You Can't Always Get What You Want.[LEWC]

The simple moral of this story is that you cannot always get what you want. This is the story of a man; a man who is married for the second time, yet has found another who has stole his heart. The man struggles everyday with this pain. There is no end in sight. He wonders if this may be his penance for the horrible things he has done in his past.

The man’s marriage is not well. The only positive aspect is his beautiful and spirited daughter. The wife just does not show her love to the husband, and does not respect all that he does for the family. She chooses to drink and carry on with friends while the man bathes, feeds, and cares for the child. The man has grown comfortable with his position as primary care giver for the child, yet he is lonely, and longs for the intimate relationship that is supposed to exist between man and wife.

Every day the man is let down by the lack of action from his wife. He sinks into depression and detaches from the world. He struggles through life and wonders if this may be his bad karma reaching up and kicking him swiftly in the rear end. Through his everyday life he comes to know a woman. She is the caregiver for his child a few days a week. At first he did not know what to think of the woman.

She was recently divorced and has two beautiful daughters. She is a strong woman who has been through hell and back and fights everyday for the welfare of her children. She has been an excellent caregiver to the man’s child, and an overall great friend. She experienced many of the same problems in her marriage as the man does in his. Over the course of two years the man and the woman have bonded as friends. The woman seems compassionate to the man’s situation, and he had grown to care for both her, and her children.

So now the man struggles further. He has come to realize he is in love with the woman who cares for his child yet he cannot abandon his family in pursuit of his own desires. Not a day goes by that he does not think of her and the possibilities of the future. He dreams of a life with her and them living together as a family. He also realizes that these dreams will never come true. Something that good is just not possible in this man’s life.


The man cannot and will not leave his family. He has a responsibility to his wife, and even if things are not right he cannot leave her alone. He has to ensure the safety of his child overall, and sometimes that includes sacrificing his happiness. The man will gladly sacrifice his happiness for his child’s welfare as he has spent his life sacrificing for others.

The moral of the man’s story is that he walks through life everyday with love for a woman who he will never be with. He carries this pain and tries to bury it deep when in the presence of others. The pain is so strong at times it consumes the man. Pain is the norm for this man and he expects to endure much more before he leaves this world. Maybe he deserves this tortures pain, or maybe he just has bad luck. Only time will tell. In the end one thing sure is true; you can’t always get what you want.

reply to post by usmc0311

I hope my comments are not upsetting to you.

Although this is about a man's desires, in the end to me it's about what this story doesn't say. It reads as the grass is always greener type of victim situation. How easy it is to do that, to focus just on our own problems without trying to insert some kind of balanced perspective. He is digging a hole for himself by escaping to an impossible situation, and I'm sure many people can relate to this. It makes me wonder if it isn't self-sabotage and whether alcohol is involved.

Throughout the reading, I wondered how did the wife, the perpetrator of the perceived injustice, feel about the situation? At what point did it begin to go wrong for her too? It is a déjà vu for me though, as I can relate to much of this story, although in my home situation alcohol did rear its ugly head.

Perhaps the married couple both needed a soft place to land and neither provided it? Throughout the reading I detected a mourning and a longing for what he really needs and in my humble opinion it is to remedy his situation with his wife.

By escaping to other pastures he is taking on the role of the neglected and wronged victim, whereas I wondered if his wife did not feel exactly the same, since the story makes no mention of how she has perceived her own situation and her own unmet needs. The breakdown is therefore inevitable if each focuses on their own plight of neglect and rejection and builds a wall around that. It makes me ask whether couples counseling and good communication were entirely avoided since your story did not mention this.

It really rang home with me though. The children always end up with the pain. Flag for making me think.

reply to post by aboutface


I think that was a very good breakdown of the situation. You pretty much hit the nail on the head. Thank you for the reply as is is truly helpful.

reply to post by usmc0311


I want to say just one thing about your story. These stories in this category are (very) personal stories. You need to name yourself here - this isn't about another man - some stranger...this is about you in your own life

The moral of the man’s story is that he walks through life everyday with love for a woman who he will never be with. He carries this pain and tries to bury it deep when in the presence of others. The pain is so strong at times it consumes the man. Pain is the norm for this man and he expects to endure much more before he leaves this world. Maybe he deserves this tortures pain, or maybe he just has bad luck. Only time will tell. In the end one thing sure is true; you can’t always get what you want.

This bit really got to me. Just my opinion maybe, but - no, we don't always get what we want. There is no crime in trying for what you want however. Be the protagonist in your own story - and don't let duty and love for your child and a sense of resignation be an excuse to live half a life. You can have a full life and still be there for your kid. In fact - you will be doing her a favor by pursuing your own happiness and allowing yourself to be happy

You might not win the woman you love - as you said - we don't always get what we want. Here's hoping you learn to want more - that's my wish for you

edit to add: I just read all your other stories ...you have a lot to say - and I notice the most personal of them is where you remove the word 'I'

So, ignore my advice above about putting yourself in the story - what do I know?

But, hopefully you'll understand and take my other bit of advice

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


Thank you for the reply. I sometimes have an easier time telling the stories from the outside like that. I beleive it is because I can better script it that way. Thank you as well for the advice.

reply to post by usmc0311


Geez, masqua sure opened up a can-o-worms with this month's contest. Honestly, more people have gotten rid of more of negativity than you could with hours in session with a shrink.

Don't be intimidated by comments people leave. Your story rings true, and if you prefer to use third person, then knock yourself out. You can choose any writing style you want.

I can relate to your story as well. There's always that what "if". The grass may be greener, or may not, but if your life is making you miserable, do something to change it. Every human deserves to be happy. Period. Your children will always be your children, and you will always be their father, but they will grow up someday, and move on with their own lives. You cannot be the best father you can be being miserable, and not being true to yourself. Think about that. SnF.

reply to post by usmc0311


I did not use I in either of my stories either. I simply told them as if they were stories and not as if they were a biography.

I think you did just fine.

S&F

reply to post by usmc0311


That really hit home with me, because I have been in much the same situation. Well written of course, straight from the heart.

S&F

reply to post by Druid42

Don't be intimidated by comments people leave. Your story rings true, and if you prefer to use third person, then knock yourself out. You can choose any writing style you want.

His story does ring true - it really got to me. So did one of his other stories

He shouldn't be bothered by other people's comments - you're right. And like I said - what do I know?

It wasn't intended as literary criticism - just friendly advice from a stranger who saw something of the man in what he wrote

This was a deep read for me. I have been almost where you are. It made me sad that you have a wife who doesn't appreciate what you do for her. At 20 years of age, I was very much a wife like that. We both grew up though and things got a lot better. I wish better for you and wish I could tell you how to make her grow up (no matter how old she is). Never think that somehow you don't deserve to be happy. You do. There may come a time where you need to live your life for you and your child. There is only so much rejection we can take before it becomes painfully unbearable.

S&F for you. Well done IMO.