Random Life Stories and Unpredictable Moments

have you ever found yourself tongue-tied, unsure of what to say when engaging with someone who has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)? 😅 growing up, we're instructed to think before we speak, yet it seems this golden rule often gets lost when conversing with individuals who experience multiple identities. this unwitting ignorance can lead to awkward moments and, at worst, can be unintentionally harmful to someone navigating DID. while initial trepidation may be understandable, there's no need to turn communication into a minefield, right? isn't it peculiar how some people approach these situations with detached curiosity or flat-out skepticism instead of genuine empathy? merely seeing a person as a curiosity or entertainment piece can perpetuate stereotypes. simple things like asking, “which one am I talking to now?” might stem from well-meaning intentions but often land as a jarring reminder of their struggles rather than a quick entrée into befriending.

dismissing their reality by suggesting, “isn’t that just your imagination running wild?” invalidates their lived experience. who really benefits from making sweeping generalizations or assumptions like suggesting therapy focuses on integrating personalities? sure, at times people think they're being helpful, but often, it's time to self-question the given biases. 🤔 consider instead rendering your ears as a vessel for cautious listening without injecting unsolicited advice. it's really not rocket science, is it? imagine how dismissive phrases like “isn’t that just a movie thing?” would echo in contexts beyond DID. what makes us go default at downplaying complexities when closing the gap of understanding could be a simple matter of awareness enhanced with empathy? scrolling online forums to eavesdrop on the collective wisdom can be enlightening, but jumping to expert status without actual knowledge? probably not the best move, huh? let’s just accept that nuances exist in everyone and steer conversations with that in our hearts. is that fair to say?

He should change his name , give me clues and also give me specific clues so I will know it is him hahahaha

Why can't I just feel normal? I'm 16 yet I already feel like there's so many expectations now. There are so many talented people in so many different fields at my age. I've been feeling okay but recently I've felt like there's so many expectations that I've set up for myself. I used to have a complicated relationship with age, I was raised by the internet all my life and I adored the feeling of being the youngest, like being dubbed as "mature" within an environment that was purely teenagers or adults. But age practically proposes nothing, and I'm glad I got out of that mindset. It didn't help that I maladaptive daydreamed for most of my life though, and hid behind a dumb persona. I feel satisfied with being a teenager, but now my past is causing me to feel... off. The internet is probably one of the only places I have right now that I can express my authentic self in one way or another. I'm trying to do my best, and sometimes I don't even notice that what I produce (art, conversation, etc) is even worth it without someone assuring me about it. All of these factors are making me feel ridiculous and pressured...

Ok, here we go...I'm stuck in this rut of how do I proceed from here kind of thing. In a nutshell, I've been friends with this guy for about 4-5 years now, but we really started becoming best friends over the last two years. We're both in our 30s. About 7 months ago we started really hanging out more and having weekend movie watching sessions and dinners. He would reach out to me more then and engage in conversation, as well as asking to hang out. We never got past the cuddling stage, but I could definitely feel the chemistry and attraction between us. I know we were both holding back because I was just finishing up a divorce and I wasn't yet officially single. About 5 months ago, I got brave and admitted having feelings for him. We are both very open with each other about anything on our minds. The conversation was cordial, but he stated that he didn't know if he felt that way about me and wanted to "cool" things off because of the fact the divorce wasn't official yet. I completely understood from a moral perspective and respected that (not looking for judgement on this though). The kicker part is when we continued the convo, I flat out asked if he would ever see a future with us in it or if the idea of "us" is out of the question. He said he didn't know, and couldn't see into the future, but he wasn't going to close the door on the idea of there being an "us". He also is the type of person who would say if there wasn't a chance. So naturally, you can see how this gave me hope.

We didn't hang out as much after that and we still don't as frequently, BUT here's the kicker part(s): we still talk almost every day (even if he's not as talkative as he was in the beginning when things felt newer), he still confides in me, I still get invited to go with him to visit with his parents every other weekend (his parents/family loves me), we'll get quick dinners together, he's gifted me several things in the last two months, etc. Basically what is missing from before is the amount of quality alone time we get. Maybe he isn't committing to that because he doesn't want to give the wrong impression, but when we aren't in a busy phase at work/life, he will actually reach out suggesting getting back into watching shows together. I also wonder if he doesn't want to jump into anything because I'm still only a couple months divorced and he doesn't want to give others the impression that I got divorced to be with him (which isn't the case. he was not the reason for my divorce in the least)

SO THIS IS WHERE I'M STUCK. I'm so smitten with him, and have never felt this way about anyone, and don't have anyone else in my life, so on one hand I kind of say to myself, I'll take what I can get. On the other hand, I wish I could just walk away and give it some distance to let him figure out if he wants me to be that special someone in his life. He hasn't been in a relationship in A WHILE, so part of me also wonders if he's just super used to his solidarity and is really out of practice. My mind always asks myself, if there was no possibility of us being a thing, wouldn't he have just said that there was no possibility of that instead of saying he wasn't "closing the door" on that potential? Also, if there wasn't the possibility, why would he go to the lengths he does with certain things still? IDK! These are things that I feel people our age wouldn't do if they were "just friends" with each other and my close friends/family agree.

