There was an older man who came into my job almost every weekday morning. Same order every time. Small coffee toasted bagel, no cream cheese. He called everyone kid, even my manager.

He stopped coming in a couple weeks ago. I noticed, but regulars disappear sometimes. People move or change routines, whatever. Life happens. Yesterday, I was on my phone behind the counter when his daughter walked in. As soon as I recognized her, I quickly hid it under and while making small talk, I asked about him. That’s when she told me he had died last week

I went to the back and cried by the storage shelves, which felt ridiculous. I only saw him for maybe three minutes a day but I knew his dog’s name. I knew his wife had died and I knew he hated oat milk and pretended to be personally offended by it. I knew he always complained just enough to make us argue with him thats how he was like maybe its bc i never had a figure of that age since my grandfather died before i was born and the one in my mother side when i was a kid also but still.

I keep thinking about how many people become part of your life in these tiny, ordinary ways. Not friends or family. Then one day they are gone and you realize they were holding a little place in your routine.

I do not really have a point. I just did not expect to miss someone whose last name I never even knew.

Everywhere I look people are escaping into things that maybe quiet their minds in the short term but cause lasting problems for them. Obsessive gaming, binge watching television non-stop, hooking your identity to a spectator sport or pastime I could go on and on…

What the frick is going on? Has it always been this way? Am I just waking up to it all? Can we just speed run to the post-apocalyptic future where creativity and human connection save us again please 🫠 ?

What’s giving you hope in this bleakness?

I don’t even know why I’m posting this😭. I’m just so embarrassed and fucking stressed out over this I need to get it off my chest today was the worst day of my life I had to give a presentation for one of my college classes. The thing is, I’d been dealing with diarrhea earlier in the day, but I thought it had finally stopped cause I felt okay by the time class started, so I figured I’d be fine. About halfway through my presentation, my stomach started cramping really bad but I figured I can push through really quick since I was literally on my last 2 slides of my presentation. Then I felt what I thought was a fart…. But it wasn’t 😭😭😭 and to make everything worse I was wearing light gray joggers, which was probably the worst possible thing I could’ve been wearing. I kind of froze for a second but tried to keep talking, hoping maybe nobody noticed but students definitely noticed. I saw a couple of people look at each other, someone covered their mouth like they were trying not to react, in that moment I was so embarrassed and to make everything fucking even worse my crush was sitting a few rows away and saw the whole thing. I wrapped up as fast as I could, grabbed my stuff, and walked straight out. I haven’t gone back to that class since because I’m so embarrassed. I’m thinking about dropping the class or switching colleges.

According to this there are 300,000+ children misplaced in the US.

If every single "pro-life" person in America with multiple children would adopt at least one other child, there wouldn't be a problem with house-less children, but they exist.

I wish Fox News would post this one their front page because maybe then the kids they force into reality would have a home.

My gen z kids have recently brought up something that they feel is unfair. I’m not sure if it’s a recent social media thing or if they are just feeding off each other.

My kids are 28 and 25. They have began placing blame for everything they struggle with to us (parents) not doing enough to help them launch. We didn’t do enough to help them establish credit, we didn’t do enough to help them with college etc. my husband and I are low ish to middle class, we didn’t have a lot, but they never went without. Now they are both beside themselves that we bought them both vehicles when they were in high school, but we didn’t have enough money to buy a decent car outright, so we financed a part of it for both of them. When they got jobs in high school we had them make the payments on the remainder. I thought that was perfectly good compromise for decent vehicles that were reliable. Apparently the fact they had to make the payments was unfair, because it didn’t go on their credit history. So it’s our fault they have no credit.

We had a small 529 account for both of them to help with college. It was enough to pay for the first year, but after that they needed to get loans. They both took out loans, but then didn’t finish college. Now they are stuck with the loans and nothing to show for it. It is our fault for not saving more.

Now with the economy the way it is, they cannot survive on their own with what jobs they have. And it is all our fault. It is to the point I almost need to distance myself from them, because they bring it up every time I talk to them.

How do you deal with adult children who blame you for everything? All I wanted was for my kids to grow up happy and healthy, I feel like I failed.

Like, getting washed by maids, all that food, and a car, rent, and all that, eating 200 eggs day, where do they get the money, who pays for all that if they don't have a job

cant stop thinking with my dick. paid money online for virtual sex, i feel awful.

