware of. Sure. So over the course of the relationship, we now know that I asked the question to you, but at any point did you ask that question to yourself without telling me explicitly?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think in the beginning. Um what month? Month one.

SPEAKER_04

Really? Yeah, surprise, surprise. The truth comes out on the pod. You already hear it first, folks.

SPEAKER_01

Well, you gotta remember, um, I I keep my cards typically close to my chest. And I ask myself a million and one questions every single day. So I think when when we started dating, when we first came into contact, I was immediately like, what are we doing? Because remember, there was a lot of things that just made me go, How is this going to work? Like, what is the trajectory? Is there any longevity to this? Because my predisposition was saying long distance. I don't even know. Right. But every single day I was like, I'm gonna show up as much as I can, regardless of whether I could see it going the distance or not, even though we were long distance. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04

Let's see what you did there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Bars.

unknown

I don't know.

SPEAKER_04

Well, I just wanted to ask because I wanted to understand if we were on the same page, and in previous relationships, I've kind of been the one to ask, are we just having fun? Are we are there any parameters? Because otherwise, then how do I know how to move? Because then someone's feelings could get hurt or they could be misinterpreted, or I just feel like it causes like a slippery slope for what could come next if you're not stating explicitly, hey, this is what we're doing, this is what we're agreeing upon doing.

SPEAKER_01

Sure.

SPEAKER_04

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

For sure. I I don't think that I've I don't want to say I haven't had that conversation with people in the past. Why are you smiling like that?

SPEAKER_04

Because I'm just thinking.

SPEAKER_02

What are you thinking about?

SPEAKER_04

Well, I'm just thinking. I'm like, is that because we were long distance? So that question didn't come up. I mean, well, I'm saying because how long did it take you to shack up with your ex before me? Don't tell me you don't remember. Because he loves to tell me he doesn't remember anyone besides me, which is a very sweet husband thing to say, but it's realistically not true.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, it's kind of true though.

SPEAKER_01

I I'm in my mind, I just don't know what I'd be doing.

SPEAKER_02

In my mind.

SPEAKER_01

No, um, I it wasn't long, okay.

SPEAKER_04

A month, a month of dating, and then you were exclusive, I think is what you told me in the past.

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Well, coming off of my journey of who I am and what it means today, and what are the rules and regulations? Before I was like, I'm ready, like if I start speaking to somebody, oh, we go together. This is it. Mother of my children in a heteronormative relationship, right? Um, but I realized that I wasn't seeing the person for who they are, and I'm just building up something that I need for myself in terms of comfortability, i.e., putting too much pressure and jumping too quick into something from the jump. So this time around, I was like, I'm not gonna do that because well, number one, really like you, but also at the same time, I don't want So what he's saying is he didn't like any other one of these ladies, okay. With respect to everyone possibly involved, okay. I was just saying I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself, on you, on any of the relationships because I realized that I was the one to self-sabotage. And so that time around, I'm like, do you know what we're gonna just take it easy? Now, can I jump out the gate with you and be like, hey, look, I'm just gonna take it easy because I've got past trauma and I seem to self-sabotage relationships? Sure, I might have could have said that at that time was not comfortable with you. I just met you. I'm gonna I ain't gonna be exposing myself like that, like I'm exposing on this podcast.

SPEAKER_04

Remember when I when we played um We're not really strangers and I asked you how you were feeling after, and then you said open. So how are you feeling right now? Um a little open, the door is halfway open.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I I think I we need a new synonym for open. Uh I vulnerable? Back then I felt vulnerable. I think now maybe because we're in our own apartment and it's you, it's just us here.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I feel safe and comfortable, and though I'm aware that this will definitely go online. Um damn. I uh I I don't feel vulnerable in a way of unprotected and unsafe. I feel much more like uh solidified in who I am and just I hate the phrase speaking my truth, but I'm being as authentic as possible. I love that. And what better person to be that with other than you, you know, your partner. Um but yeah, that's what I experienced in the beginning is just I'd rather take it easy in in a way of not solidifying anything because who knows where can what can happen from there.

SPEAKER_04

Well, and we had conversations where you said that in the past, if you've labeled something, that could potentially mean that there would be like an expectation around it, and then it could end, and so it was kind of like this you stay in the gray area, you don't have to commit one way or the other, and so it's more safe.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Facts.

SPEAKER_04

Which I think is how a lot of people operate because it's a safety mechanism. Like you don't want to open yourself up to somebody that you don't know for certain. I mean, we don't know at any point in time for certain if the person that we're dating is who we're gonna be with forever. I mean, you you hope if it's the right person in the right relationship, but if you don't expose everything, then if it doesn't if it ends or doesn't go as expected, then it's like, okay, well, I'm not as hurt as I could be because I self-protected myself.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, so then at what point did we decide this is exactly what we're doing? From your perspective.

