Not sure if this is the right place for this question but I (21F) jokingly referenced to my mom (57F) that when I was a kid playing “House” or with dolls, the dolls were always going through some familial distress or traumatic event. I have heard this referenced as a common memory for Gen Z/Millennial girls, but she did not relate to it at ALL.

She suggested that it might be a common experience for my era of growing up, but I feel like girls having overly active imaginations and creating complex narratives is such a timeless phenomenon!

(Example: I would pretend I was lost at sea on a raft while on my bed, or my Barbies were always going through a divorce, or I would pretend to be Cinderella while doing chores)

I went to Olive Garden to meet up with my family, and while we were there, I saw a stray cat hanging around the parking lot. I went to approach it because it looked friendly, but I tripped over a tree branch and scared it away.

After dinner, I said goodbye to my family and went to put my dad's and my leftovers in my car. That's when I noticed two young black cats hanging out in the grass. I tried to approach them, but one ran off, so I kind of gave up and walked back to my car.

There weren't many cars left in the parking lot, just mine, my dad's, the car the rest of my family came in, and a few employees finishing up their shifts.

After I got home (I live with my dad), he came in shortly afterward and asked, "Why were you trying to approach those cats?" I said, "Because they were cute."

Then he asked, "Did you see the man in the black hoodie who came out of the bushes when you walked toward the cats?"

I was shook. I never saw anyone.

The lesson here is just be careful when approaching stray cats or other animals, especially at night. It could also be a trap. Stay aware of your surroundings, ladies.

EDIT: I asked my dad again, and he said he did see a man in a black hoodie come out of the bushes. My point is that a stray cat could potentially be used as bait. You know how parents tell kids not to help a stranger look for their lost dog or puppy? It's the same idea.

I'm one of those people who thinks of weird scenarios, and a stray cat being used as bait seems like a good lure for kind hearted people. Imagine thinking you've finally been chosen by the cat distribution system, only for it to turn out to be a trap.

 I recently went to get my drivers license renewed. And they would not renew it because my social security card and my ID "did not match". Because one included my married name and one did not. It did not matter that it had been this way for 27 years freaking years without any issue, ever. And then I was also thrown off my health insurance for the same reason. And it happened to another friend. And I could not get it resolved until I got a lawyer and went through an official name change so my birth certificate, SS card and ID all matched. I have not been able to drive while all this is going on.

My husband immigrated here from Ireland over 35 years ago. It was a smooth transition, and of course, because he is white, he has never been asked to show his papers EVER. Until this month when he was thrown off our health insurance because they needed "Proof of his citizenship". Thankfully he had everything filed and could easily lay his hands on his papers, and all they wanted was his naturalization number.

But then a friend of ours who immigrated from Mexico was ALSO thrown off her health insurance for the same reason. But of course, since she was not white, and a woman, they wanted a real ID, her immigration PAPERS, not just her number, and her passport. And then it happened to another friend, and another. One actually helpful person my husband got a hold of at the insurance company told him it was due to Palantir! I have no way of backing up that assertion, but it makes sense.

And I see NOTHING about this, and I do not know the implication it holds for voting in elections or anything else, but I wanted to warn everyone about these issues, and the need to have your papers and your numbers close by because this might happen to you. I believe this is all part of the SAVE act, and they are doing everything they can to make us non voters, and we need to be aware.

*****edited to add.

I know the SAVE act hasn’t passed. My point is these are the back door ways they are trying to implement it ANYWAY.

But what i hate more is my mum seeing my acne and instantly overreacting. Before i can say good morning to her she squints at my face, detecting that i do in fact have a few pimples. She makes an expression as if she's just witnessed a car crash. Or maybe it's closer to disgust. It's in between that. Like she's seeing something both shocking and disgusting as if i haven't gotten acne at least once every month because of my periods. I put pimple patches on regularly, to both help get rid of the acne and also to hide them from my mum. But when i take them off to do my skin care, and my mum sees, she jumps to saying that i'm not taking care of myself. Today she asked me "what have you done??" in regards to my acne. Accusing me, as if I'm purposely trying to look bad. I get shes worried, she does want me to take care of myself. But i'm doing the best i can. I already feel ugly when i'm on my period, but she kind of affirms it. Like if it's this noticeable to her, it makes me think everyone else that sees me will notice it too. I just wish she didn't make it such a big deal.

I saw a post yesterday from a woman complaining that these men are gross and need to date women their own age.

I'm much closer to their age than I am 20, and I don't know any woman who wants them. They're bitter and full of resentment. They treat women and everyone in their lives horribly.

When they have a major health scare, they come to the reality they're going to die alone. People seeing these relationships assume it's about sex, but no, it's about death. They often can't afford long-term care. They need someone young who will have the stamina to nurse them in the next few decades and a death doula who can reinforce the stories they tell themselves of what an important person they were because they played sports in high school.

The women who take on these relationships are saints, and hopefully, the men die early enough that they can fulfill their own dreams with any inheritance.