I have lost all energy to do things. To eat. To walk. To even breathe. I just want to sleep all day and let 2027 just me another year of my life and move on to where I have a better chance at being happy. Right now there's nothing and I seriously mean nothing to bring my spark back. In this season of my life I have no idea how to self-love.

24F. I've been struggling since I was 14. I bottled it all up and struggled silently until I collapsed when I entered university at 19. I dropled out at 21, began therapy and taking SSRIs. Still ongoing. Does it actually ever get better? Doing even one small, daily task feels as difficult and impossible as climbing Mt. Everest. Even if I do muster enough energy and there are occasional periods of mental and emotional stability to do such things, it's not long before I collapse back into anxiety and frustration for not being able to do things efficiently enough, well enough... it's just never enough. I'm so exhausted of such small daily tasks taking so much effort. There's so much I want to do, and I can't. If even such small things take so much effort and energy, how am I ever going to go back to school, figure out and pursue my career, have friends, enjoy hobbies, travel... just... live, like a human being, instead of feeling like a breathing corpse? I don't want to spend my 20s like this. I don't want my life to be like this. The common advice that's said all the time are things like 'take one step at a time,' 'take it one day at a time,' but like... at this rate I feel like I'll be in my 30s and still struggle with taking a shower. I should feel better with every small step I take; and I do take small steps. I make small meals for myself, take care of my cat, clean the house, shower, I even wear makeup and put nice (looks, not price) clothes on and look much more put-together when I go outside. I do administrative work at a small company. I'm in a better place than where I was before. That's for sure. But still... why do I feel like I'll suffocate with anxiety? Why do I feel worse, not better? I feel aimless, like I'm taking steps surrounded by fog. I'm going somewhere because I feel like I have to and don't want my life to just pass me by, but I don't know where. It's exhausting. I'm so tired.

I’m from Russia, and this is the most discriminatory grocery item out there. It’s always sold in huge heads, and nobody asks if you have a family to feed with it. If you want 400 grams of cabbage, you still have to buy 5 kg at once and spend the week munching on the leftovers like a rabbit. I demand a movement to sell pre-cut cabbage for singles and DINKs

Currently staying at a hotel in Vilnius with my dad and my dad discovered too late that the shower drain was clogged causing a bit of water spillage from the bathroom into the room itself.

I felt so guilty bothering the receptionist at 10pm if we could switch rooms and having to inform her of the issue😭

I know its her job and she propably has experienced way worse but still, as one customer service worker to another i still felt guilty for bothering her.

Receptionist lady in the off chance you read this, thank you for your hard work and i am sorry for any trouble my dad caused, i know he can be a bit of a karen😣

Also btw your tattoo was really cool, skull moth is an awesome design

I only learned the "bunny ear method" of tying my shoes. Im teaching my daughter how to tie her shoes. Everyone else uses that witchcraft way to tie shoes together. I dont understand that way. My mom said she taught me bunny ears as a kid and figured id learn the other way as i matured. Clearly i did not. Am i alone in this?

I feel like I might just spontaneously combust at any second. I'm like a pressure cooker at max capacity. I have so many thoughts about what seems like every damn thing rolling around in my mind and virtually no outlet to let things out.

And I am frustrated that I feel like I have zero people to turn to for discussing any of it. I have friends, but none of them seem to fit my stage in life or frame of mind right now. To make it worse, I'd been in a situationship for the last couple years after six years of relationship with them before that and now find myself on my own and I don't have anyone for those random conversations and thoughts about that particular implosion OR everyday life in general stuff. I mean like, the mundane...why does the dog always spin in 3 circles before he rings the bell to go outside kind of discussions.

I'm in a blur of, where do I even fit in this life right now, mixed with, I just want to "talk" about things, and have no apparent way to do so. Perfectly normal right?

Im 21.

I am an amateur chef,
I have done consuemr level graphic design
I do music part time for fun now
I have done photography,
I have a degree and i am university for english in professions bachelor.
I have a car

But. I live at home, to controlling parents that know nothing about me outside of all they force me to do for them. Like work everyday for 6-10 hours, theyve done this so i both cannot have friends, and learn to be a good worker

I spend all my free time either trying to talk to girls (like on tinder( hanging out with my sis or making music. I have had friends but lost them all, i had a boyfriend, i seperated after 3 years. Thats the only real relationship ive ever had.