SPEAKER_01

Well, we never had that clear communication.

SPEAKER_04

Well, I I tried.

SPEAKER_01

You tried.

SPEAKER_04

And you shut me down.

SPEAKER_01

I did, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, there's like a little fine here. Okay, so you went to Art Basil in 20, in December of 2021.

SPEAKER_01

Oh Basil 305 till I died. Is that correct? I believe so.

SPEAKER_04

2021?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, same yeah that we met.

SPEAKER_04

Because it's 2024, and I've known you for three years. Yeah, okay. So in December of 2021, you went to Art Basel, and you have family in Florida, and the trip was uh emotionally taxing, I would say.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

To put it lightly. And I'm not trying to get into like the business of what was happening, like the trauma, but you came back home. I really didn't talk to you a lot while you were there. Probably gone for a few days, maybe three, four days. And you came back, and I remember it was like a Sunday night. I was in my apartment in LA, and I asked you, what are we doing?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, which I I don't want to say call me off guard.

SPEAKER_04

But it only been how many months? May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. We this could have we could have had a whole baby at this point in our relationship.

SPEAKER_02

There you go again with the baby talk. Chill.

SPEAKER_04

Everyone wants to know we're gonna have kids anyway, so you know, I might as well just keep bringing it up, and then one podcast episode will make an announcement, but not for a couple of years.

SPEAKER_02

You think this podcast is gonna go for a couple of years? That's my hope. That's so beautiful, baby. I love that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's keep this thing going.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, wonderful. Okay, so I asked you what we're doing, it caught you off guard. Why?

SPEAKER_01

I think, well, yeah, there was so much that was going on in my life at the time. And remember, I I've been such an individual for so long, so I wasn't actually cognizant of how that was making you feel. Um, so I remember when you asked me, I was like, wait, why are you asking why are you asking me? You know, I'm just just a little old me. Um, but I didn't realize that. Um I guess in a roundabout way I was pushing you away. I didn't realize that.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I like didn't hear from you. It's kind of like right now, what happened when you were setting up for the podcast? And you just kind of do your own thing, which I understand. You've been pretty much on your own for the past 10 years, 11 years, and some before that. And so it's just innate within your day-to-day experience that you kind of cruise around. I don't want to say without regard to someone else, because now we're married and we've been in a relationship for three years, but before that, it was kind of like I don't know how to act now that someone else is also attached to me. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

And I didn't even realize that we were attached like that.

SPEAKER_04

Well, I know. I think that you did, subcon like on a subconscious level, because we had lots of deep conversations. Right. So I think it was very obvious, but at the same time, maybe you just it just hadn't clicked for you on all cylinders, like it had for me.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. First of all, you kinda you I don't want to say you jumped the gun with with this with this question. Um, no, I'm just saying, I'm just saying as far as like okay, what I would say is when you ask what are we doing, I already decided prior to you asking that question of what we're already doing. Like for a while, I was okay, we I was keeping my options open, but then I think it was around my birthday that I was like, oh no, I realized that I loved you before or after. Before or after you your birthday. I knew I loved you on my like before, but then I think on my birthday, that's when I was like, I was avoiding looking at it, and then I realized, no, I I absolutely love you. Ain't it amazing what liquor can make you do? Liquid courage.

SPEAKER_04

Did you uh it's just so that time period is such a funny time?

SPEAKER_00

Sad.

SPEAKER_04

Because I didn't even get a proper uh invitation.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

So I couldn't even RSVP.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. But you knew you was coming through.

SPEAKER_04

But I still showed up anyway. So you knew after your birthday. I knew, so that was September. I knew in May. A month after I met you.

SPEAKER_01

Make Adam Sugar.

SPEAKER_04

I knew when May. I knew when you came to my apartment the first night that I moved to LA.

SPEAKER_01

That you loved me? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Dang. And that we'd be together.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, let me ask you this. Why didn't you tell me?

SPEAKER_02

The face. Did you catch that?

SPEAKER_04

Why? I mean, why would I do that when I didn't know where you stood?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, I thought we were in clear communication. One month in.

SPEAKER_04

As much as you didn't want to assume like, oh, I'm just the guy who's trying to show my cards right away. Same thing is true over here. You weren't giving me a lot to work with. I wasn't sure if you were dating 17 women, if you were out in the streets at night at the club. I didn't you live in Vegas. I don't know. But what I did know is that someone who is visiting other friends made an effort to come see me, and then I thought I moved into my new apartment and makes an effort to meet my roommates and makes an effort to try to go back to see his friends, but ends up staying the night at my house and staying a couple days at the apartment.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I was not prepared for that. I just knew that I wanted to be around you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

You you resisted it though for a while. You wanted to like leave the next morning at like 5 a.m.

