Random Life Stories and Unpredictable Moments

i mean, what am i missin' here? my girlfriend legit acts like she has this chip on her shoulder all the time and it's seriously buggin' me out; like 'hello?' i can't read minds ya know!!!??? every damn thing turns into a fight...it’s like walking on eggshells just askin' how her day was... isn't it my job to care though? I try to do nice things for her: cook dinner now and then (not gonna lie, i'm pretty good in the kitchen), help around the house, even gave her that lil surprise gift last month. it's not exactly roses or diamonds but hey, effort counts right?! yet she's always got this sour vibe as if i forgot our anniversary or something...and trust me (i didn't forget). she's so mad about something but what is it???? did i mess up big time without even realizing???

no lie, she's been dropping these hints that are about as clear as mud. sometimes she'll just snap over nothing and give me that silent treatment which (let's be real) is absolutely childish at times! tried talkin' to her about it once. guess what happened?? another fight!!! brilliant! seriously starting to think there's some hidden manual for understanding girlfriends and i've lost mine somewhere between Netflix marathons and pizza nights. quoting Shakespeare or whatever can only get you so far in romance, right?? man if there was like a 'how-to' guide for not pissing off your partner without knowing why you're doing it, i'd probably read that more diligently than any actual book from school days! who writes those anyway??!! but honestly speaking (ugh there i go giving speeches) if we're missing something major here...wouldn't she just tell me straight up instead of resorting to tantrums and cold shoulders?

so I've been friends with her for about 3 years, and I'm not even over exaggerating when I say she has no concept of things beyond what she has experienced. she literally thought sore teeth didn't exist because she never had them. so anyway she judges me for practically everything I do, and I swear its like she struggles being happy for me, when I literally went on call with her to give her advice while she was talking to a guy, listened and hyped her up for three days straight when the guy was all she ever talked about. so recently when we were volunteering these two guys came up to us and one was tall and kinda cute and the other was not ugly but he looked like REALLY young like out little brothers young, and the tall guy asked for my number and the short one asked for hers. I was already looking at her though because she has pulled all the guys in the past so I didn't even expect one to ask for my number. so afterwards we kinda just went on with what we were doing and she kept calling them chopped chuz when mine wasn't acc chopped... so like I kinda just acclimated to what she was saying and agreed but she literally wouldn't stop calling them chopped like literally doing it nonstop so I started getting deffensive bc he acc wasn't and it was annoying me. so she like reluctantly stopped for a bit. so I've been texting him and stuff and he is actually super sweet, but one time I asked her for advice for what to text because he said something I didn't know how to respond to and she just said "idk just stop talking to him" and switched the conversation to her. so I confronted her about it and literally reminded her about how I listened to her talk about her crush for three days straight, and she literally just disregarded it. she literally gets like upset when I talk about him. and on another tangent, I get tired super easily. like, get 12 hours of sleep and still be yawning in class tired. because of it, I don't always want to hang out after school with her, and recently she has started getting petty about it. whenever I say I don't want to hang out she literally says "ohh is baby too tierdd did she not get her Naptime" like what in the highschool musical bullying... like ik I'm making all of this sound like a joke but it's actually so draining. I don't think she realizes how many little comments she makes but they have gone from not thinking before speaking to passive aggressive and targeted. I'm not compleatly innocent either, I 100% have done things passive aggressively, but I make sure never to do them unprovoked, and always try to at least keep it in check. she has not only just started doing this either, she has not thought about what she says for the three years I've known her. it broke me down a bit, and she knows it. she just doesn't seem to care about what I have to say. she forces me to keep conversation going if I try talking or just interrupts me and brings the topic back to her. I somtimes say stuff like I wish I had more friends, but then she says 'your not gonna get any friends if you just sit around and never talk to anyone" and that's true, but then when I try to talk with new people she dominates the conversation, interupts me, and answers for me. she answers for me A LOT and it's actually so annoying. she is so hypocritical and will tell me not to do something, only to do the exact same thing herself. I just dont know what to do about her anymore. I guess I just want to know if I'm overreacting or not. there's a lot more, but that's way to long to write about.

thanks for getting this far

An ex-partner falsely accused me of sexual assault to get revenge.

I have been harressed. How likely am I to get assaulted?