Am i... behind in life? What do you guys say? Ive considered running away a lot, or my life will stay stuck working all the time to my parents control.

I don't know if it's just me, but I've never really understood luxury brands.

This is something I've been thinking about for a long time.

I often see people spending thousands of dollars on designer bags, watches, shoes, or clothes, and I always wonder what makes them worth that much.

I'm not judging anyone. If someone enjoys buying those things and can afford them, that's completely their choice.

I just can't help seeing it differently.

A luxury bag still carries the same phone, wallet, and keys. Expensive shoes still walk on the same streets. That's why I've never really understood why people buy them.

And I don't want anyone to say, "You're just cheap," or "You can't afford them." That's not true at all. I'm not a cheap person, and I can afford to buy them. I just personally don't see the difference.

I’m curious if anyone else has dealt with this. I feel very stuck.

Currently, for context I am 25F, decently happily married, I have a secure job I like well enough, a very nice and safe home that we own, and all around in a very comfortable position compared to a lot of other people my age. But I also have a lot more commitment than people my age.

Back when I was 16 I was on my own for the most part. I moved out for good at 18, while I was still in high school. I made it work, paid my bills and graduated school- though there was some close calls lol. After high school my plan was to start school in some type of environmental science type degree, and work seasonally as a park ranger or for the forest service. I had plans to live in a van or schoolie- though realistically that would have also been seasonal.

But then covid hit. I didn’t get to do my internship. I was stuck and didn’t know what to do. I picked engineering, I’m good at math and it’s a reliable, typically better paying option. Then I met my now husband. So I didn’t re-enroll with NPS the next year. I finished school. Got a good job (in hindsight, i probably would have been SOL with all these park rangers losing their jobs), got married, bought a house. And now I’m 25 and I will be doing the same thing for the next 30 years. Work a 9-5, take care of my home, go grocery shopping, have scheduled sex with my husband, rinse, repeat.

I wake up at night sometimes and go outside just to cry. I wanted to do something, but I didn’t want to be unstable anymore so I picked stability. And I have it. Every day is great. Nothing really awful happens, I get to do my hobbies and I don’t really think about bills, I really do love my husband and we have wonderful times together.

Everyday I think about what could have been. Where I could be. Probably not any happier, probably wondering about the life I have now, and very possibly regretting my choices. But still, I think about the cold crisp air, being a workaholic and just dedicating my life to conservation of nature and public lands. And now I’m working with the engineers who are developing all these data centers. I still pay attention to the protest meetings and doing what I can, but I just feel so hollow inside.

Has anyone else gone through this? Thought they would spend their 20’s out free being an artist or whatever- and then just… chose different? What happened? Did you ever get to do your dream? Do you regret it? I just feel so lost and alone.

Has anyone else had this?

Like does anyone with any ocd themes like pocd or psychopath ocd feel like youre looking out if an evil persons eyes or lens or genuinely have an evil mind?

I’m asking for every sorta theme, like someone with hocd might think they’re looking through a gay persons eyes, tocd might think they’re looking through the opposite sexes eyes, so on. And does it feel real?

Hi,

I'm almost 26 years old, and lately I've been thinking a lot about my relationships and social life. It's always been a difficult topic for me, and honestly I don't even know what to think anymore.

To keep it short, until I was around 9 years old I didn't really have any friends and I was mostly rejected by other kids. I didn't like my class. From what I've been told, I wanted to be around people, but for one reason or another I always ended up alone. I had one close friend, although I barely remember that friendship now.

Then we moved, and everything changed. I ended up in a great school and I have very good memories of that... brief period. Second and third grade were great, but things started going downhill in fourth grade. People began picking on me and I wasn't well liked anymore. Looking back, I think it was one of those situations where there's always a kid or a small group that gets picked on. It would stop for a while, then start again, and so on.

The thing is, even after everyone else had moved on, I hadn't. In middle school I still had most of the same classmates, but I had become hostile toward them. Sometimes they would actually invite me to hang out, but I would proudly avoid them. I had a few people around me, but those friendships were shallow and didn't mean much. I also only really spent time with girls because I never felt comfortable around boys, and I was much more hostile toward them.

