Random Life Stories and Unpredictable Moments

my boss texted me this holiday at 7am!! just asked me to send a quick message to an agent and this exchange lasted for roughly 10minutes. now Im just worried that if I keep doing this, then it will not only be 10minutes but hours someday. I dont know if its okay to oblige to requests like this on a holiday even if it took me only 10minutes to talk with the agent. is it okay to accommodate simple requests like this if you are on vacation? my boss tends to scold us in our group chat if we dont respond immediately and attend to matters. to be honest, the message wasnt even urgent at all. its a national holiday and everyone is on vacation!!

I've been caring for my foster daughter, Sophie, age 13, for over a year now after her parents tragically passed away due to a drug overdose. Meanwhile, my biological daughter, Emma, who is 12 years old, usually gets along well with Sophie, although they sometimes squabble over trivial matters.

The situation took a serious turn a few weeks ago when the police unexpectedly showed up at Emma’s school. An unknown person had sent a tip to the school administration claiming that Emma was carrying drugs. This led to a distressing scene where her phone, locker, and backpack were searched. To everyone's surprise, the alleged 'drugs' were actually just Skittles that had accidentally spilled out in her bag. Emma, being the gentle and reserved girl she is, was absolutely petrified during the ordeal and suffered a panic attack from the sheer fear of the consequences.

Initially, the informant was anonymous, but Emma suspected that it might have been Sophie, as she was the only one who might have seen the candy in her bag. At first, Sophie denied these claims, but as the pressure mounted, she burst out confessing. She claimed it was an honest error, fueled by her deep-seated fears from her past—concerned that Emma might end up like her own parents.

While I understand Sophie has had traumatic experiences related to drugs, it doesn't serve as an excuse for her actions. I’ve always maintained an open door policy at home, urging the girls to come to me with any issues or concerns. Despite this, Sophie chose to bypass talking to me or Emma and directly reported to the school, fully aware of the potential legal consequences her actions could have triggered, potentially jeopardizing the custody arrangements for both of them.

Believing that her motivations weren’t entirely innocent—especially since Skittles are clearly not drugs—I decided to impose consequences on Sophie. This included grounding her, stopping her allowance, adding extra chores, and confiscating her electronics for the entire summer. She protested, claiming my reaction was excessive and that she was being punished for her past trauma and trying to protect her sister. However, I believe I have a responsibility to teach her about the severity of causing unnecessary legal issues based on misunderstandings.

Now imagine if our family dispute were to unfold on a reality show. The audience could have had a mixed reaction, likely split between sympathizing with Sophie’s traumatic past and understanding the protective nature of a parent's response to safeguard both children and prevent legal troubles.

You wander through the foggy streets

Wondering if anyone's noticed

Your thoughts circling around and around

You walk and walk

Not sure where your going

Or what your plan is

You just want to run

It starts to rain

You look up

Letting the symphony of falling water wash over you

You scream

The world not hearing you

They've never heard you

They never will

You watch the sun awaken from its slumber

Hearing them screaming out your name

Yelling for you to come home

You stand up

Wipe your muddy hands

Wipe your cascading eyes

And run and run

Hoping you'll run off the planet

One day hopefully

My girlfriend has a wildly diverse taste in music which led to a heated debate last night.

We both share an apartment equipped with a superb sound system in common areas like the kitchen and living room. When I'm in charge of music, I prefer playing a full album to enjoy its continuity.

Contrastingly, my girlfriend loves shuffling through a playlist of her own crafting. Just to give you an idea, last night's sequence was baffling. It kicked off with Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places," followed by Rossini's "The Thieving Magpie," then "Pink Rover" by Scene Queen, moving on to "Dangerous" by Cascada, and "Dogma" by KMFDM.

Midway, I suggested maybe sticking to a single playlist or album, or at least something less jarring. She explained it was her custom cleaning playlist, packed with high-energy songs perfect for chores.

