Random Life Stories and Unpredictable Moments

I have two kids with my wife. When they were young, my parents generously set up education funds for both of them.

My wife and I always expected our kids to go to college and then grad school, just like we did. I have a PhD and my wife has a master’s degree. Because of this, we decided not to use the funds for their undergrad degrees and didn’t tell them about the money.

My daughter has always been into liberal arts, while my son is more of a STEM guy. We worried about her job prospects, but she insisted on studying music and film in college. She got into some top schools and chose an expensive one, but she had scholarships covering almost all tuition. Everything else, plus living expenses, was her responsibility. She lived in a tiny apartment shared with friends in a rough area far from campus, but she managed and learned to budget effectively. After graduating, she found a job she enjoys, though it doesn’t pay much, and gave up on grad school.

My son decided on engineering and also didn’t want to go to grad school. We were disappointed but accepted it since he’s lined up for a great job after school. He didn’t get as many scholarships as his sister, so we used his education fund for his tuition and living expenses. He got a large, nice apartment close to school, which is important given his demanding classes.

My daughter was confused about how he could afford this and he told her about the education fund. She called us, upset, asking why she didn’t get one. We told her she did, but we saved it hoping she’d go to grad school. She seemed hurt and asked if she could have the money now. We explained there’d be a fee to withdraw the money for non-education uses, and if we did that, it would go back to her grandparents for their use. Since then, she’s been short in her texts and hasn’t answered our calls. I know it seems unfair to her, but it’s not really her money and she’s not in college anymore. Her brother got it for educational purposes only. Am I wrong?

How would people react if this situation was on a reality show? Would viewers side with my daughter or understand my perspective and the importance of using the funds as intended?

Hi, just call me X. This is my first time venting. I found this online space in my desperation to find somewhere I could just shout everything out. At least, even if it’s virtual, it feels like a release. I’ll also be honest—I’m using ChatGPT to refine my sentences so they’re clearer for anyone who might read this and find it relatable. I might be posting more, who knows?

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try to change, no one around you notices or cares? It’s exhausting to keep adjusting yourself, hoping to meet their expectations, only to have them keep seeing you as the same person you were before. Even the people you trust the most—the ones who should understand—seem stuck on who they think you are. It’s like they’ve decided they know you too well, so every action you take gets misinterpreted through that lens. You’re out here making all this effort to grow and meet their needs, but it feels like no one even acknowledges how much you're trying. It’s draining, and honestly, it makes you wonder if it’s even worth it.

okayy so I was preparing for this competitive exam , JEE. yesterday the results were announced right. and its fine. i got what i expected. it wasnt an extraordinary result but i was prepared for this. or so i thought. yk i really thought nothing would bother me, cause i honestly didnt give a fuck about this. so it was fine ,i talked to some friends as well. and the i looked at someone's story. he posted hi result cause it was quite nice. what took me by shock was that this guy, and i swear he's the worst person i've met in my entire life, this complete idiot who i didnt even know was appearing for this exam scored way better than me? when i gave about two years to this, and he...actually i dont know if we was preparing for this but he probably was.....but how COULD HE EVER SCORE BETTER THAN ME? anyonessssssss's result i can believe , but this guy? nooooo wayyyyy. my chest started to hurt, it was that bad. AND bdw we sorta dated a few years back it was an on and off thing, really messed up but the one thing i had an upper hand in was this! studying scoring good blah blah blah being smart in general yk? and this guy was your typical school dumb playboy who was extraordinarily ,well an idiot. THIS IS NOT FAIR. i almost dont believe his result. i have been thinking maybe he cheated or edited his result or something but idk. he seems to lazy for that kinda effort. anyways this is definitely not me being a bitch and thinking that people cannot have an academic comeback. no this is really not that. i strongly believe anyone can score good in any exam with enough effort, BUT this person attended every concert in our state , he was always out , he was always wasting his time like hell, ad tbh he realllyyy wasnt someone who could pull this off. and bdw total loser and cheater , in life and as a bf. but thats besides the point. well if he really put in the effort than, props to him ig? but i made me go into a spiral. i have not been this unhappy in a long time i hae not felt such immense hatred for anyone, and my god i could just...idk. i am trying to deal with this and i am telling myself i can always do better in my umcoming tests, but this has made me question everything? am i so dumb that i couldnt eeven ace a test that a random below avg student aced without even trying? IDK man . idk.