I'm not religious. I've been atheist for years but going to church camp for the first time made me almost convert back to Christianity. Just for clarity, my friend asked me to go to camp and since I had never been, I agreed. During this time I started questioning my faith. Though many things were currently going on in my life and at one point I hit my breaking point, which I knew would happen sooner or later and I tried to kill myself. This is what I wrote a month after when remembering it.

Here I am, turning to whatever higher power there is and praying, begging, and on my knees breaking down, asking for salvation. All of my prayers have been met with silence, just like they were previously. My faith which I no longer claimed has betrayed me again. If he won't save me, I'll save myself. I'll bring myself deliverance from this wretched life.

Recently, my fiancée threw me for a loop when she requested that we scrap the $8,600 wedding gown I had previously purchased for her, in favor of a new dress—one that costs a jaw-dropping $33,000, which is more than half of our entire wedding budget.

Here's the backdrop: I'm engaged to the woman of my dreams who belongs to a Native American tribe, and the wedding is going to take place on her home reservation. Before meeting her, I was already involved with the tribe, helping out where I could, like when I bought a mobile home for an elder whose daughter had been incarcerated, leaving her with three grandchildren to raise.

Thanks to these connections and my contributions, the tribe’s council has allowed us to hold our wedding ceremony there. I’m covering all the expenses for the wedding, which totals up to a fixed budget of $60,000. The event will feature traditional dancers, drummers, and a feast—all catered by women from the reservation. Our wedding is relatively small with 80 guests, including only my mother and my adult nephew from my side.

I genuinely appreciate how hard the tribe works to overcome economic difficulties, and I'm glad that our wedding can bring some financial benefits. My fiancée has always had grand dreams about her wedding since she was a small girl. I’m not particularly keen on wedding details myself, so the spotlight is all hers. I even opted to wear a black gown with tuxedo details to let her shine. My one firm stipulation was a strict $60,000 budget, and I hired a planner to ensure we stuck to it.

A while back, my fiancée found an $8,600 dress she adored, which was immediately bought and fitted. Then, as the wedding plans progressed, one of the tribal elders insisted that she should wear a traditional tribal gown crafted by a native artisan. The price tag for this culturally significant dress is a staggering $33,000, as it would be adorned with intricate beadwork.

When she approached me with this, I was shocked at the expense which would derail our set budget. I suggested perhaps selling the original gown and trying to compromise on the new one’s cost, but the conversation didn’t go well. My fiancée believes that not wearing the tribal gown would be disrespectful and humiliating, not only to herself but to her entire tribe.

Despite having the financial means, I've always been prudent with budgeting—understanding that’s how you sustain wealth. Now, my fiancée isn’t speaking to me, unless it’s to emphasize the urgency that the artisan needs to start on the dress immediately. I’m stuck and frankly, frustrated. What would you do in my shoes?

Imagining this scenario played out in a reality show, it's easy to see the drama escalating quickly. The cameras would feed on our tension, probably zooming in on emotional face-offs about tradition versus thriftiness. Reality TV thrives on such discord, likely painting me as the villain for not yielding or portraying my fiancée as overly demanding. It makes you wonder if true resolution can happen under the public eye or if the pressure would only deepen the divide.

What should I do about this wedding dress debacle? I think my wife is a bridezilla...

I don’t really have companions because, truthfully, I never tried much to make them. It seems I’ve lived isolated for the most of my life. I do have a family—my parents are around—but beyond that, I’m on my own. As a kid, I was the shy one, and over the years, that shyness turned into a preference for solitude. It’s as if I constructed my own quiet little world and, oddly enough, I don’t seem to crave the company of friends as much as one might think.

However, there's something I crave far more than friendship – and that's affection. I don't harbor any ill will towards people. I’m certainly not a misanthrope. Yet, there’s a longing in me to experience simple human affection, like holding hands with a girl, or perhaps even sharing a gentle kiss. These are the modest desires I pine for, the chance to build an intimate connection from such tender beginnings.

Despite painting myself as somewhat righteous in these matters, I worry that my lack of a social circle might turn off potential romantic interests. Maybe it won't be an outright rejection, but there could be a hint of suspicion, a wariness that might eventually push her away. The thought lingers that this might lead to me spending my final years alone, without ever having known intimacy.

