Captain Conflict’s Journal - Entry #417: The Tragic Case of the Signed Form
Dear Journal,
Today was a very difficult day for me.
Not emotionally, of course — I am extremely calm, rational, and centred at all times.
But logistically difficult. Which is much worse.
You see, I received 2 travel consent forms.
Two.
At once.
This felt aggressive.
Not because travel consent forms are unusual.
Not because they fall outside her parenting time.
Not because they interfere with anything at all.
But because… why now?
I sensed immediately that this was not about travel.
This was about power.
On Control (A Completely Normal Topic)
Some people misunderstand control.
They say things like:
• “Why do you need to approve everything?”
• “Why does a signature feel so threatening?”
• “Why didn’t this bother you when you travelled without permission?”
These are bad questions.
The correct question is:
Why does she keep acting like an independent adult?
I am deeply unsettled by this behaviour.
My Generous, Reasonable Position
To be clear, I am not refusing consent.
I would never refuse consent.
I am merely:
• postponing
• delaying
• deferring
• suspending
• strategically pausing
Until a future event that may or may not affect anything.
This is called cooperation.
The CPS Hearing (My Favourite Shield)
I have recently discovered a very useful phrase:
“Let’s wait until after the CPS hearing.”
This phrase can be applied to:
• travel
• signatures
• decisions
• momentum
• reality
It works beautifully.
Whenever I feel control slipping, I simply invoke The CPS Hearing — a mystical future moment where I imagine all authority will be restored to me by people who have definitely misunderstood everything so far.
⸻
On Her Suspicious Organization
What truly alarms me is her level of preparation.
She:
• plans ahead
• books things in advance
• organises multiple trips at once
This is highly irregular behaviour and must be motivated by malice.
Normal people only plan one thing at a time, ideally with my approval.
A Note on Money (Unrelated, But Also Important)
People keep bringing up the fact that I have not paid what I am legally required to pay.
This is unfair.
I am thinking about paying it.
I am also emotionally processing paying it.
And frankly, I feel that my internal hesitation should count as compliance.
On Her Happiness (Deeply Concerning)
What troubles me most is that she appears to be:
• calm
• organised
• unbothered
• living well
This was not part of the plan.
I was assured — repeatedly — that she would fall apart without me.
Yet here she is:
travelling
engaged - to what my kids says is a great guy (they have clearly brainwashed the child!)
parenting
functioning
Without seeking my permission emotionally.
This feels like a personal attack.
My Closing Thought (Very Insightful)
I believe history will show that:
• I was reasonable
• I was patient
• I was cooperative
And that my repeated refusal to sign things, pay things, or let go of things was actually a boundaries issue.
Boundaries are very important to me.
Especially when they belong to me.
Signed,
Captain Conflict
Victim of Forms, Freedom, and Forward Planning
