Reading the manga she likes homos not me. It's about this gay highschool student who wants to live a "normal" life so he hides his sexuality from his family and friends. The manga was absolutely heartbreaking and it was my first encounter with the shit people go through for being different and it made me realize that gay people are just people too, which should be obvious but I'm from a country where homophobia is normalized and even encouraged. I started thinking more after that and I guess that's when it clicked to me really that everybody deserves love.
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Yeah, it's mad crazy how normalized homophobia is in a lot of cultures. I once saw some well of folks complaining that we don't need Pride anymore. And while they were having fun stroking each other's egos they seemed to have missed the mark that there are people losing their lives and homes over this stuff to this day. So eh. But it's beauitufl, those moments when you see people are people are people.
When I was 15, I told a girl that she should audition for the elite choir at our school (she was very talented). She said she would audition if I would audition (I had no vocal talent) but I auditioned and being one of the only males I got in. I fell in love with singing, worked my ass off, went to college on a vocal scholarship and now 20 years later I am the vocal coach for the largest theatre in our state. That little moment, which she probably doesn't even remember, changed my entire life trajectory.
Enlisting in the military.
I was an insufferable piece of shit back in the day, constantly self sabotaging and blaming everyone else for the problems I caused. I was on the verge of homelessness due to my own stubbornness and bad attitude.
The military gave me the swift kick in the ass that I desperately needed. Now I can self reflect and recognize when the problem is me, and I can admit when I'm wrong and course correct.
Military isn't for everyone, but for me it was exactly what I needed. I learned a ton of life skills and healthy coping mechanisms that my parents never taught me.
I've met some wonderful former military as of late. They're some of the kindness, easy going folk. They just believe in teamwork, and they're absolutely zero-fuss. I really dig people who benefit from the whole exprience. I just wish it was the common take-away. But really, grounded military are amazing.
Going to a rave, taking ecstacy, and seeing above and beyond performing a Group Therapy set.
I was depressed and had suicidal ideation. That night made me feel more connected to the people around me than anything else I've experienced. It was maybe a decade ago and I still think it started my journey of healing.
Becoming a socialist when Bernie Sanders introduced me to socialism.
Boomer...socialist...boomer....socialist? WHAT!? Hahaha, good one though =)
Healthcare as a right is incredibly radicalizing.
Isn't it crazy though? People don't talk about it. They will talk about how you will get service regardless of your class in an emergency room. But they don't talk about the classism and the cultural biases that follow suit. I have seen homeless people hacked the fuck up, like actual hack jobs, because they needed things done and the medical system did the bare minimum to assist. People with their jaws exposed, hands sawed off with a criss-cross suture, people walking around like they were extras in a Silent Hill film (that one was on Baltimore). I don't even know how we can be so fucked up as a people. Like...someone give that woman something other than her jaw just having to be exposed to the elements, right? And if it's an addiction thing - give her the drugs she needs to fucking weather the storm because it's not like she's going to be any less of an addict because she needs surgery and it's not like this is the thing that's going to turn it all around.
The thing I always do ponder though, because legitimately it's fucked how so many people have to live their lives. (I've known three people I can think of off the top of my head who have died because of things that could have been avoided - but really more than that - but I am talking like...cancer and what not). But either way I do know that addiction is a social disease. And in that sense I don't think it's healthy for people in active addiction to be around joe-schmoe. In the sense that everyone is fighting some kind of battle and you could become the next victim before you know it. But I also don't think people should be having to live like wild dogs. And fentanyl has such a shitty fix from what I hear, that you're pretty much sick (withdrawing) all the time. I also heard that China has whole clean corporations setup for the distribution of x-drugs. I mean look, it's not going to cover the meth addicts. I don't really know what could help them. But I swear to god, if we got steady fixes to more opiate addicts this world (or at least this country?) would be a more stable place. I just don't know what that looks like big picture. I would say maintenance like methadone. Maybe it's not a one-size fits all thing (cause it more than likely isn't). I can't say it's just getting them a house, because I used to work at a place like that and every mother fucker was using and it was a pit of chaos. Idk...I wish I knew. I wish I could snap my fingers and make everything better.
But on a whole, I wish the world (let alone America) did health (mental x physical) much better.