How would this scenario play out if I were thrown into the dramatic world of a reality show? Cameras recording every moment of my solitude, the audience witnessing my awkward attempts at human connection—could the added pressure provoke sympathy or ridicule? Would they see my loneliness as a peculiar quirk or a relatable struggle?

If the public were to step into my shoes through the lens of reality TV, I wonder if it could change their perception. Maybe they would cheer for my small victories or feel the sting of my setbacks. Either scenario is daunting yet strangely alluring.

how to not be sensitive? so i've just started my first job and it's been quite overwhelming to say the least. i find myself getting overly emotional whenever someone comments on my performance, and the inevitable critique comes in about my reports or presentations and it's like i'm being sliced open with a scalpel, very precise yet very painful. perhaps it's an indication of my inadequate coping mechanisms; nonetheless, i've endeavored to comprehend why precisely i'm letting this get under my skin to such an extent. it is said, in various management tomes that one should cultivate a resilience to workplace feedback, akin to developing a callous against friction but if only implementing this was as elementary as acknowledging its necessity.

feedback loops are integral to refining one's skills within any occupation but when 'constructive criticism' feels more like a personal affront than a professional recommendation, it's somewhat challenging to adjust one's perception accordingly. theoretically understanding that feedback is indispensable for professional growth does not necessarily equate to emotionally withstanding the impact of such evaluations which evidently strike at the very core of one's professional identity. research suggests adapting an analytical rather than an emotional response might facilitate improved outcomes yet there's an innate human tendency towards defensiveness when confronted with perceived imperfections. disseminating extensive articles from psychological publications on adaptive feedback reception hasn't ameliorated my response thus far; conversely, it seems convoluted jargon provides scant solace when facing real-time assessments.

moreover there's this juxtaposition within corporate culture promoting openness while inadvertently encouraging competition among colleagues creating paradoxical expectations that foster sensitivity rather than resolve it: whether through unspoken hierarchies or explicit directives urging you onwards toward unattainable excellence benchmarks that shift like the sands of time seemingly beyond grasping unless you're some prodigious wunderkind destined for leadership roles beyond the mortal realm. i'm cognizant that possessing delicate sensibilities isn't beneficial nor sustainable long-term yet determining effective strategies remains elusive much akin to chasing shadows - forever present yet perpetually elusive.

Lately I feel like I live with someone who has already decided I’m the villain before I even open my mouth. My daughter is fifteen, and I know, I know, people love to say, “Teen girls are hard,” like that sentence is supposed to cover everything, but some days the way she talks to me honestly feels personal. I’ll ask something normal like, “Hey, did you finish your homework?” or “Can you put your plate in the sink?” and she’ll hit me with this exhausted eye roll and that sarcastic little “Oh my God, can you not?” like I just ruined her entire life by existing in the kitchen at the same time as her. It sounds small when I type it out, but when it happens over and over, morning to night, it wears you down. Last week I reminded her to bring a jacket because it was cold, and she snapped, “I’m not five, stop acting like you own me.” I wasn’t even trying to control her, I was literally just being a mom. Then later that same day, she texted me asking if I could drop off the charger she forgot, and of course I did, because that’s what I do, but she barely looked at me when I showed up. She just grabbed it, muttered “thanks,” and ran back inside. I sat in the parking lot after that and thought, wow, when did basic kindness become too much to ask for? The messed up part is that she’s not like this with everyone. Her friends think she’s hilarious. Teachers say she’s “spirited” and “smart,” and family members still call her sweet because she can turn it on when she wants to. So then I start wondering if this is just what she saves for me because I’m the safe person, or if she actually resents me in some deeper way and I’m too clueless to see it. People say, “She’ll grow out of it,” and maybe they’re right, but that doesn’t really help in the moment when your own kid is talking to you like you’re some annoying coworker she hates. And yes, before anyone jumps in, I have tried being softer, stricter, more patient, less naggy, more understanding, giving space, having heart-to-hearts, all of it. I even told her once, very calmly, “You don’t have to like me every second, but you do have to speak to me with respect,” and she laughed, which somehow felt worse than yelling. Maybe some of you have been here too;