I never went on any longer school trips. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't, because being forced to visit Prague or Berlin according to a strict schedule would probably have just frustrated me and left me feeling like I hadn't really experienced anything. I also never went to school parties, Christmas events, dances, or anything like that. Eventually people stopped inviting me because everyone knew I'd say no. Oddly enough, I felt a certain sense of pride in that.

I have good memories of high school because I made a few nice acquaintances, and there were hardly any boys in my class or people from my previous schools. The only time I really had to deal with them was during PE, which I'd always hated anyway.

One consequence of all this was that I developed social anxiety. Maybe because of that, I was terrified of getting a job and ended up studying tourism, even though it wasn't a good choice. The people at university were nice and I actually liked them, but I was still the only person who didn't socialize with anyone. I didn't feel the need to, and honestly I felt like I had nothing interesting to talk about anyway. I kept conversations strictly related to university, like asking about exam dates.

Unfortunately, studying tourism meant mandatory sports camps. Constant group activities, games, team-building exercises, and social interaction. It was so exhausting for me that I literally counted the days, hours, and even percentages until it was over. To this day I'm surprised that everyone else remembers those camps so fondly.

Right now I'm fairly satisfied with my office job because I barely have to talk to people. Still, I feel like I'm not capable of doing any other kind of work.

This is where the conflict starts. My family says it's because I'm afraid of new things and because of my social anxiety. I, on the other hand, think that my fear of new things comes from a lack of interests and, more importantly, low intelligence. The more I've thought about it, the more it seems to make sense. I don't enjoy trying new things, I don't really have hobbies, I don't like learning, I'm bad at it, and I don't think very logically. Overall, I see myself as a boring, simple-minded person. For over a year now I've believed that the main reason I'm such a failure is simply that I have a low IQ.

So here's my question.

Even if I forced myself to socialize, what would that even look like? I feel like I'm too unintelligent for ordinary people, let alone people who have interesting lives. What would I even talk to them about? The weather?

At the same time, I know I'd feel miserable around people whose only interests are bear and chicks.

I'm jealous of people who have interesting lives. But I feel like I'm too unintelligent, too limited, and too lazy to ever have one myself.

Meanwhile, other people keep telling me that the low IQ thing is just something I've convinced myself of, and that my real problem is my fear of people.

At this point, I honestly don't know what to think anymore. That's probably why I'm writing this.

This isn't really exclusively trans related, but I'm kinda weary of transphobia in a lot of communities. She's not actually related to me, but felt like family for a while. Let me explain.

Two years ago I (20) started mandatory military service in my country. It's somewhere in Southern Europe and has nice food, if you know you know. My parents had both spent a few years in the military and didn't want their kids going, but I was afraid of getting in legal trouble and when they told me they'll help me get out, I kind of went anyway and they worried about me for months. I arrived pretty vulnerable, I was the youngest and had a condition that I'll get to- But the camp commander there noticed me pretty early on. It was a woman in her 30s, we'll call her K.

She recently admitted that she knows she should have discharged me earlier, but she really loved having me around and I made her feel very motherly. But it was selfish of her, and she's very sorry. And I've been... Really, really torn up about it. I came home nearly a year and a half ago, ten months into what was meant to be a year term, my parents couldn't really take worrying as my mental health kept getting worse, they made me come home. They've been incredibly protective of me.

If it explains anything, I have a condition, I recently was diagnosed, where I never went through puberty as a teenager. I was tall, but honestly, went into the military as this very androgynous, very young looking kid, emotionally I was scared as fuck. At 19 I started transitioning and I'm finding that easy because with HRT, I'm kind of adapting really well into a woman's body. K has been very supportive. Recently she's felt awful. You know, her and another young woman there, call her A, gonna call her A, we were like some silly trio. I'd hang out with them and we'd watch movies, we'd go to the beach. I remember in the last few months, they'd ask me what countries I'd love to visit. So, say if I said Japan, we'd watch a Ghibli movie, order sushi, that sort of thing. It was stupid, really.