SPEAKER_01

and I Yo, you are telling our business for real. For real. Is it too much? No, it's not too much. But I can only imagine it's like, because we know what it is. Yeah. But I can imagine someone listening and being like, the fuck are you talking about?

SPEAKER_04

Are you talking about a certain someone or just in general?

SPEAKER_01

Just in general.

SPEAKER_04

Oh yeah. Well, these are like intimate details that I don't think anyone actually knows about. I mean, they might have heard them in an overarching story, but it wasn't like I gave all these detailed accounts of every single moment with you.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, remember, like, we're just two individuals trying to figure out what works for us in our life. And I think um this is past COVID. Everyone has changed since COVID. Me especially. If you've never self-quarantined by by yourself, it's like being in um being in a padded room with a strait jacket on. You have nothing but time for yourself.

SPEAKER_04

I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_01

Oh no, it's completely fine. I'm from Florida. Um I'm used to it. Um what? I'm just saying there's a lot of crazy things that happened in Florida. I was using that analogy.

SPEAKER_04

We're never moving there.

SPEAKER_01

Sorry. Brah canny, what happened? Okay, hey, fuck with it. I know. Um, let's get back on track. Um, I think past post-COVID, I started to understand more of myself. And also at the same time, I started going to therapy. You know what I mean? I didn't really I had a lot of time for introspection, self-reflection, but I didn't really have any time to bounce off somebody else.

SPEAKER_04

Also that was in COVID that you went back or that you went to therapy?

SPEAKER_01

All all of the above.

SPEAKER_04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So COVID was one thing, and then meeting you, and then being like, oh shoot, I think I've changed. Like, I have a different perspective of what I want for my life and how I need to be navigating. And even after we started dating, then going to therapy in addition to that. I'm like, I'm just trying to figure it out. I don't think um, I don't I don't want to speak for anybody else, but I've never had uh I mean I have older brothers and friends and community, but I think it was the first time that I was really trying to figure out what do I need as opposed to doing the same thing that I've always been doing for years on end. Yeah, like you were saying earlier, that being an individual and not really understanding how people can be affected by your decisions and whatnot. But I think past I say past, it's really post. I say post-COVID, a lot of things shifted in my mentality to make me go, like, okay, like what is actually going on here?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I'm sorry about that, but I was just trying to figure out.

SPEAKER_04

No, don't be sorry. I mean, I knew. So I felt fine.

SPEAKER_01

Month one.

SPEAKER_04

Month one. I just knew I needed to convince you, or at least show you what your option with me could look like.

SPEAKER_01

And how did you do that?

SPEAKER_04

Every day I put in the work.

SPEAKER_01

Didn't take any days off. You really didn't, and you still haven't.

SPEAKER_04

You jump right in. I was just I'm reading this book about hidden potential in humans, and one of the things that it talks about is if you wait until you think you're ready to do something or try something, you've wasted so much time for progression. The t the the like chart gets smaller. The amount of time that you have to progress is a lot smaller because you've waited so you've waited for so long. Versus if you just start with like whatever small amount of knowledge that you do have or whatever small amount of effort that you do have, you have so much time to see the progress and develop over time.

SPEAKER_01

So it's like learning on the job.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Because you have like you at least have some bit of information to go off of. The rest of the information you learn from experience. I mean, that's most of life anyway. So with you, yeah, I did a lot of things differently from previous relationships because I, you know, took some time off from the dating scene to work on myself, went to yoga a lot, read a lot of books, listened to a lot of podcasts, and just tried some stuff. Went to therapy as well. So yeah, I was doing all that in preparation for you.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I yeah, I ain't did none of that. No, I was kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. No, that and and that's absolutely beautiful. You know, I I I hear when people say, Oh yeah, I'm just working on myself. I'm like, what does that mean? Okay, what does what is working on yourself mean? And what does that really look like? Because I feel like you're just taking time. Taking selfies? Taking selfies and posting it. It's saying you're working on yourself, yeah. I mean, I I think no disrespect to anyone that's doing that.

SPEAKER_04

Maybe in the gym?

SPEAKER_01

Possibly.

