Skip to main content

From the Hottest Fire, Comes the Strongest Steel

Let me fill in some gaps.
Everything has been so strained and emotional lately that I haven't had time to talk about my life - not my head - my life.
It's just been depressing, emotional, despondent post after post without a word on what has been actually going on around me - outside my swirling mind. So I need to tell you what has been happening.

I didn't do my exams. In fact, I didn't do a day of revision.
So, nearly two weeks ago, at 9am, as everyone else in my class opened up their first exam paper, I was sitting waiting for my first interview. 
I'd had enough. I couldn't do it. Weak. Yes. I was weak - I had no intention of fighting or trying. I was too exhausted by everything. I had stopped caring about myself and my life.
Alex had been doing his exams for the two weeks before this, I was on 'revision leave', and I was sitting at home, dying. No really, really, just dying. I let it be. Yes, I let it be. Sit and rot. Do nothing except watch yourself die.

But something took pity on me.
God
The ghost of my father
Some unknown benign spirit
Luck
Coincidence
I don't know...

but I've been given a chance;
Something has given me a lifeline that I probably don't deserve. And despite everything, I woke up and took it with both hands.


Let me explain.

I took a gamble. Someone recommended me to a graduate recruitment company. So I sent a CV. And on that Monday morning, as my exams began, I had my first interview...and on Friday afternoon, twelve days later, as exams ended, I got my job offer.
I got my job offer.
I stuck two fingers up at law school and law and took my original degree in English Literature and excellent CV to people who cared...
I should have done it when I graduated this time last year, but I wasn't ready - I was too ill, I was too fragile, too desperate - still a giddy teenager in so many ways.

But you know, I've got Alex now - and you are all so right - his love is too strong and potent for me to ignore it, no matter how loud Ana screams at me. He gives me something... a desire I suppose - a desire to live, a desire to thrive, a desire to be someone for him to be proud of...
I went in to all those interviews and became another person - outgoing, confident, punchy, intelligent, hungry, tough and ambitious - and I did it - I beat the competition - I got it - something amazing - the opportunity to turn my whole life around - the opportunity I had dreamed of as an ambitiously hungry child - to be something great, something successful - to be something.
"Yes, I like her - a gutsy girl".
At first I felt like a fake.
But then, with every interview, every time they asked me back, every time I got great feedback, I began to believe... and then, finally, after the final interview, she came back with a smile and a job offer. You know why? Because I am all those things I felt I had to pretend to be in my interviews; outgoing, confident, punchy, intelligent, hungry, tough and ambitious. Whatever this eating disorder has destroyed, it has given me something more: From the Hottest Fire, Comes the Strongest Steel: All the hell, all the pain, all the torment - it all kept strengthening the sinew holding me together, making me want life and happiness and success more than anything.
And I start on Tuesday. Something. I owe it to something out there - for giving me this amazing opportunity - for not letting me rot.


I start on Tuesday.
In the centre of the great City of London
amongst the towering investment banks and roaring double decker red buses
I will go to work every day
mentored by one of the most successful women in her industry
"I want to offer you the job. You're going to come with me to meet heads of international finance. I was the top biller in my last company, and I'm going to teach you everything to make you the top biller here."
I went straight to Alex's place and cried tears of joy over the glass of champagne he poured for me.
"I have the two things I wanted... I can't believe it, Alex, I finally have the two things I wanted more than anything for so long - I have you, an incredible man by my side, and also, I've been given the opportunity for a successful career. They were the two things I wanted at the start of the year. And I actually have them."
It never occurred to me, that I wanted to be thin and beautiful. It didn't even come to mind that I didn't have the one thing I had been killing myself for for so long. I was too happy and too safe for those terrible things to even haunt my mind.



But now it's up to me.
I cannot fuck this up.
For the first time in years, my father would be proud of me right now, and I am not going to let him down ever again, for all he ever wanted, was for me to be successful.
I am not going to let Alex down, for he gave me so much love and support.
I am not going to let my employer down, for she had the faith to hire me and believe in my ability.
I am not going to let my mum down, for she has born her pain for so many years.

And I am not going to let myself down. For I am good enough for this.
I am good enough for life.


To all the Ophelia's out there... I know that more often than not, living is more painful than all the torment of drowning. But I believe, more than anything, that living must be worth it, and that still, I can have it all, I can be a super woman, I can be thin and strong and successful...



As God is my witness...
...