I recently had an uncomfortable experience at a local bank in California, where I currently live, although I'm originally from a Latin American country. I use my foreign passport as ID since I don't have a local driver's license yet. Today, needing a cashier’s check for $3,200 for an apartment, I forgot my passport at home and tried to use my foreign ID card, which the bank teller rejected.

After retrieving my passport, I returned to the bank and dealt with a different teller, a man this time, who oddly started flipping through my passport pages after I handed it to him opened to the photo page while I was entering my PIN. He then began questioning me about having an ID and my time in the US, which felt like an interrogation and made me quite uncomfortable.

Reflecting on his behavior and the whole ordeal just frustrates me further. If this scenario unfolded on a reality show, imagine the drama and the attention it would receive! Viewers would probably be on edge, commenting on how such behavior is unacceptable, possibly rallying for my cause or sympathizing with the headache of unnecessary scrutiny.

It's bizarre and upsetting to think that someone in customer service could make you feel like you're at an immigration interview out of nowhere. My cousins think he might have been checking for a visa or something in my passport. It's just very off-putting and uncalled for. Do you think I'd be too sensitive if I made a formal complaint? Despite working in customer service myself and rarely complaining, this situation felt over the line for me.

If this happened on a reality show, I wonder how the viewer's reactions might sway. Would they see it as undue harassment or just a normal procedure? It certainly would have made for an intense, controversial moment.

It's actually so stupid how low I've actually stooped to. Just very recently all of the school stress and fear of criticism from friends (plus their hurtful jokes) has made me reach a new low. I was really trying not to ever do this, but I did. I just one day decided to find that one box cutter in my pencil case and try it out on my arm. The reason I even did it was to actually take away attention from another wound I had in the moment. Though somehow I would've thought I'd feel bad, but i didn't. Instead I just felt weird and dazed. The plan was to just do it that once, yet it somehow turned into more. I let the ones on my arm heal, since they weren't even that deep, and I moved on to one of my thighs. At first it was just only a small spot, and somehow with little time in just a week, it grew to both of my upper thighs, even a try on the inside of my ankles. Though the wounds may not be deep, there's many new with each day, that sting in a way that feels unfamiliar yet familiar. It's hard to stop doing it now. Even more with upcoming important stuff like exams, events and applying for schools, which all stress me out so much. I mean I'm 15, and I feel like such a loser for doing this as a way to get some sort of relief. It feels like I don't even qualify to do this, since I have a pretty normal life, except for a father, who is absent most times for work. It feels as if I'm mocking others who do it, even if I might not be, especially with one of my friends having done this sort of stuff for so long with family problems and all. It doesn't help that I feel more guilty when thinking of this friend actually having struggles and like almost a reason to do it, though that feels rude and offensive to say.

I feel so stupid for this to the point I had to get this out to somewhere. Even worse is that the trunks I was planning on using on top of my swimsuit for summer, are in fact, too short to cover the evidence up well. I dread the day I have to get exposed to this friend or anyone close to me. I should now probably go and prepare more for my math exam then.

Plz 8gnore typos

Dumping my feelings here so I do t tell someone I know smth I'll regret

R

I feel so tired and stil like idk I feel like absolute shit each day, my mind feels foggy and I think I have adhd but I can't get it diagnosed and it's wrecking my school life. I love been friend with one girl for like a year and a half and we were so close but she horridly impacted my health mentally or maybe I was always gonna be like this. I feel like in not actually close to any of my friend and I'm not very well liked. My friendships keep falling apart on my end and I feel like shit. Every friendship I enter in already thinking Aby when it's gonna end bc I've lost almost all my friendships