SPEAKER_04

Working out in the gym, taking gym selfies. That could be working on yourself, yeah. Or like yourself, maybe it's like mirror work.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. Sure, but I I just and everyone has their own individual thing of what they need. I just don't understand when people say I'm working on myself in relation to relationships, what does that look like? Yeah, you know, um I I mean I can talk from personal experience also from my um you know, my previous relationship. After that, I was damn near celibate. You know what I mean? I was just like, I'm not gonna I'm gonna put down the um pornographic materials. Is that appropriate? To say? I think yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_04

There's not any rules, I don't think. Okay. Joe Rogan has a podcast and he's been able to say whatever he wants, so I think we're safe.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, but Joe Rogan's Joe Rogan.

SPEAKER_04

Well, you're Blair Edwards.

SPEAKER_01

And you're Calia Edwards.

SPEAKER_04

Correct. Well, my name's not changed yet, but you know, we're working on it.

SPEAKER_01

Anywho, um, anyway. I'm saying me. I know you haven't. I'm saying for me.

SPEAKER_04

We're 29 minutes in, this is great.

SPEAKER_01

Um, what I'm saying is I I think from my lost relationship and with respect to my lost partner, right? Um, I didn't understand how to be in a relationship. I I or I would say I learned how to be relationships are always gonna be different depending on who you're dating. Not all the same relationship is gonna be the same. So when so this is what I take issue with when people say, Oh, I'm working on myself in regards to relationships, because I'm like, I don't know how that can show up.

SPEAKER_04

Um you mean if they're single and like working on themselves while waiting for the next relationship to come up, or do you are you saying someone working on themselves in the midst of their relationship? Are they single or are they dating?

SPEAKER_01

They're single, yeah. But I don't think that that when people say they're just working on themselves, I don't know if they're actually trying to be in a relationship again, or if they're just saying that as a defense mechanism to not put out there that they're like, oh, I oh I need to be in a relationship to be loved, and then trying to like more align to loving themselves, but also at the same time wanting to be in a relationship. What's the caption? Uh somebody that wants somebody but doesn't need somebody but is open to having somebody. You never heard that. What is that?

SPEAKER_04

You never heard that? That sounds like a Pinterest quote from 2010.

SPEAKER_01

It probably is.

SPEAKER_04

I've never heard that before, but that's very confusing.

SPEAKER_01

I see some people use it.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, I mean, listen, everyone has different reasons for working on themselves, quote unquote. I do think that it's a uh like catchphrase that's probably overused. And I also think that it's subjective to the person that's working on themselves of what they think they need because you're only gonna work on the things that you need to work on so much as you're self-aware. So if you're lacking in self-awareness or you don't know what your blind spots are, are you really working on yourself? Yeah, or are you just working on parts of yourself that you think need work when there could be other things that are more important?

SPEAKER_01

Sure.

SPEAKER_04

You just don't know, it's case by case.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, that's why I I wasn't I knew I knew that I I didn't want to put into anybody else from from the last one. I'm like, I'm I'm done, I need to put back into myself, you know what I mean? Um and I I felt like I just needed more focus. Uh what did I want for my life outside of a relationship, you know? Um, and that's another thing that when we started dating, you recalibrated my focus because I realized that sure I was doing my own thing, trying to be productive and whatnot, but it wasn't until we started dating that I realized, and of course, because you've been doing yoga and doing therapy and whatnot. I'm like, oh shoot, my life has been on pause, and it made me look at myself in a different way to be like, what can I really do outside of for myself, of course, but then subsequently for a relationship. So thank you for that.

SPEAKER_04

I mean, I didn't even know.

SPEAKER_01

I think I was just rambling. Oh, I'm gonna stop talking for a little bit. Let you let you go back. I'm like, what the fuck?

SPEAKER_04

You're not rambling at all. Everything that you said made sense.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we'll see on the playback.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, so since we never really put any sort of like a label on our relationship, how or what did we establish as some ground rules or expectations?

SPEAKER_01

Prior to establishing what we're doing?

SPEAKER_04

Well, we never really did.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we didn't establish any ground rules.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, so why why do you think that is? At least from your perspective.

SPEAKER_02

Ain't nobody gonna control me. I'm playing. What are some of the ground rules that you had for yourself?

SPEAKER_04

I love how you turn the question on me because you don't want to answer the question. And we're sweating. You take away his hands, rubbing his pants like this. And sweating, hate and sweating.

SPEAKER_02

I'll take it, I'll take it. That's fine. Usually I'm a gentleman and let ladies go first, but you know, never mind.

SPEAKER_01

It's enough about you.

SPEAKER_04

You said ground rules that I established for myself.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, didn't you just ask her what are some ground rules that you had established prior to us saying or establishing what we're doing?

SPEAKER_04

Well, I meant what were some ground rules that we us we agreed upon that we established before you made me your fiance? Because technically we didn't commit, you never said, Hey, you're my girlfriend ever.