Comments

  1. Good luck!
    That is amazing and wonderful, and you totally deserve all of it. I hope the job goes really, really well. You deserve Alex and that job so much!
    :]

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Gone With the Wind... what a book. What a movie.
    You just need to channel your inner Scarlett O'Hara :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This post is amazing. I love this empowered Ophelia. You really really deserve to feel like this. Hold on to it. And if it fades, look back at this post and remember, this is possible. x

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is inspiring, I am so happy for you, through all the fighting and weakness you have made it, and you can see that you are worth it, you are good enough. I, I wish you all my luck, even though you don't need it. I know you can do this. You show them, you strong, beautiful girl :) x.

    ReplyDelete
  5. considering that scarlett was in love with someone who never loved her (but made herself believe the opposite) and lost her daughter and the man she could truly love and who wanted to be with her... i'm not sure...

    ReplyDelete
  6. You go!! Well done times a thousand!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am so fucking STOAKED right now!!!

    Such awesome news! I toast you with an imaginary glass f imaginary champagne!!

    :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congrats! That is amazing. This shows you just how worthy you are. Everyone deserves to be happy-I didn't believe it myself either until I met my hubby and knew I'd be stupid to walk away from the chance at happiness and love in favor of misery. I may be some random poster to you and I have commented on your blog before to follow your heart and follow love out of the darkness AND I AM SO GLAD YOU DID!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey, I hope you don't mind but I quoted from your blog in a recent post because I loved the sentiment you expressed. Just let me know if you want me to take it down. x

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm so happy for you, darling. :) You're absolutely right in believing that you're strong. And you're also absolutely right in fighting to make yourself someone for Alex to be proud of. In fact, that second part has inspired me to work harder to be someone for my Jacob to be proud of. We can do that--and obviously, you can; you're well on your way. Of course you're good enough, love. I've always known that. Stay strong, and keep getting stronger. I'm so proud of you!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats, lovely.
    I hope to soon follow in your footsteps.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh my god, this post made my day. This is wonderful news! Remember you've got a whole crowd of cheerleaders, cheering you on! You'll keep making us proud - every time you make yourself proud.

    ReplyDelete
  13. As a long time follower of your blog I just wanted to say how excited I am for you. Strong as steel, I know you can do it!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Don't be anonymous, leave a name at least so I can identify you back :)

Popular posts from this blog

With all my everlasting love, Goodbye...

Well, I got the job. I spent the last three weeks living and breathing the company and the role, preparing myself completely for the onslaught of interviews. Every spare moment pouring over economics textbooks, business journals and newspapers, paperbacks and online resources. I did everything I could to get that job. I sat on the train on my journey home with my eyes closed and sent my thoughts up to the sky please let me get it, please, please I start in 4 weeks, straight after I finish at the school. Right back in the centre of the City of London. where I belong . where I can thrive, work hard and play hard back to my best whatever that best is I got the call to say I'd been offered the job in the middle of my therapy session. I was overjoyed. My therapist congratulated me. We talked about the incredible progress I had made. We talked about the end... We decided that my last session will be the week before I start my new job. The sun was shining outside, I felt invin

The Hardest Post...

. This is the hardest post I have ever had to write. I apologise if it's sporadic and raw. This is everything from the last two months. When I went away with Alex for a weekend on the 16th July and when we went away for the second time on the 13th August. How things became incredible. How things fell apart. The writing in red is what I have written today - my input now - the writing in black is what I wrote on the date stated. Written on 19th July 2010 The dream is not a dream. It exists. I tasted it. I lived it. The happiness of my childhood is not dead. It lives around me – in other children, in other families. I walked hand-in-hand with Alex through the gardens of Chatsworth House, listening to the laughter of children, watching old couples sitting on the wall eating huge cones of soft white ice cream. Seeing families all around me. Joy, happiness, laughter, innocence, contentment, fulfilment. I was right all along. I knew it. I knew it! I had known all along what

Winning

A narrative of the last few days… So Friday was the big day. I went back to my university town for the Annual Dinner Night of my old society. All present members and all alumni – all my best friends, all my old lovers, and the place that made and broke my reputation. Thursday: all I ate all day were two sweets. And I only ate them because M offered them to me on two separate occasions in the library. (M – the law school guy I can’t stop myself from being besotted with.) I was convinced that I looked terrible that day so I hid in the library at law school during our break. I hadn’t seen M all week, but that day, I left my desk for two minutes and returned to find he had sat himself two seats away. I was mortified and pretended not to see him… although from that point on I found it impossible to concentrate on my books… He spoke to me first, and obviously when he offered me a sweet I couldn’t say no for fear of looking weird / seeming rude. Anyway, straight after my day at college was ov