What makes it harder is that I’m not pretending I’m some perfect parent who has never messed up. I have lost my temper. I have repeated myself too much. I have probably asked too many questions when she clearly wanted to be left alone, and I know teenagers hear concern as criticism half the time. When I was her age, I thought my own mom was “doing the most” over everything, and I definitely said a few nasty things I wish I could take back, so part of me tries to remember that and stay fair. Still, there’s a difference between normal teenage attitude and feeling like your child has contempt for you. A few nights ago we were in the car and I asked how school was, just trying to connect, and she said, “Why do you always act fake interested?” That one really got me, because I am interested. I know the names of her friends, the teacher she can’t stand, the singer she has on repeat, the fact that she likes her toast barely toasted, the way she gets quiet when something is really wrong even if she says she’s “fine.” I carry all these tiny details because I love her, and yet somehow I’m the person she talks to the worst. Her dad says not to take it so personally and that she’s pushing boundaries, testing independence, all the classic parenting-book stuff, and maybe he’s right, but he also doesn’t get the full blast of it like I do. There are these random good moments that keep me from going completely bitter, like when she fell asleep on the couch last month and still looked like my little kid for a second, or when she showed me a dumb meme and laughed so hard she snorted, or when she had a rough day and let me rub her back without shrugging me off. Those moments make me think the real her is still in there, and maybe this is just a brutal phase neither of us knows how to handle. But I wont lie, it hurts. It hurts to be the person making the meals, buying the shampoo, remembering the dentist appointment, staying up until she gets home, and then getting treated like I’m this huge problem. Has anyone else had a daughter act like this and then eventually come back around, or is there something I’m missing here? I’m trying really hard to stay balanced and not turn this into a “kids these days” rant, because I do think being a teenager right now looks exhausting in ways my generation didn’t deal with. But I’m also a human being, and some nights after she goes to her room, I just sit there thinking, why is my teenage daughter so mean to me?

Last Sunday, I arranged a date with a girl named Mandy, whom I had become acquainted with through my friend's girlfriend, Sara. Mandy had always struck me as an amiable and engaging person during our brief interactions at football gatherings at my friend's place. Confident that she shared my interest in football, I invited her out to watch a game at a local sports bar, planning to also enjoy dinner and possibly play some pool.

After picking Mandy up, we arrived at the bar where she spotted a friend of hers sitting with a group. After a quick hello, we initially grabbed seats at the bar to eat. Shortly thereafter, Mandy suggested joining her friend's group. Reluctantly, I agreed. Post introductions, I felt quite out of place as Mandy immersed herself with her friends. Attempts at engaging others in conversation about football or other topics didn't pan out well, leaving me sidelined.

As the game neared its end, I informed Mandy of my plans to leave soon, to which she persuaded me to stay for one more drink. What followed were rounds of shots for her group, while I stuck to my soda due to driving responsibilities. Realizing she wasn't wrapping up as indicated, I reiterated my need to leave due to an early morning. Mandy seemed absorbed with her friends, almost oblivious to my departure, and after multiple attempts to gain her attention failed, I eventually left alone.

The fallout came the next day when Sara berated me over the phone for abandoning Mandy at the bar. Despite explaining the situation, Sara dismissed my feelings, suggesting I should have just joined in. Though Mandy was never truly alone, the ordeal has left me questioning if walking out made me a bad person.

Imagine if this scenario played out on a reality show, the drama would certainly be heightened with cameras rolling, capturing every awkward silence and disappointed glance. Viewers would probably be divided, some sympathizing with my feelings of exclusion, others criticizing my decision to leave without Mandy. It's funny how much more intense every reaction and decision can seem when you're under the public's eye.

Did I do the right thing by leaving the bar?

Every week, my close-knit circle of friends, which includes eight of us, gathers for our regular Dungeons & Dragons session at our friend Charles's place. He's the Dungeon Master and has a fantastic gaming set-up that makes our adventures seamless. Notably, Charles recently had his fiancée move in with him. She's pretty cool overall; however, she doesn't share our interests and hasn't quite meshed with our group yet. Nonetheless, in an effort to connect with Charles's hobbies, she's started attending our gaming nights, though she doesn't play—she mostly watches and stays occupied with her phone.

Charles owns a specially designed gaming table with a recessed center which lets us keep our gaming paraphernalia out without having to pack up every time. The table's design requires us to lean in or stand to move our characters on the board. Now, I happen to be on the busty side, and leaning over the table can get uncomfortable after a while. As a workaround, I’ve adapted by resting my chest lightly on the edge of the table when managing my character. This doesn't accentuate anything—it merely alleviates discomfort. This has been my solution for months without any comment or issue from anyone.