If you've gone through something like this, or had someone you know go through this, or you're genuinely just good at reading people and situations and have advice/opinions to offer, I'm all ears!

I'm a 32-year-old woman who used to work at a local tavern with a bartender, Patricia, about ten years ago. Patricia now owns her own bartending LLC, which she's been running successfully for about three years. She gets hired for various events, including weddings at the venue I now manage.

I married into a family that owns a wedding venue, where I work as the office manager. My responsibilities include emailing, calling, and meeting brides frequently. I work closely with my mother-in-law (MIL), who has owned the venue for about a decade. I started in this position about a year ago. The bride in this story was a client of both our venue and Patricia’s bartending service. Brides typically hire multiple vendors for weddings, such as the venue (us), bartenders (Patricia), DJs, caterers, photographers, etc.

The Situation

When the bride booked our venue, it was before I began working there. My husband and I lived across the state for a few years before moving back in 2022, and I started working at the venue in May 2023. The bride had already toured the venue, booked it, and communicated via email with my MIL (the owner). By the time I got involved, I had never met or interacted with the bride.

In January 2024, the bride's wedding was scheduled for April 27th. Her final payment was due in January, so I sent a reminder email. A few days later, she responded, saying the wedding was canceled. We use a single business email, and we don’t have personal emails tied to the business. My MIL, who is kind and understanding, emailed back, offering to work something out if the cancellation was due to financial reasons, as it was too close to the date to rebook, and we'd lose money. The bride simply replied, "We broke up." We never heard from her again despite multiple attempts to get her to sign a cancellation form. By early March, I sent a final email stating that I would use the email chain as her cancellation notice, as per our contract. No response came. I assumed the bride was either embarrassed or just poor at communicating.

Patricia's Experience

Patricia knew I was now working at my in-laws' venue, and we were looking forward to working together again. Last week, she texted me asking if the wedding was still on for the 27th. I informed her that the bride had canceled in January and hadn’t made her final payment. Shockingly, the bride never informed Patricia of the cancellation, leaving Patricia out of money since she had prepared her staff for the wedding. Despite multiple attempts to reach the bride, Patricia received no response, which was baffling. Why would the bride ignore Patricia but cancel with us?

Five days before the wedding date, the bride finally told Patricia about the cancellation. Patricia, understandably irritated, replied that she had already found out from the venue and advised the bride to inform her vendors sooner next time to avoid potential financial losses. Upon reviewing her contract, Patricia realized there was a clause requiring only a five-day notice before canceling the bartending service. This meant the bride had deliberately waited until the last minute to notify Patricia, despite canceling the wedding nearly four months earlier. Who does that? It's cruel and inconsiderate. I'm sure other vendors also suffered financial losses because of this bride. What a jerk.

Each year, my parents organize a small getaway for our family, and this year was no different. Along with me, they invited my fiancé and my younger brother’s girlfriend.

I have been in a relationship with my fiancé for over two years and we got engaged about three months ago. My brother has been with his girlfriend since they were freshmen in high school, making her practically part of the family by now. However, this trip was to be the first our family would share with my fiancé, marking an exciting milestone for us.

The key detail here is that my fiancé is entirely dependent on his guide dog, a gentle and indispensable aid due to his visual impairment. This dog isn’t just a pet but an essential part of his ability to navigate the world.

The issue arose when my mother realized we intended to bring the guide dog along. She was taken aback and questioned whether that was really necessary. I was puzzled by her reaction—how could we possibly not bring the dog? She's a vital part of my fiancé's mobility and independence.

My mother expressed her reservations, suggesting that while she appreciated our situation, she preferred that the dog not accompany us on this particular family outing. I tried to explain how integral the dog is to my fiancé's daily life and that excluding her was not feasible.