SPEAKER_01

That's so juvenile.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, well, you weren't like, hey, we're exclusive either. So at what point were we did we have a common understanding that we were exclusive, and did we start making some ground rules or having expectations of one another?

SPEAKER_01

You know what? I I don't think we did.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. And did that work for us? Uh yeah. Yeah. That does not sound too convincing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it did, it did, it did. I um it was do you know what it was? It was when you told me you loved me. That's what Okay. I'm not sure if you caught that the eye roll.

SPEAKER_02

You told me you loved me first. You really tricked me. How did I trick how does one trick? You know what you did, you was there. Tell the story.

SPEAKER_04

Well, this I think this is dipping into another episode. So I prefer to save that, sorry. But uh, okay, so you think it was official when I told you that I loved you. So that was January of 2022, the week of my birthday.

SPEAKER_01

Gotta take your time, but it gotta take your time.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. So did we establish anything during that time period? Or it was just kind of like, alright, she loves me and I love her, and we're together now.

SPEAKER_01

Well, and and it's probably not fair to you, but I I was more concerned about establishing how I want to carry myself for the person that I love and not putting that on you. Now I don't I don't want to say, oh, if you love somebody, then you don't do A, B, and C D. Like everyone has their own individual thing. You got me fucked up if you think I tell you that I love you and you're gonna be daying around running through these streets. You got me fucked up. I don't like that.

SPEAKER_04

Well, and I wasn't at that point, I mean, for the six months leading up to that point, I wasn't maybe even eight. I'm pretty sure after I came back to Vegas in April or early May, met you late April, so early May when I came back two weeks later, I cut everyone off. Oh, that's nice. Yeah, you were still out here in the streets.

SPEAKER_01

Do you know? I remember when I think you mentioned that, and I was like, Okay, cool. And I'm like, does she no? I don't think she picked no, she did pick up that I that I haven't even commented on that, like what I'm doing on my side of things. I know you picked up on that. You're way too intuitive.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But even in noticing in that and not establishing that with me, what made you maybe not reluctant, but not take the bait of being like, okay, so you're gonna cut off these other bitches?

SPEAKER_04

Well, that's not my nature.

SPEAKER_01

And and I and I don't mean anybody that I've ever dated was a bitch or anything like that. I'm just it was meant for just be yourself, it's okay. Entertainment purposes.

SPEAKER_04

Uh, it's not in my nature to do that. So and that's what I always told you, I think, for the b majority of the relationship, and even now, I'm not gonna I don't do things because I think it's gonna help convince you to do the same. You're your own person. I made a decision to cut off the other dudes I was talking to, and that was because I was serious about you, and I knew that I wanted to give you all my attention. And also, they were not the people that I was talking to were entertaining. They they would have never been, they were not my husband. They were not my like boyfriend. They weren't, they were just you just date around when you're young, or in general. It's like, okay, cool, talk to this person, great. Go over there, talk to that person, have a good time, cool. But I was like, I don't, I don't want to talk to you. I want to talk to Blair. Insert meme. Insert meme.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's cute. You you real cute, you're real cute. I appreciate that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

The only I think the only thing that we really had agreed upon was how often that we communicated.

SPEAKER_00

Really?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, because it was a mutual. We didn't say, hey, every day we're gonna talk, but we did have conversations about protected time and what I meant by that, and my request of you of like, hey, if I don't talk to you all day, it's fine, but I just need protected time for at least an hour a day. That's all I need.

SPEAKER_02

Shout out to you expressing your wants and needs.

SPEAKER_04

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. I don't remember that at all.

SPEAKER_04

No?

SPEAKER_01

But I mean, obviously, we were we we did that, right? To some degree.

unknown

Dang.

SPEAKER_04

But we never did have any conversations about like, oh, can you because some people have conversations or they have to where it's like, oh, you can't talk to this girl, you can't follow these Instagram profiles, you can't be over here at so-and-so's house if they're a girl, or you can't talk to this dude. We never had those kinds of tiffs or conversations. We did?

SPEAKER_01

No, we haven't. Yeah. And we never we didn't and we haven't now.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, so I think that I think then the question becomes, why did we not? Or what qualities do we both have that supported us in not having to have those conversations?

SPEAKER_01

I I I don't want to use a cop-out. I I have a cop out on the street. It's not me.