I jokingly remarked on the eclectic nature of her choices, which seemed a bit chaotic to me. She defended her selection as personal favorites, energizing and varied. Pressing further for something less intense was met with a reminder that she was cleaning and deserved to choose the music.

I pointed out that it was a tad extreme, but she dismissed my comments, defending her playlist as just her style. The evening went on with another hour of arguably the most bizarre mix of tunes I've ever encountered.

Now I’m thinking, maybe I was harsh? On one hand, the music felt intense for a shared space, but it seems she might have been silently tolerating my musical preferences too without complaint.

Imagine if this was all aired on a reality show, the drama would be quite the highlight, sparking debates and perhaps even comical reactions from the audience. People might take sides or suggest compromise solutions, playing up the tension for entertainment.

I guess I should have been more thoughtful about her music choices?

Can someone help me

I'm in love. I'm a queer nonbinary teen and I have been in several relationships but none have felt like this. I'm in a group home currently and so is she. We can't talk anymore because she moved schools and we can't add each other to our call lists. We broke up due to her moving schools and it hurts so bad. I know people say I'm too young to be in love but they're wrong. It hurts so bad.

So, I get it—long-distance relationships usually end up a mess, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. Honestly, at the beginning it wasn't even that bad. We texted all the time, FaceTimed every night, and had this playlist we'd both add songs to, which was actually kinda nice. It felt like it was working, you know? But, obviously, things changed. A couple weeks ago, he hit me with the classic "this isn’t really what I’m looking for," which, to translate, meant he wanted someone closer who he could actually see in real life. Logically, yeah, it makes sense. But emotionally? It sucks. Like, why couldn't I see this coming? I'm constantly replaying the conversations, dissecting every tiny thing he said, as if it's going to change something. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.

The worst part is how stupid I feel. Like, I know exactly what's happening—I studied psychology in class; I'm familiar with terms like "confirmation bias" and "emotional dependency." But knowing the fancy terms doesn't stop my brain from obsessing. My friends don't help either. All their advice boils down to useless phrases like "there’s plenty of fish in the sea," or "just move on already." Thanks, genius, I hadn't thought of that! 🙄 Even when I distract myself—studying, hanging out with friends, whatever—he pops into my head again. It's genuinely annoying how the human brain works sometimes. Why do we get stuck obsessing over people who clearly don't feel the same? Is that, like, some kind of biological programming to make life extra complicated for no reason?

But what's even more irritating is that I'm fully aware of how dumb I'm being, yet I can't seem to shake it. Like, it's almost insulting how clearly I can see my own irrational behavior, yet I can't actually change it. One of my friends bluntly told me yesterday that it’s basically like going through withdrawal from an addiction—except the "addiction" was him. And yeah, I've read about it, it's literally chemical: dopamine, serotonin, all those things we talked about in biology. But knowing I'm just experiencing some stupid brain reaction doesn't actually fix anything. It doesn't erase how awful it feels. Seriously, is there some cheat code to getting over someone, or am I stuck waiting for my brain to finally stop being so ridiculously stubborn?

Today, I experienced something I feel compelled to share, but let me provide some backdrop first. A while back, doctors diagnosed my mom, in her sixties, with a brain tumor that wasn’t causing her distress at the time. It was accidentally discovered during a check-up for a different issue. The doctors decided to monitor it rather than conducting invasive procedures.

Fast forward to the present, the tumor has gotten bigger. Mom's doctors are suggesting surgery to remove it and carry out further tests. Naturally, my mom is terrified about the operation and keeps wavering on her decision.

I relayed this situation to my husband, who's 35 like me. We've purposely kept our daughter, who's four, in the dark about her grandma's condition, so I spoke to him in private. It's important to know that my husband strongly favors natural remedies and believes people should address the root causes of their health problems. While I agree that medicine or surgery isn't always necessary—having managed my own anxiety and depression through lifestyle adjustments—his views can be a bit extreme for me.

Previously, when my sister was dealing with thyroid cancer, he attributed it to her stress levels and recommended meditation.