The situation escalated quickly. My mother became agitated, calling me ungrateful and disrespectful. I felt a mix of disappointment and anger and eventually had to end the phone call to avoid saying something I might regret. Shortly after, my father called, attempting to mediate. He suggested I could assist my fiancé instead, minimizing the issue to a mere inconvenience. This suggestion was not only impractical but also insensitive. The argument heated up when I insisted on the importance of inclusivity and fairness, especially given that my brother’s girlfriend was invited with no objections.

If this scenario were part of a reality show, cameras would zoom in on the intense emotional debates and the tears, capturing each biting comment and painful silence. Viewers would likely be polarized, with some empathizing with the struggle for inclusivity and others siding with the supposed simplicity of the parents' request.

Given this strained situation, am I the wrong one here? Should family unity come at the cost of exclusion? How can we reconcile these differences without feeling like we've compromised our principles or our loved ones' fundamental needs?

for nearly the entire year now, I can't seem to enjoy anything without some annoying little voice in my head going "you're going to die. this wont matter lol." and its all I can think of. if I'm not constantly doing something then it gets in my head and I just think over and over "nothing you do will matter. you're gonna die. everyone dies in the end." and its like, sometimes just because I know Im going to die someday I consider speeding up the process so I don't feel like I've ran out of time and instead I'm willingly giving it up. and I cant think about doing things in the future or things I have done because then It's just reminding mee I'm stepping closer towards the end. i don't know how to stop.

sometimes i just wake up feeling like the weight of the whole world is pressing down on me, and it feels like i can’t catch a break from it all. i’m 28, and i guess i’ve reached that point where everything in life seems heavy; the bills, the job that never gives me peace of mind, and the constant pressure to be more, to do better. even though i try to keep my head up and push through, it feels like every step forward pulls me two steps back. i look at myself and wonder if i’m really doing what i was meant to do, if this struggle is supposed to be my reality. i mean, why should i keep going, right? but then, there’s this tiny spark inside me that whispers maybe it’s worth seeing where it leads, maybe there’s something ahead i haven’t seen yet. sometimes it’s not about the big achievements, but the small wins, like making a stranger smile or finishing a book that lifts me up just a little bit. i wonder if that’s enough to hold onto.

there are days when i sit quietly, sipping my coffee, and the silence feels louder than a crowd, but i still choose to show up for the day; it’s not easy. there are moments where i feel like i’m stuck in an endless loop of trying and failing, trying and failing, and it’s exhausting. but when i look around, when i see the sun peeking through the blinds or hear my neighbor’s dog barking like he’s calling out to me, i remember that there are little things that make life less unbearable. it’s funny how those tiny, seemingly insignificant details can pull me back from the edge of giving up completely. have you ever thought about that? how the smallest thing can spark a feeling of connection, even if just for a second? i’m not saying it fixes everything, but it’s enough to keep me from falling too deep. i try to remind myself that feelings, even the overwhelming ones, come and go; maybe that’s what makes them bearable in the long run.

i guess the real question is, am i willing to keep trying despite it all? it’s easy to think about quitting when the weight feels too heavy, but then i remind myself of the people who care about me, even if i don’t always see it. i think about the future, the chance that maybe one day i’ll look back and realize this was just a rough chapter and not the whole story. do you ever think about that? that maybe the bad days don’t define everything? i know it’s hard to hold onto that idea when everything feels like it’s falling apart, but i’m trying. i’m trying because deep down i believe that tomorrow could be different, that there might be a reason to smile, a reason to breathe deeply and say, “i made it through this day.” maybe that’s why i should keep living, because there’s still a chance for things to change, and i’m curious to see what’s on the other side.

3 (ish) months in the year. how is it going??

To my stalkers.They will never see me speak and talk to me in person until they die. They will never meet me in person. They will never know how great I am in person and how funny I am and all those wonderful things. Lol.