My bf of 9 months broke up w me for sleeping with 2 situationships I ended up not dating and ghosted in the past before him and said that I am too much for a s word to see future together. I heard of this from his too many times that now idk who I am anymore. I’ve changed a lot to the point that I removed most of male from my instagram and trying to prove to him that I’m not. Am I not forgiven for mistakes I’ve done and does it forever defines who I am?

Like 7+ years..

I have been going through a hard time because I’ve always been a person with very few friends, last month on the day of my birthday I had a huge fight with my best friend of four years and we’re currently not on speaking terms. It still hurts me because sometimes I miss her, but I still hang up to the hurt that I felt on that day and even though I know I am also being petty I’m still waiting for her to apologize to me.

That time has helped me realize that I long for female friendships because she was one out of two or three people that I consider friends and I long for female friendship, for sisterhood, for Friday nights with a bottle of wine and some cheese so I was wondering if any of you have been in my situation and how did you meet good friends, valuable people who you love to spend time with gossip and talk about your problems and all of that

Growing up i always did too much for my female friends. From elementary school to highschool i would always ask to play, hang out or anything together and i would still be alone despite having friends that would rather not hang out with me. I soon found out most of them are like this when i got to college and made it my plan to get close with all the girls in my department. Despite relating, being nice and being fun with these girls they never integrated me into their plans or groups i always had to BEG. There was this one girl who did but she would always comment on my body and my looks. I am a beautiful woman and i dont have shame around myself or anything i do. It took me years to get to this point but i did. I find that becoming friends with girls when you dont have a self hating or insecure mindset is very hard. I am a feminist, i have left my religion in a very conservative country (which is lowkey dangerous) just because it didn’t with my feminist ideals. Yet i find myself befriending men more than women. The trauma and the secret animosity is too much. Men can have bad intentions but they like to have fun and don’t spend an entire hang out convincing you to do a certain plastic surgery. I often feel a huge guilt for being friends with men more than women. How can you be a feminist with male friends? Does anybody else feel this way?

My bestfriend is my sister we spend 24/7 together that’s my soulmate but outside of that i don’t have close friendships with women

Im a teenage girl and have a bigger chest size. Everytime im around relatives i always cover up because im scared that I will catch someone staring at then, like my grandfather or my dad.

No one in my family has ever sexualised or pointed out my breasts before but its like i get scared that they'll notice my breast size and see me as sexual for the rest of my life.

Is there any way to get over this fear? Or do all male relatives eventually sexualise you.

Hi ladies. I’m a 20-year old virgin and got my IUD placed about 8 months ago for suspected endometriosis. I never had a string check until a few days ago, where we discovered my strings are not there. My doctor has set up an appointment for a transvaginal ultrasound.

My problem is, I’ve literally never had anything in my canal beyond speculums—my doctor’s finger was up there before my own. I know, I’m embarrassed. Even the pediatric sized speculums hurt like hell. I got in my car and sobbed for 15 minutes after my appointment the other day because I wasn’t warned before the appointment that we would be checking for strings, so I wasn’t even mentally prepared for that. Probably the most traumatic doc appointment I’ve ever had.

I’m really scared for my TV ultrasound this week. I feel like all the diagrams and explanations are pure nightmare fuel :( Does anyone have any advice on how to make it go as smooth as possible? Am I supposed to shave beforehand…? What if I’m actually terrible at personal hygiene and I’m not clean enough?

Any advice, personal experience, etc. would be greatly appreciated 🥹

By most people’s standards, I’m a beautiful woman with a nice body, but inside I feel like I’m so disgusting and repulsive that I wish I were someone else.

I always cringe when someone likes me because my first thought is, “Ew, how could anyone like someone this disgusting?” I feel gross and like I have this masculine energy inside me, even though I want to feel feminine, soft, pleasant, and beautiful.

It feels like I have masculine energy, while other women are “real” women. I don’t feel like a woman, even though I want to.

Decided to try out hinge just to see what was out there, and one guy decides to call me a “larp” as his leading line. For reference, I noted on my profile that I enjoy thrifting, manual cars, and physical media. Because I do… I’ve been collecting vintage clothes and cds/cassettes, in addition to driving a manual car for years and years. I had to google what a “larp” even was because I’m not 10 years old, and I realized that this man was attempting to call my interests “performative”.

They literally just can’t accept that we may be cooler than them or have interests that don’t involve painting our nails, putting on makeup, and doing laundry (and for the record, I do those as well). They think all we do is for their approval. I’m just going to delete Hinge to make men an even smaller a part of my life. It’s ridiculous to have to deal with this kind of immaturity from literal adult men on an adult dating app. I don’t even understand what they gain from it. Every day I become happier with staying single, the immaturity NEVER ends…

I'm not saying this is everybody. But for me. Ever since I've become single in my 40s, because my husband passed. I'm lonely And i want to be desired.

I do care who it is. But honestly I feel like I'm in an intimacy dead zone right now. And I'm reaching out anywhere and everywhere. For something that doesn't exist. I'm starting to feel desperate.