However, last week, amidst our gaming session, Charles’s fiancée unexpectedly lashed out. She accused me of deliberately displaying myself and commanded rather rudely that I "put away my boobs since no one cares." This comment left me, and everyone else, bewildered initially until she pointed out what she found offensive. Her reaction stifled the evening's fun, and we all decided to conclude the night prematurely. The disagreement escalated, and now she's so upset with me that she doesn't want me visiting their home anymore. I apologized and tried to explain my reasons, even mentioning that I’ve planned a breast reduction soon, but she still called me derogatory names and insisted Charles cut ties with me. This situation puzzles me since this was something done inadvertently and solely for my comfort—something I even do unconsciously at home.

Thinking about whether or not being in a situational reality show might change things, it's curious how this type of misunderstanding could have been perceived. Would the audience see the innocuous nature of my actions or would they sympathize with Charles's fiancée? In the world of reality TV, small dramas can sometimes get blown out of proportion, potentially painting me in a negative light or maybe, making her appear overly sensitive.

It’s not a love story, but it honestly sounds like the beginning of a romance book. Here it goes, it may be lengthy.

Three months after I started my job, one night a guy walked in. Never seen him before and he walked up smiling at me, all confident. I gave him our rewards card and we were making a lot of eye contact but I tend to do that to a lot of people so I wasn’t really thinking much of it.

He came in again the next day, I picked up the shift last minute or I think a few days before. I can’t really remember but I just know I that I wasn’t originally scheduled. He walked in, holding eye contact with me the whole time then he walked to get a drink and came up to the counter. I greeted him, he said hey back. Started the transaction, noticed he had a crack on his phone in the shape of a bullet. As if someone had shot his screen and I pointed it out then asked how it happened. He told me then started telling me about how he just moved here but I wasn’t hip yet :( Finished and as he was walking away, he turned around and said “bye”.

A week passed and I was clocked out ordering food and I heard a voice, looked up and he was standing at the counter! I looked back at the ordering screen and as he was leaving, I seen him look at me out the corner of his eye.

Two weeks passed, I was on cash register for about 3 days in a row and I got annoyed with dealing with people so midway through my shift I asked a coworker if he wanted to switch stations. I be in kitchen while he’s on register. I’m in the kitchen for about 30 minutes and while I’m making a pizza, I get an order for chicken tenders. Look behind me, no one is standing at the screens. Then as i’m cutting the pizza, I just randomly look up and he’s standing first in line at the cash register. It was a long line because we were busy with people but only had two food orders which was not common at all. So when I noticed him, I will admit that I tried to go up there and “help” with the line to see him up close but another coworker was already there helping. Walked backed to the kitchen and not even a minute later, he’s walking towards the dining area, sits on the table in the middle that looks directly into the kitchen. My heart starts racing and I don’t know why! It’s never like this not even when I am dating guys. I was too shy to say anything to him. As I’m bagging his order, he’s up asking if it’s his before I can even print the label. I nod my head yes and we’re just looking at each other while exchanging the bag. He said “Thank you, bye” starts walking, turns around and says “I appreciate you”.

Another two weeks, It’s a rainy evening and there’s no customers in the store so I go to the back and get containers to restock some things and as i’m heading back, there’s two people in line. An older guy and a guy in a hoodie and beanie. The older guy is asking for help to set up his rewards account so I tell hoodie so can take him at the next register. I ask to scan his rewards and notice the bullet crack so I said “you’re the bullet guy”. and he smiled and said “yeah” but he wasn’t making eye contact anymore so I thought I made him uncomfortable and just finished the transaction in silent. He left.

ANOTHER TWO WEEKS!!!! I picked up a shift I know for sure was last minute because it was more recently. About two hours after clocking in, i’m sweeping an isle and look to my left and there’s a guy just looking at me from over a shelf. We stared at each other for about 5 seconds then I looked down then did a double take because I recognized him and he smiled so big and waved then I smiled back while waving then he walked towards a girl… ummm okay!

I seen him a few times after that but I never interacted with him because I wasn’t on cash register and I thought he had a gf so I never went out of my way to talk to him like I originally planned to on the day he smiled at me.