SPEAKER_04

It's not me only.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, okay. I think it was I think I don't even want to say when you know, you know, but I think we both just had qualities about ourselves that just so happened to line up perfectly for one another. Like we had a certain level of authenticity and integrity that didn't need to be established from any book or any other thing like that. And I don't think we I mean, you've had past relationships where you've had to maneuver in that kind of way. Sure. I've had a past relationship where I kind of had to maneuver in that way too. My eye was almost starting to twitch. But it's like when you're in previous relationships, you learn habits from those relationships and you bring them into you bring that into who you are as a person and then you move from that kind of place. But we didn't do that when it came to us.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

How?

SPEAKER_02

What how did that happen? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

I have no idea. I just knew that I wasn't sleazy, you know what I mean? I'm not a sleaze ball, and I'm not saying any other people that do that are sleazeballs, I'm just saying sleazeball. Sleazeball.

SPEAKER_02

You like that? You like my American accent?

SPEAKER_04

Your American accent scares me. I'm sorry. Okay, so you really don't have an answer for the question.

SPEAKER_01

I don't. I I just I think it's just one of those things where there goes my catchphrase. Drink a shot every single time you have that.

SPEAKER_04

It was pretty good though, 42 minutes in, but I am beating you right now because I have not said that one word I will not say. What word again? That shall not be named. Harry Potter.

unknown

Come to die.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, look, um what was I saying?

SPEAKER_04

You don't have an answer.

SPEAKER_01

Just who we yeah, I don't have an answer. I just think it it it we are who we are.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, well, I have an answer. Oh, you do? Yeah. Why are you let me waffle on like that? Because I wanted to see what you would say.

SPEAKER_02

Come through.

SPEAKER_04

But I okay, so what I really think is is that we did a lot of work on ourselves. You were single for two years before you met me, correct? Yeah, yeah, same. And in that time period, you were because before you met me, you had made a pact with the universe or something. That's what you told me. You're back on your affirmations, you're letting go of all the things.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it was just years, yeah. I was very much more intentional.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. And then in that time period, I also had done lots of journaling, lots of um letting go of my past relationship. It was not, it was a very toxic relationship looking back at it now. And I think I knew that in that time period, but I also was just graduating college. I'd played basketball my entire collegiate career. It was not a good experience. There was trauma from that. So I think in that relationship, I wasn't, I definitely wasn't my best self at all. But when I finished playing basketball, there was, and I had graduated college and broke up with my ex and all the things. It was like, okay, what are we, what am I as an individual going to do to make a change to my relationships because they'd all kind of gone in a similar pattern. And so I was like, okay, I think I need to figure out within me where am I going wrong? Because I need to be able to like make an adjustment if I want to meet the person that I'm supposed to marry. Yeah. So that's I went to therapy. That's why I started reading books. Um, The Dance of Intimacy and How to Apologize, and um I mean, it was COVID. There was really nothing to do besides I was living at my parents' house and staying inside, and you know, so I had all the time to like read books and kind of research, but from From my perspective, that's what I was doing before I met you, which is why when we got into this relationship, I had done boundary work, I had established my value system, I had I was clear of like what I wanted from a partner, and I was clear what I didn't want, and I was clear of what I would and wouldn't accept either. And so it made me more trusting of the relationship versus previous when I was always skeptical of a lot of things because it the relationship typically would breed just feeling unsure. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

That's so beautiful. I can I can literally listen to you speak all the time, and this is why I had to that's why we start in this podcast, just like a replay back. Like I'm married to you and I'm with you every single day, but sometimes you be just dropping the best kind of gems, and I think that's beautiful. Um thank you. I had a I I had a thought that just came up, and it was it was a conversation that I had with my brother, and he's like, yo, I think you're a pretty solid dude, and how you want to approach relationships is good. It's just that you're kind of doing it with with the wrong people. Which made me go like what do you mean? You know what I mean? I I I I think how I wanted to approach relationships should be the best for anybody. But you come to realise that that's not necessarily the case. And so after a while of approaching it in a particular way, you start to ask yourself, is there really anybody out there for you, out there for me? Um to which I was I was already kind of accepting, uh sure, they might be out there, but am I gonna meet them anytime soon? Are they in Vegas? Like what what kind of circumstance was another thing that played into my reservations um for dating because I already was aware of who I am, but in terms of finding someone that could align to who I am, like in and said and not changing myself, I just didn't believe that there was really someone out there for me like that. So that's why I took such a a lot like a slow burn per these boundaries and barriers, not to like shut people out, but to just really be cognizant of what are some self-sabotaging things that would stop people from being able to date me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, which makes total sense.

SPEAKER_00

You know, we could have just went to therapy together? Yeah, why not? But we instead we chose to do a podcast.

SPEAKER_04

You think we need therapy?

SPEAKER_00

I don't think therapy is a bad thing.