I’m 13, female. I often come online like anybody else, I don’t have social media other than Snapchat and YouTube if you’d even consider that social media. Because of this sometimes I feel a bit of a disconnect. A lot of my peers have apps like discord or instagram. While it’s not a big deal because I never feel out of the loop with my friends sometimes it just makes me feel like I’m not where I should be. Like I’m out of the circle of all the people in my grade, I don’t know the latest things or anything. I don’t have a whole lot of friends too, 1 best friend which I love, a small circle of friends (around 5) and a few acquaintances that I feel too awkward to really be myself around. So sometimes I get lonely or just want to experience something outside of that. Hence I try to go online through websites like this. I have my struggles, that’s why when I feel I have no one to talk to I go online and write them here to get them out. I know I can’t know everything in the world, I haven’t lived long enough. But I find that a lot of people treat me like I know nothing just because I’m young. I’ll vent about something personal on here and I’ve gotten responses that basically say that it’s “not that bad” and “that’s just life”. I know that! I know I can’t have it so much worse! I know that struggles come with life! That’s why I’m so grateful for the things I have but sometimes I just need to get it out! I know how horrible life can be, I know it has twists and tricks, I know what I have is not nearly as bad as someone who doesn’t have a home, or who’s starving or living in a country at war. I’m so happy and grateful for the life I have. I think a lot of people don’t really see kids as mature enough to really think deeply or they don’t know anything. It’s really not true. I know it sounds like I’m just being bratty but I hate it when people think less of me because of age. I don’t know everything but neither does anybody. You who’s reading this doesn’t, if anybody even does read this that is. I hate that quote “you don’t know everything”, I get told that a lot because I’m a child. Because I’m not “old enough” to understand and know. But nobody is. Nobody knows everything. I’m capable of having really mature and deep thoughts but I feel like no one can see that. My friends can but can adults? I don’t think so because every time they seem to think I don’t know anything.

My girlfriend, Emily, and I have been sharing an apartment for about half a year. As someone swamped with work and life's incessant demands, I was genuinely excited about the prospect of spending an evening cooking and relaxing just with her. We had planned this since the weekend. Being the social butterfly she is, Emily had plans to go for brunch with her friends on Sunday morning at 11. I had everything timed to serve dinner by 6:30 PM, expecting her to be back in time, perhaps a bit tipsy from a mimosa or two, maybe even taking a short nap before dinner.

However, what was supposed to be a simple brunch morphed into a day-long bar-hopping event. Initially, Emily assured me via texts that she would be back in time for dinner. However, as the day progressed and her messages became increasingly slurred, my doubts grew. By 5 PM, I was getting the pasta ready; at 5:30, her Snapchat story revealed she was nowhere near home but taking shots at a bar in a different part of Chicago. I didn't want to be the nagging boyfriend, so I chose not to comment on it. Yet, annoyance was building up within me, especially since our special evening seemed to be slipping away.

By 6:30 PM, Emily hadn't returned. Checking her location, I found she was at yet another bar. Left to dine alone, I simply ate by myself and decided to spend the night playing PlayStation with my friends, storing the rest of the food in the fridge.

Emily stumbled in around 7:15 PM, visibly inebriated, and seemed puzzled at my gaming. When she inquired about dinner, I pointed out her tardiness and mentioned that although dinner was ready, it was now in the fridge and she could help herself if she felt like eating. Her response was a mix of a tipsy apology and a dismissive laugh, joking about the unpredictability of a "girl gang" brunch. After I told her I had made other plans, she called me rude and went off to sleep. To add insult to injury, she critiqued the look of the dinner I had prepared and ended up ordering Taco Bell.

The next day was marked by a tangible sense of passive aggressiveness from both sides.

In a reality show setting, the drama from this story would likely escalate dramatically. Cameras would amplify our facial expressions and reactions, capturing every detail of the emotional tension. The moment Emily walked through the door to find me not waiting with dinner but rather engaged in a video game could spark an on-camera blow-up. Confessionals would feature each of our perspectives, adding layers to the narrative. The audience would likely be divided; some might sympathize with my need to move on with the night after being stood up, while others could argue for more patience and flexibility in relationships.

Help me... am I wrong here? :)

Sunday, 15th March 2026

I got into a little argument with lil bro(10), I hit him on his head. Then he jumped on me with all his weight and tried to choke me and punched my face. I scratched his face because that's all I could. Then elder brother(26) pulled me away, I threw a bottle at him but it hit mother instead. Then she hit me with that bottle twice. No one stopped him. No one shouted at him. No one took my side. Everyone says it's my fault. Everyone was against me. Mother was saying it's your fault that he hit you. Everyone said they should make me wash dishes so I can't keep my nails long. Middle brother(22) said call her here and make her wash dishes now. Elder brother said make her wash dishes.

And when my older brothers hit me because I tried to say what is fair and treat them with equal disrespect? Everytime it's my fault because I'm a girl, I just want to run away from here as soon as I can. I can't take it anymore. My mother is saying it's all my fault and it happened because I went out with friends the day before. She said she won't let me go out ever again. she called my friends whores.

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.

Maybe i'm not kind. Or Loving. or sweet. Or even good. But you're not safe. You're violent and aggressive and always look to hurt people when you don't like them. And no i can't think about you and accomodate you because all i'm thinking about around you Is that i'm unsafe and i have to escape.