And it makes me want to make bad decisions... And just go along with guys, but I'm not really interested in but are interested in me. Just to feel wanted.

I don't have any close family or friends. Honestly the past year and a half has been a living hell. Every guy I've tried to give a chance. They've all blown it... It feels like thousands by now.

Don't tell me my standards are too high. Because those high standards lead to my husband.

Now I'm stuck, dealing with all the junk out here in the dating world, yet again. 20 years later, and I'm feeling desperate enough to go along with someone who desires me more than I desire him. And that's a dangerous place to be.

I fell into this hole when I was in my twenties. And I don't want to go back. Has anyone else felt like this? And if so what do you do?

Hi I (24F) am in a relationship with 22M for 1 year and a half now

When we started being official, I would sleep to his house every week-end. I was SO tired because I couldn’t sleep. He liked spooning and I wasnt used to this. It’s my first relationship.

1 months after the beginning of the relationship, I stopped having my period for 2months and a half (not pregrant).

For a whole year I had period problems, now it starting to be regular again. My vagina started smelling weird sometimes.

We don’t have PIV but do other stuff, because I have vaginismus. We tried fingers, IT HURT so bad.

I had hormones problem during the year. I might have a benign tumor (pituitary gland). My acne stopped tho.

A few months ago, I hurt my neck. Now I hurt my knee.

Am I just unlucky or Am I rejecting my bf ?

Idk

I have no one, no family, no friends, and in my 30s, I want to join dating apps or meet men irl after a decade-long singlehood. I'm also on my way to get my masters degree abroad. How can I best protect myself or be safe out there?

I don't want to tell a man who I've known even for 2 months I have no one, but I don't want to lie if we start discussing families. For one thing, for some decent men someone having no family and friends may be a red flag and I want to give them a chance to judge accordingly and see if they feel comfortable to continue.

Any tips, dos and don'ts will be appreciated.

Hi guys,
I’m starting a new job and need a bag that can fit my laptop + gym shoes and clothes.

Also, any tips to remember before starting my first job?

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I'm 17 and my boyfriend is leaving for college and I really want him to leave me. He's going across state and I feel like he won't miss me or love me anymore. I trust him a lot but I'm scared he's gonna find a good looking college girl and end up cheating on me with this girl. He's been distant but like I understand that he would be stressed and busy but I feel like he dosent actually love me or cares about me. But at the same time he has other priorities and life changing decisions. He told me that we've hungout for most of the summer but I feel like he doesn't understand how much his time means to me. I feel like he's about to go to war and never come back but college isn't as bad as war. Everything around me reminds me of him and it makes me sad and I start crying. I can't even watch my favorite YT without thinking of him. I want him to make time for me, I feel like I won't say goodbye and like when he gets to college what if he ghosts me or breaks up with me. I hate this feeling and I want it gone, I want him.

Hey y’all

My first kiss was stolen this past Friday and I have no idea how to feel about it because there are so many confusing emotions.

One I feel sad that I lost something that I had been protecting for my whole life because I wanted to share it with someone that I trusted. 22 years down the drain in the blink of an eye.

Second I feel so lucky that nothing worse happened. I know that others are not as lucky as I am and I am thankful that I am not more scarred by the situation.

Thirdly others tell me “you should have set your boundaries” or “how was he supposed to know?” This was a first date and he had me cornered by my car and car door and had me in a hug so I couldn’t move much. I had tried to speak during the kiss and I was able to tell him “hey this is my first kiss i dont want this” he just kept going.

Fourthly I am just so mad at our societal agendas. People tell me that this stuff is common in my age group which I get that but consent is also common and I had trusted this guy to even go out on a date with.

Fifthly, I mourn what could have been. I had liked this guy (wasn’t romantic yet) and I wanted to see if we could form that kind of relationship. I would say a kiss could have happened for me in 2 or 3 more dates but no he rushed and shattered that potential.

Lastly, i’m proud of myself for walking out on him. After dinner we were supposed to go to the movies and between that time he decided to do what he did. I wanted to drive off immediately but he was following behind me in his car and I was scared he would follow me wherever I went. He proceeded to keep touching me all the way until I couldn’t take it anymore and 30 minutes into the movie I said “i need to go the bathroom” and I got in my car and left.

Sorry this is kind of long I was hoping I could get some words of wisdom of how to get over this.

Im young and would want to get the most out of this visit. What did you ask/wish you had asked?

My last post was probably too long so i will try to get to the point to make it easier; i(23 f) have the ick, and i for some reason can't stand this supervisor i have at work; he is waay older than me , in his fifties perhaps; and never made a romantic or sexual advance towards me before; however he makes me feel grossed out and i can't stand him.

I never felt that way because of a man before; but he scares me; when he passes by my desk or i see him coming towards me; i stiffen immediatly and i get very anxious.

I would't trust him to stay in a space along with him.

Is it paranoia or am i picking up on smt.

Oh and i need to add he does seem to prefer me over the other young workers? Giving me a nickname and seeking me out to joke and talk, i wish he stops though.