I'm constantly stressed abt my money for no reason and I feel bitter when I see my friend being able to spend money without feeling crippling guilt and even eating feels like a waste I don't wanna be a burden to .y family especially my mom and I think I can be a bad sister or daughter By grades keep slipping and I can pull myself together to fix it

I to8ght I was getting g better but I've started slipping again and I've been considering cat scratches ifykyk and I dunno why I'm doing g this anymore I wanna be in phycaitry bit I'm not smart enough to get into mrd school. Other than that people keep asking me to decide what I wanna do jn the future but I'm a ducking kid and I don't god damm know what I wanna do if the future Some of my friends ds (the 1year frie d) vents to me about her issues but I can't help but think that she's kinda got it goof and why can she vent but u can't without changing how people see me? I wanna help her but it took so much out of me. I care about her vut I find myself hating g her sometime I I hate myself for it and lots other sikt that I can't write anymore

You know what is MEFCC, right? The Middle East Film Comic Con? I know. It got postponed to September 11-13. Yay. I thought I could go on April, in a new school year, finishing exams, doing my Joseph Joestar cosplay decent for a first attempt, meet people who are like me, and have fun. But there is war going on in Dubai, which is also my home. I’m in India now, for god knows how long. I thought I could go in April, but it postponed. I thought things could improve, but this process it can’t. I don’t know why I’ve been so hopeful back then. What was the point? What is the point of trying to have fun here in India? It’s like cheering when you failed. I’ll still be friendless, I’ll still score low, I’ll never be able to control my home or myself. That’s why it sucks. I can’t ever control anything. My home could blow up and I could end up alone here. Iran could nuke UAE, Saudi and Qatar to prove that they destroyed the world, and the USA isn’t doing anything to stop this from getting worse, only worsening. It’s all timed right after my birthday. I shall never celebrate again, if this is all that’s been happening, getting worse as I age. I’m not gonna go because of this. It’s a cheers to something hopeless. I’ve lost everything before I even got to live newly. My exams got cancelled, which is fine, but what was that effort for? It never mattered. I never did. I knew I was a waste of space.

I was a waste of space, oxygen, life and money. No wonder I’ve got no friends. I didn’t actually matter. Every time I think I’m good, I go back to zero. This isn’t even zero, this is minus. I hurt everything by being myself. I shouldn’t have even asked this. I wouldn’t have been this hurt. Every time I go back to being worthless. Because I am worthless, I always was. My life so far has always been me failing right when I think I’ve gotten better. I should just stop and wish I never was this way. Wish I was normal. I should’ve been thrown away right when I was born. I was born bad. I was born lame. I was born with a cleft palate, which was fixed early, but I should’ve not been so invested so early. I wish I wasn’t exciting, even at home. That way it wouldn’t hurt as much.

My home is destroyed. UAE is destroyed. I spoke to my mom and brother. Mom messaged that she’s happy for me that it’s at least postponed (she guessed it by the way), the world’s problems aren’t mine to solve and I’m not a peace activist, no one expects me to fix the world, I can learn to control my feelings, she thought it was dumb of me to assume that Trump would specifically blow up our home, we’re not at complete war, and that Iran isn’t dumb enough to hit the richer countries with oil because the whole world’s economy would collapse, and I should have fun in India because relatives are here. My younger brother said that Iran won’t hit UAE in oil ports or citizens because “they’re friends” due to the oil and only attacked the US bases, but that I should keep trying, because he said what if I war never back to 0, but still at 50, like I usually was, just shaking? Doesn’t change the fact I’m behind others, they’re at 80 while I was at 50, now minus. I’m still at minus. I’m still worthless. I still have no chances anymore, and that I’m worthless in India. I only matter to my relatives and my main family, and even then, I’m even more of a nobody here.

I don’t know if it’ll get better. Maybe I’ll be here as my new home. Everything may be reducing here, but it won’t be the same. Lesser people will be in UAE because it’s not the safest country. They’ll think it’s dangerous now, because it’s in Middle East. All western movies say that, and they’re right. There’s no point anyways. My parents are delusional for saying we’re here for 3 weeks. We’ll be here for 3-9 months! How do I know? World war 3 is already happening. And I can stop this off I figure or some way to just not be me or change myself in the new school here or die from the world exploding from nukes!