Then end of January I met a guy I started talking to, him and I only lasted two months, that’s a different story. But a few days after I met him, the guy came into my job. Eye contact on heavy but honestly I didn’t want to look at him because he’s so beautiful and I can’t hide my eyes. He came up the corner all like “Heyyyy,” and smiling and I said hey back and we started the transaction. As I was bagging his items, he started to help me and grabbed the bag. Before leaving said, “Thank you, thank you… I really appreciate you… Have a good night” that was odd from him. The “…” doesn’t do the pauses he did justice, it was more dramatic irl. Did some thinking and I came to the conclusion that he probably wanted to ask me something but changed his mind?? Idk

Three months passed and it’s now April. My job cut my hours a lot mid February and i was working one day a week every other week, it was brutal. For four hours at that! I got hired at a new job and decided to work my last day which was on a random Thursday when I am usually scheduled only on Wednesdays. I get to work, guy is no longer on my mind. I made up my mind that I was probably never going to see him again. My friend was on cash register but she was doing task so I was asked to take over. An hour later, he walks in and the sun is shining right on his face lmao, I know I sound crazy but that’s how dramatic it was! We noticed each other at the same time! Then i noticed that he walked in with a girl but a different girl and not to sound even more crazy but this girl lowkey resembled me. First girl didn’t at all, it’s like his typed changed.

They get their items and as I’m helping a lady in line they get behind her and I swear I can feel his eyes on me but I think everyone is looking at me so I don’t pay it no mind. She leaves, they walk up, placed their items on the counter. He places his drink in the middle of the counter, she places hers on the edge super close to her then folds her arms. When people do that, they’re usually paying separate so that’s what I originally thought. I almost told him his total but decided to ask if he was paying for her and he was so I went to grab the drink then reached for the candy bar the same time he did and our hands touched. First time we ever made contact.

I just, like why on my last day?! It doesn’t make sense! I don’t see him for months then on my last day he comes in and we touch hands now I can’t get this thought out of my mind like it was fate. I was never the one to believe in fate but like this doesn’t make sense. I’ve never had interactions like this, with the same person multiple times ever in my life. I’ve had crushes and i’ve found men attractive but my body never reacted to them the way it does to this stranger! Idek his name and i can hardly remember his face but i still can’t stop thinking about him. I don’t like it. I can’t tell anyone im close to about this because then they’ll think im crazy. I already think im crazy. idk i just had to vent. i have a feeling that we’re going to run into each other again out in the wild but then i feel crazy for thinking that.

sorry to be serious and i've been having trouble articulating myself lately sorry for that too. (not a danger to myself or others)

I guess for a really long time I haven't been able to feel any emotions or like purpose or anything but it was always manageable until recently. idk why but lately it seems a lot worse...I don't know what's real or what isn't anymore, i think this is real but I can't tell any difference either way, I know rationally and reasonably I am alive and other people are too, but they don't seem real either. I think I am a ghost. even physical sensations (cold, hunger) don't give me any sensations at all. I can't seem to physically talk to anyone these days (like I can't even tell people thank you when they hold the door for me anymore) and moving and walking and breathing even is honestly excruciating. and I have tried all those things people say to do a million times (exercise, good sleep, good food, water, etc etc etc) and none of it makes any difference. I feel like i'm high out of my mind, wandering life aimlessly, but I haven't taken anything. I am beginning to think if I tried to touch another person my hand would pass right through their shoulder. i guess i'm sort of at a loss. I used to do things like sleep in my contact lenses or walk to class without a coat to feel things but that doesn't even work anymore.

i trudged through the heavy snow today to sit on a bench at the frozen pond. I don't know how long I sat there, but it was a long time, because my entire body was shaking bad when I finally decided I should probably go. I never seem to notice things like that these days. I thought about visiting the campus infirmary but what do I say is wrong with me? obviously something but not something that I can name, nor something that they can fix. I kept expecting someone to suddenly sit down next to me, I don't know who, anyone, and we wouldn't speak, we'd just sit there together and look at the falling snow. but they didn't, and even though I dragged my feet on the walk back to my dorm no one ever appeared. that's not their fault. no one is going to save me. I know that. but I sort of hoped maybe there would be a magic figure, a fairy godmother or a wizard coming to whisk me away to a magical school. there wasn't, and there's not going to be. but I feel like i'm really running out of options here.