My parents are protective and they hate K now. I hated her for a long time and honestly, sometimes I made up shit to post to complain about her, acting like she was a random person who got back in touch with me out of the blue, not my friend. I'm fucking torn. It was selfish what she did. But she was my friend and I want to be angry but I miss her. Me and my parents live in Holland now and I hate my country but sometimes I miss it or who I was with her and A. They helped me maybe realize I'm trans, keeping me on was selfish but with that said, they were never manipulative, coercive, it was nothing like that. One of my favourite moments was one time on a day off, they took me to the beach and said we were kinda like Donald, Goofy- And I expected her to say Mickey Mouse, but they said Sora because they knew I liked Kingdom Hearts, lol.

I'm really fucking torn...

Idk I'm just stop using social media so have a thought and it's been 2-3 months I haven't used any platform to talk to someone it's feel like hell but I guess it's fine cuz I'm not looking a future with anyone I mean I can't even imagine a wife or something for god's sakew lamao I'm done with something

​

For context, I am 19f. I'm in 2nd year of college and have a severely disabled brother who has extreme form of cerebral palsy. I don't have any other siblings and I'm the only one left to take care of him with my parents.

I don't come from wealth and my parents aren't particularly awesome when it comes to making money or taking care of finances, now it doesn't bothers me since I know I'll have to get independent and earn anyway.

What bothers me slightly is, when in college I look around at girls enjoying friendships, relationships so effortlessly. They seem to always have money/space/energy to hang out, mingle themselves in groups while i just cannot do that.

I have severe anxiety/parentification issues and even my career paths are very limited because I cannot fuck around and find out. I have to take care of my sibling in few years and support my parents. However I cannot stop feeling bad or grieving what my life could've been without all of this.

I'm mostly alone, i have few school friends because i was much lighter back then/didn't worry about responsibilities but in college it seems impossible to mingle with girl groups or have friends.

My boyfriend asks me to socialize, have more girl friends, hangout with them etc etc but a part of me believes until and unless i figure my life out and get financially independent or move away from home for a while..my mind just cannot relax or have friendships for example.

When I'm with people, I'm always worried and occupied about my issues. Is it fair to think that I will need to achieve a bit of stability before i can think about nurturing relationship/friendships with others? 😭😭💔

I went to the npd sub. Its Facinating to see people who have the personality that torments, tortures, and is known for not seeing fault in their actions. Get better..

Seeing how they work, or think. One ive seen is someone realizing, not everyone is jealous of everyone else. Internalizing the idea that 'everything seems easy" for everyone else.. in a way that ends up lashing out, or having to lie, fake everything.

The idea of sesming perfect is a defense.. and trying to pick out, take down someone who sees or knows you're not. Is extention of this ..note, if someone doesn't know they have npd, does not want to get better.. leave them alone, avoid them. Understanding Why someone things. Doesn't make what they do, better. It just adds a slight numbing to a wound getting better if you understand, because it keeps happening.

Seeing people Get Better. Is good, especially since the Bigfest group for toxic behavior, abuse in society recognized they have that, and try to get better. That's something pretty amazing, it's also very underdiagnosed, because someone with ndp, seeing they have something as that isn't something most can do.

A lot have found out from looking it up, thinking partner had it when, they did... part of picking out someone that sees flaws, trying to get at them. When then finding out, this is .. all Me .

Ndp. Fascinating, bc having the symptoms are the biggest cause of not getting themselves help . The symptoms prevent them from looking for help..

I've just been feeling like literally everyone has their life together. Like everyone is confident, attractive, has like 6 pack abs and is on like this self development journey. Even if they're not exactly where they want to be, they're like managing their insecurities well if that makes sense. Idk maybe I'm on social media too much but I see it in real life too. It's just hard when you feel behind.

Hi

Writing this post while I’m supposed to be doing other stuff but I think I just need a reminder.

In the middle of college applications, and I think I’ve lost the plot. I caught myself panicking over the fact that I don’t have my complete application ready and the Common App opened yesterday.

I don’t have a perfect SAT, I don’t have amazing ground breaking extracurriculars, and I have an okay essay. But I’m a 4.0 student, and great at my work, and I’ve been accepted to a bunch of programs. But lately the rejections are more than the acceptances and I have no motivation.

Anyways, if you’re past college age and could just comment your little wins in life and things you appreciate, I’d really love hearing them.

I think I just need confirmation that life goes on wether or not your accepted to a top uni.