SPEAKER_04

That's like saying um you can get an oil change, it doesn't necessarily mean that it might damage the car in the long run, though, if you keep getting premature oil changes. Really? I don't know, I just feel like that's probably a thing. I'm making this up. I don't, I'm not a I'm not a technician. What are they called? Mechanic? I'm not a mechanic.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I mean yeah, I don't think therapy needs to be when things are just like horrible.

SPEAKER_04

I mean no. I think I mean I think they're both open to if we needed to go to therapy, we would. I don't think that we I don't know that right now we are like, hey, we we should go or we can benefit from going.

SPEAKER_00

Let's just televise everything that we talk about in our relationship and our business out there. That's great too. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01

Um yeah, so another one of those expectations and what we put down is social media.

SPEAKER_04

Story time.

SPEAKER_00

Would you like to take a lead on that? Sure.

SPEAKER_04

And unless you have a story time about social media that you want to share. You have zero. Sometimes you make comments or noises. It did start recording.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it did.

SPEAKER_04

Where did it start recording at?

SPEAKER_00

Uh 46 minutes.

SPEAKER_04

So what time is it right now? What time is it? Like what time is the clock saying it is right now?

SPEAKER_00

1 30.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_04

How long was it on recording from?

SPEAKER_00

Uh neither. Well, we had some hair. The audio went out, but we still have this. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so jumping right back in.

SPEAKER_04

Um apparently we lost signal.

SPEAKER_01

It is what it is. But we have 10 minutes. Okay. So do you wanna give a quick little five minutes towards the story time for social media and then run it?

SPEAKER_04

It's like a one-minute story time for social media.

SPEAKER_01

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_04

But I remember when we first started dating, and I had just gotten a new manager at the time. I didn't really tell who's now my friend, but I didn't really tell her anything about you. And then eventually, you know, like you start talking to someone, you get to know them, you're sharing. And then I think at some point my entire team was like, Hey, we saw Blair on social media, but why do you guys not follow each other? To which I said, Why do we have to? Why should we? And they're like, Well, it's just kind of weird, isn't it? And then I thought, maybe it is kind of weird, but it worked, it worked well, and we didn't follow each other until we got married until we got engaged. So maybe that's the key to success in a relationship. Just don't follow each other on any sort of social media until you get engaged.

SPEAKER_01

Over on my side of things, the only reason why I didn't choose to f follow you on social media was one, because we already know each other. Yeah, Mila. I'm like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04

You already stalked my social media. And conversed with your brothers.

SPEAKER_01

You have about five posts on there.

SPEAKER_04

Because I archived the other ones. All my posts were on some spiritual things.

SPEAKER_01

She was a boho chick.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I was a boho chick. That's why I have this blanket.

SPEAKER_01

Good for you. Thanks. Yeah, so you weren't really posting anything on there. So why am I gonna follow someone that's not posting much?

SPEAKER_04

I don't know. You've a vested interest. I post my stories often.

SPEAKER_01

Sure, but I'm a millennial. We follow posts. We don't really look at stories like that. But now I do.

SPEAKER_04

No, we look at old reels that have been on the internet for about two months. Sure.

SPEAKER_01

But what I'm saying is as far as social media, um, and also at the same time, people just being in your business like a motherfucker, and no disrespect to any of my constituents. But I know y'all be trying to like sleuth, trying to find oh, who is that? It don't I don't know who she is. Mind your business.

SPEAKER_04

Well, you've also already had people lurking at your birthday party.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

So it probably wouldn't have been a good idea. Who was that?

SPEAKER_01

It's fine, it's all good. But it never it never made me once go like I don't know. It I I just didn't have any uh angst about you ever.

SPEAKER_04

Did you ever check my Instagram?

SPEAKER_01

No. Really? Yeah, I didn't check your Instagram at all.

SPEAKER_04

Because I was checking your Instagram. See, uh okay, and tagged photos, not the ones you've got to do.

SPEAKER_02

You didn't realize they'd be checking the tagged photos.

SPEAKER_04

Those are the important ones. But the thing about it was I wasn't checking it because I didn't believe you, because we were talking every single day. But it was more of like, what are you doing with your day? Like, what are you up to? Because you'd be like, Oh, I'm gonna go hang out with some friends. I'm like, who?

SPEAKER_01

So you're like, I'm nosy. He didn't tell me. I gotta check his Instagram.

SPEAKER_04

I'm just check it.

SPEAKER_01

But that's but I would even I wouldn't even really post on an Instagram like that.

SPEAKER_04

But your friends would post and tag you. You'd go to like a uh modeling um like pool party, and then your friend that the model would post a photo of all you together, and then it would be you'd be tagged. I'd find you.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

She sounds crazy.