Look what being me did. It hurt me more than help. It’s not good to have weird interests, or value friendships so much, or dress up, or have your family as your friend, or having eczema, or having braces, or having short hair as a girl even when you only cut it to reduce rash in your scalp to only one small location, even when you’re short. I’m stupid. That’s why I have no friends, I scored badly at school for a few exams, and worst of all, my family is my only friendship. At 14, I should be having more outside friends and I don’t know, hate family, and have fun and not value them too much. Or if I do have a group who only likes me if I act a certain way, I hate that I can’t change into them so fast. Why can’t I change myself to be them?

I’ve lost all chances. I always turn down people whenever they talk badly about some friends of theirs being their backs, or when they ignore me even if I tried I try to make myself happy, it’s a bad habit. I’m too goody-two-shoes, I need to revel in some way to be a teenager. I’m 14, I should’ve done something rebellious earlier! Now with the war, which all my relatives here are saying, it’s worse. Even with people here, they were only interested at first because I came from Dubai, otherwise they’d ignore me. That’s okay, I don’t like me either. I really need to stop celebrating birthdays. It’s always bad luck, this war happened right after. It means growing up is realizing you’re not great to anyone. Why haven’t I died in the womb? I made my mom fat and had her be my friend. It sucks. That cleft palate shouldn’t have been my only flaw, I should’ve had something else. I make things worse. For me and for my family. Why do I even have good relations with family only? It’s every kid’s nightmare. Right? Plus, what normal kid’s home could get bombed?

Now all I have are a bunch of drawing books, craft supplies and markers. I can draw but how can that fix anything? I even have my earphones and music stuff, but again, can’t fix anything. It’s like toasting when the world is exploding. Pointless. So, yeah, how’s drawing and listening to music gonna help? I’m just drawing, with colors, that’s weird right when my home could blow up with a nuke. It’s not like my cool music taste is gonna fix everything. Mangalore is cool, but it’s not home.

I’m not even as good as I used to be. I try drawing differently, and it’s inconsistent. Earlier it used to be consistent, but now with me trying a new style. It’s not even as good as Araki’s, which I’m a fan of JJBA now. Yeah, one of the more niche Shonen ones out there. Not as new as JJK or Demon Slayer. His style is so immaculate and cool, and mine is a mimicry of that, a pathetic one. It still looks like mine, except I changed the face and some stuff, but even then, the lines and proportions are somewhat inconsistent. It sucks. I never improved. I only went backwards. I shouldn’t even draw. I don’t even know why I like some of them.

so like 2 days ago my bf didn't contact me for a little over 24hrs. now, i know he had tons of work to do, but he didn't tell me when he's gonna start and be busy so i got worried a bit after not hearing from him for so long, but then he texted the next morning saying he had so much work to the point he cried and got a headache, and still have more work after that :((, the thing is, we didn't even text for like an hour and hes gone doing work again.. btw im not like saying "oh he should've texted me more" no im saying that, that less then an hour text was the only break he got :(( and now he hasn't been texting since yesterday morning.. im just scared he's overworking himself :(( idk what to do.. i also like send him lots of texts throughout the day, but not like texts begging him to text back, i just text stuff like how im thinking about him, and how i love him and how proud i am of him, and that those texts are the only way i can give him support right now :( im scared i sent too many tho.. but like i care abt him.. i don't want him to come back after tons of work to a partner who doesn't or miss him yk?.. idk im scared idk what's gonna happen there's no signs of him..... i don't want to sleep what if i miss a text message from him

it's been a whirlwind working in IT for five years, seeing how rapidly technology evolves and adapts. yet here i am, feeling like i'm caught in the echoes of laughter from my colleagues who've taken to using chatgpt and claude code to revolutionize their workflow. it's been two years since these AI developers entered their toolbox, making them exponentially faster and more efficient, or so they claim. i'm not blind to the advantages these innovative tools offer, theoretically enhancing our capacity to expedite code deployment, troubleshoot problems, and streamline project management tasks. still, even with a robust understanding of complex algorithms and network configurations, i find myself lagging, like a floppy disk in a world driven by SSDs. why does this create such a canyon, where teasing bridges the gap between seasoned colleagues and me, still fumbling with what they term my "old school" methods? do they not understand that integrating new technologies can be daunting and feels like stumbling through endless streams of data with little organic feedback?