He gave a similar response when my dad needed urgent care for internal bleeding.

And once, when I had severe chest pain and had to rush to the ER—where I later found out I needed more tests—he insisted it was just anxiety and didn't accompany me.

When we found out our daughter had allergies and needed medication, he argued it was because she didn't spend enough time outdoors, claiming codependency could trigger respiratory issues.

Discussing my mom’s current medical issue, he suggested that breathwork could cure brain cancer and expressed that if he were in her shoes, he'd avoid surgery or medication and focus on lifestyle changes that might have led to the illness.

I requested him not to share these views with my mom and to instead offer me support. I wanted to know if he thought I was okay or if he could provide me emotional backing. He replied that he couldn’t support me while I disregarded his treatment ideas. Frustrated, I cut off the conversation.

Am I being unreasonable for asking him not to impose his unsolicited holistic treatments on my mom or to refrain from sharing those views with me? Please note, I’ve never asked for his medical opinions in the past, only for his emotional support.

Imagine if I were on some reality show discussing this—I bet the audience would be gasping and taking sides! Some might cheer for holistic approaches, while others would probably empathize with the need for emotional support during tough times. The scene would get heated, prompting all sorts of reactions from shock to support to disbelief!

Context: I was with my ex-boyfriend for a little over 2 years. It was definitely rocky, especially toward the end, but the break up hurt. It hurt so bad because it was abrupt, and it was like right when I started liking him again. I became the desperate ex for like a little just trying to get back with him or at the least stay friends. It didnt work after he asked me for advice on how to date a new girl like 3 days. I blew up on him for being an asshole and he blocked me.

Fast forward about 3 months later and I started dating again. I accidently got into a serious relationship while in retrospect, defintelly still having feelings for my ex. I declined my feelings and moved forward with the new guy. Fast forward to this past summer and I cannot stop thinking about my ex. I wasnt happy in my current relationship so I didnt care to hide it. I told my current bf and said I need to reach out to him. He allowed it and things did not go well with my ex. I end up blocking him. Fast forward about 6 months and again he consumes my mind. I dont reach out as I know theres no point but I still want to.

I want so badly to be as connected as we were. He was funny, playful, cocky, but most of all real (or atleast it felt like it). Ive come to understand that I dont like him, but l miss the way I felt.

Today, I feel so empty. My current boyfriend just makes me anxious and judged. I dont love him but I want to because he is a good guy.

Yesterday I asked him, if I dissapeared, do you think I've made an impact on you. He said no. Hes told me he doesnt think I'm funny, he doesnt think Im smart, he just does not like me.

I want so badly to leave him. With college coming up, I told him I want to break up and he said no. I tried to pushback but it was still no. With me being such a coward I took his answer. I should stand on my ground but I dont.

Ive put myself in this situation and I just want advice.

I feel like I havent explained my situation the best I could and definitely left some things out. But, how do I get the ex off my mind. How do I salvage or break off this relationship.

i swear im not tryin to be dramatic or like make it all about me or whatever but like lately i just feel so invisible around my own friends. like we all in this group chat, right? nd we always been close, since like 8th grade or somethin. but now its like they all hang out without me nd pretend like its no big deal. they post pics together, go to the mall, get food, even do sleepovers nd im just there scrollin my phone like… cool. guess my invite got lost again. nd what hurts the most is that they dont even say anything about it after. no "sorry we forgot to ask u" or "u should come next time!" just silence. nd when i bring it up all i get is “oh it wasn’t really planned” or “it just sorta happened” like girl be fr, stuff dont “just happen” when u got matching outfits in the pic.

maybe it’s me tho. maybe i’m too quiet or weird or not fun enough. i dont got the best clothes or the prettiest hair or the funniest jokes. i try to be there for them always, like i hype them up, i listen when they got problems, i show up to stuff when they do remember to include me. but somehow it always feels like i’m on the outside. like a guest in a group that i used to be part of. like they all moved on nd i’m still here tryna hold on to somethin that ain’t even real anymore. nd then i start thinkin like, was i ever really their friend?? or was i just there, like background noise, someone they talked to when it was convenient but never really mattered to them?