SPEAKER_04

It's a little bit crazy, girl, but I wasn't doing it in a way of like, oh my god, you're with these people. Why you it wasn't like that. You are hilarious. Yes, you are with that ice spice. I can't. Okay, so you just trusted me, so that's why you didn't follow me. Now, let me ask you this question. And also I'm recognizing that while I do need to jump to a call, uh, we can always record when I finish. Sure. There's not, we don't have to do anything afterwards anymore. Yeah. Um, but did you follow any of your previous girlfriends on social media?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

So why did you not follow me on social media?

SPEAKER_01

Well, I think it's because previously it was it just it was it was that's funny. It was expected for me to do that.

SPEAKER_04

Uh-huh. And you didn't think I I expected you to follow me.

SPEAKER_01

Um It's like social programming and was it goes back to that unconventionality. I don't even know if that's a word.

SPEAKER_04

I think it is.

SPEAKER_01

But where people like, oh, you have to follow, you have to post each other, you have to do this. I'm like, fuck that. I'm not doing that this time. Just because people tell me I have to, I'm not gonna fucking do it. Yeah, it's just that simple. I'm gonna make my own rules, we're gonna make our own rules together and see how it works for us, and without having let uh without letting outside influences to dictate how we're supposed to move. So that's why I felt more free.

SPEAKER_04

I love that.

SPEAKER_01

But yeah, it wasn't until we got engaged, and also at the same time, sorry, when people be dating people and it and not to minimize anybody's relationships, but you be dating someone for like two, three months, something goes awry, and then you want to take down the pictures, it's just it's just not a good look.

SPEAKER_04

What about when they have in the bio like the name at and then like a lock?

SPEAKER_01

Beautiful, love that. I'm glad that y'all are locked in. Me, I you can miss me with that. I don't even have you in my bio now.

SPEAKER_04

I know. I don't need to be in your bio.

SPEAKER_01

Would you like to be in my bio?

SPEAKER_02

No, we're locked in.

SPEAKER_01

But all I'm saying is I was prepared. It just it's not a good look. And I wanted to go the I wanted to go the distance, and I'm not saying I was only waiting until marriage. In fact, that's that's the way it is. The the new age millennial. We don't wait to have sex till we get married, we wait to post you on our socials.

SPEAKER_04

Wow, this has got real really fast. Okay, what time is that?

SPEAKER_01

It's 1.37. All right.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, let's wrap this. Sure. Uh, can we finish recording when I get done?

SPEAKER_01

No, no, because we're already at 52 minutes. It's already printing.

SPEAKER_04

Right, but we don't even know what what we ended up getting.

SPEAKER_01

We was we still have this recording and that recording. The audio is just gonna be out for a little bit, but I'll sync it up later.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. Uh, we have a couple minutes, literally one.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Um, what did you learn from this podcast? What would you like to um accomplish for the next week? Intentions and all of that.

SPEAKER_04

From this podcast, I learned that you really just were free in our relationship, which is probably why it was successful. And looking forward to this week, you know, it's gonna get sunny. I need sun on my skin desperately, with protection, of course. But we're doing a staycation next weekend. I didn't tell you this, but we are nice at the Fountain Blue. Beautiful. So I'm excited for us to do that, be at the pool, get some drinks, hang out, you know, be in our lovey dovey shit.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. Do that.

SPEAKER_04

What about you?

SPEAKER_01

Um, I learned that you're really close caged in this relationship, and I think that's what that's what helped us.

SPEAKER_04

I was caged.

SPEAKER_01

Uh I was saying because you're doing opposite of me.

SPEAKER_04

Yes. You're so funny. Ha ha ha.

SPEAKER_01

Anywho, uh no, what I really learned is the same thing I've always known is that you're fantastic, and you really gave me the space to figure out what I needed for myself without putting too much pressure with a little bit of guidance, but not being overbearing, which allowed me to just breathe a little bit more and resonate to where I wanted to be, as far as being yours. So thank you. Intentions for the weekend. Um, yeah, be more strict on social media. We are I'm ramping it up with posting. We've getting these things set up and really putting some effort behind this.

SPEAKER_04

Of course, outside.

SPEAKER_01

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_04

Doing this all outside. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So nice to be like 80s this week.

SPEAKER_02

Matter of fact, I think I'm gonna go outside right after I press stop.

SPEAKER_04

All right, Farrah gotta stay in here for a bit more.

SPEAKER_01

So good. Um, I love you.

SPEAKER_04

I love you.

SPEAKER_01

Episode three.

SPEAKER_02

It's a wrap.