perhaps it's a misinterpretation of their gestures, but every time they grin or whisper during our scrum meetings or as they flawlessly debug lines of code i am still scrutinizing, there's an unspoken tension of inadequacy. my technical acumen paints me as a dinosaur in their bustling, robotic zoo, feeling the pings of inadequacy often when another line of buggy code gets sarcastically commended for its "originality". but what if this constant critique is merely their playful nudge, an indirect way of propelling me into the AI-driven future? i sit in the crossfire of console log errors and laughter, conceiving a silent partnership with self-improvement. amidst this emotional turbulence, i want to ask: could this experience somehow shape my fundamental understanding of digital transformation or am i simply the digital outcast? is their jesting rooted in concern or amusement, and does it matter?

what i strive for is finding solace in the gradual process of catching up; after all, the shift toward AI-enhanced development is not merely about adopting new tools but embracing a new mindset, isn't it? the thought that there's always a silver lining keeps my spirits animated as i traverse the vast interfaces of technological waves crashing against the shore of what i know and understand. i'm bound to a belief that with patience and structured learning, efficiency isn't an unattainable horizon but rather a calculated journey. perhaps if I harness these new capabilities, what once sparked laughter will ignite respect or even inspire others who also navigate the currents of technological transition. is it so far-fetched to believe that with persistence, even the slowest runner finds their pace, or does humor, in its most deliberate form, remain their chosen method of encouragement? 🤔

i miss the old days...

so i heard this morning from my mom about my dad refused to pay the bills, seriously, and were all counting on him to do it, my mom is planning kick him out, and im worried about her snitching to untrustworthy people where it could backfire, or what if my dad refusing to get out or wants to take kids along, or how will the bills be paid without him, or what happens next, strongly considering suicide as i dont think i have the balls to continue, either way this will be the end of life as i know it already

man, i’m 29 years old, and you’d think by now i’d have figured out how to handle my emotions like a pro. but nooooo, here i am with the emotional capacity of a teenage soap opera character. one minute i'm just doing my thang, y’know, cleaning the apartment like some unpaid maid, 'cause for real, my boyfriend is no help whatsoever. the dude’s living in a parallel universe where dishes clean themselves and laundry folds itself magically.🙄 and when i get mad, do i calmly rationalize and use my words? hell no! instead, my eyes well up with tears like i’m cutting onions. it's like my tear ducts are on autopilot the moment i feel even a smidge pissed off.

it’s like, come on girl, what’s wrong with me? i wanna scream at the top of my lungs like “yo dude, pick up a mop once in a while, yeah? it's not rocket science!” but instead my voice chokes, and i’m wiping my cheeks with my sleeves. 🤦‍♀️ it's like i need a tactical debrief before i can discuss anything serious. i’ve googled it a million times: “why do i cry when i get mad?” and it seems i’m not alone with this emotional malfunction. i read somewhere that it's 'cause of frustration or something...my body just doesn’t know how to handle it and my brain’s like, "yeah let’s add some tears, it'll make it even more dramatic." people say you're supposed to breathe deeply and count to ten, but ain't nobody got time for that when you’re neck-deep in dirty dishes.

seriously tho, why does my emotional system double-cross me? maybe it's because as a kid every argument ended with me in tears, so now it's just, like, ingrained or some sh*t? i try having civil convos with my boyfriend, but there i am, puddle of tears again. my emotional intelligence needs a user manual, someone help a girl out! how do people, like, confront without Niagara Falls happening on their face? i’m trapped in a cycle and it's like, what's the point even, if i just end up apologizing for the waterworks rather than fixing the problem? someone drop me some wisdom bombs here... has crying ever got ya out of doing chores? 🤔 'cause if it hasn’t, then maybe i need a new strategy.....