To those of you who told me I was overreacting about Trump, go read the EOs, also I got attacked just trying to buy groceries again. Just. Buying. Groceries. On top of that, my state just removed my protections and rights under the Civil Rights Act (intersex and trans- any fellow transfolk reading this, don't forget intersex people. Cis and trans. We're in just as much danger, being targeted just as much, include us in the resistance), so if that attack had resulted in severe bodily injury?

I've been trying to get help for awhile, years for many things not even just related to this (I have a lot going on- some of which I've shared in previous posts. Mainly my first one here), but no one wants to help me. I finally got ONE aid organization to, but they've gone radio silent after this development.

I guess I just need to not be alone, someone to tell me it's okay or to recommend me feasible help in my situation, just "fight or flee" won't help me. I'm disabled, chronically ill, poor and a trauma survivor otherwise. In hiding trying to escape DV that I only managed to get away from at age 22. It was my father, I'm so behind in life, and now I don't even get to live at all it feels like.

Before you're tempted to say I'm overreacting, put yourself in my shoes, then just ignore my post if you still feel like you can say it. Pretend I don't exist, but I also recommend you read the First They Came poem.

I didn't know which tag to use for this, sorry.

hey, just needing to clear my head a bit. i'm a 28-year-old guy, and i've been in my first real relationship for a while now. everything's going well, but i can't help wrestling with some insecurities. see, my girlfriend, who's amazing btw, has been in quite a few relationships before me. she's got this whole experience thing going on, and i sometimes feel like i'm playing catch-up. i know she loves me, but these nagging thoughts creep in, whispering stuff like, "what if she misses the excitement of past relationships?" or "are you good enough?" it's like imposter syndrome on steroids, and it's messing with my head. have you ever been in a situation where you felt less experienced than your partner, and how did you handle it? 🤔

i mean, communication is key, right? but every time i think about bringing it up, i'm worried it'll sound whiny or insecure, which obviously it is, but still. 😅 i don't want to push her away with my doubts. it's a vicious cycle, though – the more i tell myself not to worry, the more i actually do. it's like trying to ignore the elephant in the room. we all arguably bring baggage into relationships, but what do you do when you know yours might tip the scales? i've tried working on myself, becoming more self-assured, but remnants of insecurity still linger. do you reckon it'll always be this way? or is there a turning point where these thoughts stop showing up uninvited? maybe that's the million-dollar question for anyone in similar shoes. if you've got any insight, sharing would be awesome....

Currently, we’re providing shelter to my sister Helen and her family after their house suffered damage from Hurricane Helene (yep... bad naming coincidence...). We’ve set some ground rules while they stay with us: they must respect our space, her boys are not allowed in my daughter Lucy’s room, and they need to move out as soon as their home is repaired.

Unfortunately, Helen's sons disregarded these rules and entered Lucy's room, rummaging through her belongings. They discovered one of Lucy’s special compression bras, which she uses for her theater roles. Since she’s been involved in drama from a young age, this bra, which resembles a tank top, is essential for when she needs to portray a boy or a young girl by flattening her chest to suit the character better.

The situation escalated when Helen found the bra and discarded it.

We only noticed it was missing when Lucy was organizing her theatre kit for a play rehearsal. She’s due to play Viola in her school’s rendition of "Twelfth Night," and this bra is vital for her costume. It wasn't just any item; it cost us $50 as most of Lucy's theatre expenses like makeup and costumes are covered by us.

I approached Helen about the issue, insisting she reimburse us so we could replace the item. However, Helen resisted, citing her financial hardships and questioning the appropriateness of Lucy owning such an item. She used the phrase "boys will be boys" to dismiss her sons' behavior. Our mother has always been lenient towards Helen and thinks I’m being overly strict, especially considering Helen's current status as a financially struggling single mother without a home.

All I want is for my daughter’s possessions to be replaced. Is it unreasonable to expect that?

If this scenario unfolded on a reality TV show, viewers might witness heightened drama with hosts and audience reactions potentially split. Some might sympathize with the plight of a family losing their home, while others could argue the importance of respecting belongings and personal space, creating a polarized viewer response.

How would you feel if your relative discarded your belongings?