the worst is when i see them laughin all hard in videos together or taggin each other in inside jokes. nd i’m sittin there like… ok cool guess i wasnt there for that moment either. nd i kno its dumb to get upset over social media, but when that’s the only way u find out your friends are hangin without u, it kinda stings different. nd then when i try to act like it dont bother me, they act like nothin happened. like we still tight. but it don’t feel tight. it feels fake. it feels like i’m holdin onto old memories while they makin new ones without me in it.

i been tryna figure out if i did something wrong. did i say something? act weird? maybe i’m annoying and no one wanna say it. maybe i’m just not enough for them anymore. nd it messes with my head fr. makes me scared to reach out first cuz what if they’re just being polite when they reply? what if they hang out again nd just don’t say anything bc they dont wanna deal with me bein upset? i hate feelin like i’m too much and not enough at the same time. nd the thing is i love them. i really do. they were like sisters to me. but lately i dont even recognize our friendship.

it makes me wanna pull away, like maybe if i stop trying so hard they’ll notice. but what if they dont? what if i stop texting nd no one even checks on me? what if i disappear nd it dont even matter? that’s what scares me the most. not being missed. being so easy to replace that my absence feels like peace instead of pain to them. nd i know that sounds heavy but its how i feel. i used to laugh with them every single day, we shared secrets, cried together, planned our futures. now it’s just awkward convos nd quick replies. nd me, watching from the sidelines.

so yeah, i dont kno why i’m the friend that gets left out. maybe i’m just not the kind of person people wanna keep around. maybe i care too much, feel too deep, talk too soft. but it hurts. it hurts more than i can say. nd i wish someone would just tell me the truth instead of slowly pushing me away like i wouldn’t notice. bc i did. i noticed everything. every missed invite. every picture i wasn’t in. every laugh that didn’t include me. i saw it all. nd even if i smile and act like i’m okay, i’m not. i’m really not.

The whole situation feels overwhelming right now, and honestly, the feedback would be much appreciated – I’m in a bit of a rough spot, so thanks for being understanding.

Joining a new school halfway through the year, back in April, didn't give me much time to socialize and make friends before the summer break started. During one of my solo lunch breaks, I sat next to a quiet boy named Alex, who was also sitting by himself. As it turned out, Alex wasn’t just shy; he was autistic. Noticing he had on a space camp t-shirt, I struck up a conversation about it since astronomy seemed to be his passion. He eagerly shared his space camp experiences, spiraling into other astronomical topics. It was enjoyable – his enthusiasm was infectious, and I barely needed to talk, just listen, which was pretty cool. We began sitting together frequently, and over time, we communicated a little over the summer too. Now, I'd consider Alex my friend.

This school year, we share a few classes, and even though I've made other friends, Alex and I still spend time together. He invited me over this past weekend to check out his new telescope, a birthday gift. It was exciting to see it, and his parents were genuinely welcoming, expressing that I was always welcome to visit. We managed to explore nebulas and various astronomical phenomena using his telescope linked to a laptop. It got late, and his dad offered to drive me home, since he needed to stop by the store anyway. During the ride, he started a typical dad conversation but suddenly asked if Alex and I were dating. I chuckled, dismissing it, but then he oddly suggested that if I took Alex to the homecoming dance, he'd cover all expenses and even offer extra. The suggestion startled me, and I escaped the situation as quickly as I could once we reached my house.

At home, I tried to shrug it off, but my dad noticed something was off. After some coaxing, I explained what happened. He reassured me, emphasizing that I shouldn’t feel pressured into dating or attending dances with anyone.

Since then, things got a bit strained. Alex missed a couple of days at school, and when he returned, he seemed downtroverted and anxious. He eventually revealed that his parents had argued a great deal following the incident. Knowing the tension at home was partly because of me made me uneasy; especially since I recognized how significant it was for Alex to have friends over.