My girlfriend is moving in soon, and I have come to the conclusion I need to end things before that happens. She routinely snaps at me over minor annoyances and I'm expected to apologize afterwards. On the rare occasion I have been snappy towards her, I also end up apologizing. I do not intentionally push and pull b

hello , i want my identity to be anonymous and don't want to tell more about myself i am a 20year old female and i am a student. recently i asked a question to my boyfriend what is it if you ask i asked hi m about thier parents approval in this relationship where he is a muslim and i am a christian it was a very happy and healthy relationship of 1 year we were about to celebrate our 1 year aniversary and i asked this question at 18th of january 2025 i asked him what if your parents does not accept our relationship what would you do and he told that he wants both of us and i told him what if there is a situation arrives where you need to choose between me and your family what would you do ?? as a curious girlfriend i asked him this question and what he said stunned me within an hour or so he came to a conclusion that we should end it here and lets not go long way and get hurt and tells that he is doing this for me and told that he is doing this for me and he does not want to hurt you and keeps silent these all happened in call when i went to talk in real with him he ran away currently im in holidays and im in excruciating pain i dont know what to do but i think if we talk in real there might be a chance that he will realize what he is doing now should i do it ???

so, I'm a 21-year-old guy at uni, right? and I already know I'm gay. I've figured that part out. but here's the thing: I can't really tell if other people are gay too. like, is there a secret sign or something I'm missing? I mean, people throw around stereotypes, and sure, they might give a hint sometimes, but it's not really reliable, you know? some dudes dress really nicely and take care of themselves, but that doesn't always mean they're gay. and then there's the whole voice thing. people say if a guy has a certain kind of voice, it might mean he's gay, but I've heard all kinds of voices, and it's just confusing, man. people are all different, and you can't put them in boxes just like that.

being at uni doesn't make it easier, though. I mean, everyone is like, super diverse and from all places, so there's this melting pot of cultures and personalities. it's like, you walk into a lecture, and there's a rainbow of identities, but at the same time, it gets difficult to just ask someone point-blank if they're gay. it's like an unspoken rule or something, to not just start a conversation with, "hey, are you gay?" unless you're in a setting where that's a normal question to ask; but mostly, it's kinda awkward. and let's face it, people might get the wrong idea or get offended, and that's not cool. so, it's more about picking up small clues and stuff, but how do you even figure those out when everyone's just doing their own thing?

if you've ever thought about this, you're probably wondering the same stuff. like, do you wait for them to say something, or do you drop hints yourself and see how they respond? I guess part of it is just being open to conversations and respecting boundaries. it's about being chill and not jumping to conclusions based on first impressions. maybe it's just better to let people reveal themselves at their own pace. have you ever noticed when someone casually mentions a partner and doesn't specify a gender? that might be a soft clue, but again, who knows? at the end of the day, everyone will just reveal what they want when they're comfortable, and it's all good.

[Translated from Spanish. Reminder: IIWIARS is English only] It’s been 3 weeks since we ended, a beautiful relationship of 1 year and one month, both women. There isn’t a day where I stop remembering your smile, your eyes, your skin, your hands and your voice, all I have left is to hold onto the beautiful memories, it wasn’t a perfect relationship, we had so many things to learn you from me and me from you, I love you so much, that you are in my thoughts every minute, I never cheated on you, I changed many things in my behavior for you, I did things I had never done for anyone, I felt loved, I hope you also felt loved by me, I had so many plans for the 2 of us my love, but it had to end, not on good terms, because where could I put all this love I have in my chest, that was for you, I will always remember your funny little things, your bursts of passion, your details. It seems to me that you are calm, so I don’t want to break into your peace my love, I won’t be able to fall in love like I was with you <3, I thought I had found my love for life, but God and life had other plans for both of us, I hope you are well, because I am falling apart in pieces. I wish I could disappear and erase every beautiful memory, because I know I won’t find someone like you. I LOVE YOU AND I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, YOU TAKE A LITTLE PIECE OF ME WITH YOU, I LOVE YOU LÍA.