Movng on from this incident, Alex and I would probably face challenges in our friendship. Hypothetically speaking, if this story unfolded on a reality show, the magnitude of the reaction would be immense. Viewers might see this as a dramatic turn of events, inciting tons of viewer speculation and discussion on social pressures and parental involvement in friendships and social outings among teens. It would stoke widespread talk about boundaries and advocacy, where I'd likely be in the hot seat navigating this delicate friendship dynamic in front of an audience.

Should parents intervene in teen friendships? For me no, at least not like that...

I've struggled with weight issues and eating ever since I was 9, I'm 15 now and I'm now kinda of aware I ain't fat but I feel it. It was never that bad but now the last 4 months it's gotten so bad, i eat a bit and feel like I've js ate a whole buffet and I get so bloated I geniunely feel like I could explode, the smells of my fav foods makes me feel sick, the sight, smell, even hearing ppl talking abt food makes me feel sick, idk if I have an ed but im struggling sm rn, I barely eat cuz I just can't, I had some watermelon like 6 hours ago I still feel bloated and sick as fuck, this first started when I wanted to lose weight but now I've lost some and I feel okay in my body but I js can't bring myself to eat. and then my mum she never understands istg she said "u cant js starve urself for 10+ hours (she said this bc from the time I wake up to coming back from school (5pm) I don't eat anything) and then go n drink energy drinks n chocolate" I bought chocolate today. it's been weeks. she's js making me feel worse saying I need to eat protein n not stuff my face in chocolate like what. she used to be so understanding n now she says this? ig what I'm tryna say is what can I do to feel normal again and be able to eat? even water makes me sick. idk what to do anymore.

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.

Recently my mother got hospitalized for a serious medical condition she’s known about. She got injured in a car accident which caused the condition to flare up. She procrastinated going to get looked at and refused medical care for 6 weeks until her original condition began to cause serious issues. Now she’s back in the hospital, and I’m absolutely terrified for her. But I’m also extremely frustrated and upset with her. She waited so long to get looked at she’s going to miss a lot of important things to me, such as my high school graduation, ceremonies, and senior events. She’s missing my graduation over something to do with her own schooling (as she’s in college) and planned to have a class on the same day I graduate, knowing she wouldn’t be able to make it then. Because of her waiting to get looked at, my enlistment into the military is getting stalled, as I’m only 17 and can’t sign for myself. Both of my parents have been procrastinating this for months and now once I get them to go sign, she decides to finally get looked at and now I have to wait to sign, and some of you know how much of a problem that’ll cause me with it being summer time now. I am so worried about her but I feel so selfish for being upset at the same time. No matter what is going on, what event or who’s thing, it always ends up being about my mother, in some type of way, birthdays, Father’s Day, school events, literally anything becomes about her somehow because of either her achievements meaning more than any one else’s, or how her medical issues make her more important than anyone else’s (which she says frequently to me when I even mention a headache or being stressed). I just wanted one thing to be about me (graduating) and it won’t even be, it’ll be about her, which I get, but it still upsets me no matter what i tell myself. And even while me and my dad pushed to get her to go to the hospital, she wouldn’t go, and then for 3 days straight complained about her problems and kept being a giant pity party (talking about dying and 💀 herself and how dumb she is) but then refusing to go do anything about her issues.

It's 6 am now. And can't tell of i can't sleep or Just don't want to. The past two days have been pretty bad. And i messed up. Again. Last two days i managed to get nothing done on my list. I washes my hair after a long time but that's about It. And i feel so stupid and so ashamed. I though i was making progress but i made a step foward and two backwards and wasted all this time and messed up my schedule. School was exhausting, my mom Is obssesed with a diet Plan and trying to drag me along ( i want to be supportive but i honestly can't deal with a diet or her constantly talking about It right now.) I'm behind again. The weather Is shitty. Food doesn't taste right. Clothes feel uncomfortable, and sleep makes me feel more tired and more ashamed.