Someone cracking their skull on a concrete floor soaked in hydraulic oil
No thank you! Ugh.
Blue collar accidents are unbelievably horrible because they show you the limitations of our fleshy bodies against pretty much any other element.
Negative experience: got half my face ripped off by a dog as a kid. I'm scared of almost all dogs now and I panic around heelers.
Positive experience: going to college. I'm considerably successful because I decided to go on a whim lol.
Hope you're doing okay and face is healed up as much as you want it to be. Tbh, dogs freak me out too. Which is a shame, because I dig them in theory. But in actuality, I am not really here for two of the major pets of this world. Which is a shit situation to be in, and I can't even imagine how shit it must be now that everyone's out here taking their dogs around everywhere. I hope you've got some solid help =/!
Get that college money =)! It's big. You know, idk if you're family promoted it or anything but it really does seem to be the secret to stability. I mean, you might not be a Rockefeller. But it really does help expand your chances for a better life.
Thank you for the encouragement.
One of the best child plastic surgeons happened to be in town when I got attacked and he took my case. Can't even tell anything happened. He did a GREAT job.
As for college and making money, I'm not family oriented per se (I don't want kids and I'm single ATM), but I have pets (2 dogs, 2 cats, and 11 ducks) and I want to buy a horse eventually at the stables I volunteer at. The horse is a few years off because boarding is expensive, but it's an obtainable goal lol. Just gotta get promoted, which I am working towards with the guidance of my boss and the owner/president of the company.
Yooo! You're treating your dog thing by HAVING DOGS! Hahahaha, I love it! I wish I could get behind either. Dogs kinda freak me out, because I have sensory issues with drool and I hate sudden noises. And cats, I'm just unfortunately allergic. But never really dug them, because one scratched up my face as a little ninja. Ducks though, that's something different. My friend from Ohio is the only other person I know who's had them. Two to be exact. But that's really something different.
Sounds like you've got land, which is a nice thing to have. And time, which is also good stuff. I don't know too much about horses, but my partner says there's a primal connection between horses and humans. Says there's nothing like riding a horse on this planet. Gotta be wonderful. Sounds like you're in a good space. Perhaps consider finding a mentee, so that you can share going both ways. There's a lot of wonderful individuals inside of organizations who might have the fixins for greater but get stuck because they can't seem to get a leg up. If you can think of anyone in that boat, consider reaching out and forming a relationship. This is going to sound absolutely awful, but I think being a mentor looks quite good as well. Because it requires a series of characteristics which are desirable in the world of business. But it also is a solid act, because you get to repay the favor that someone might have lent to you. Either way, I hope you enjoy your horse when you get them a couple of years down the road =)!
I was in a sport team for a while and they hadn't been treating me well for a while. One day, I slipped and fell during training. Instead of somebody helping me up, the majority of the team laughed at me. Something in my mind snapped that day and it nearly led to my first ever physical altercation. However, my punch just turned into a feint with the thought "fuck this, I'm out".
That was the day I learned not to let things boil until they explode. Put me into any salad and I'm not the calmest cucumber, but I have never let things get that close again and always speak up or just straight up leave before getting too heated. Life's just too short to stay in a bad situation you can get out of.
I once learned that there's seemingly two types of people in this world. People who laugh at other's pain, and people who see someone's hurt and go to them. The cruelest dips I've ever met are the laughers. The biggest hearts, of course the helpers. I have tried to make sense of it. Like...well laughing is how we handle things that challenge us so that it makes us feel better. But I really think maybe it really boils down to this. And I am sorry people literally took your happiness away from something you loved. Fuck bullies! You speak that truth there though, life is too short for that bs.
Some of us are actively working on ourselves every day, and understanding what makes you tick and how you got there is a big part of it.
Unfortunately I have a carrer that promotes derision, fortunately I've had a partner for 25 years helping me get my empathy back.
To add some positivity to all those sad stories: For me the most dramatic life changing event was the birth of my first child. Suddenly (okay, we knew for a few months, but it still feld like "suddenly") we weren't just a couple, we were a family.
100% the best thing in my life.
I have heard, although you know - not happening here as far as I know, that the birth of your first child is a wonderful event that sort of cements you into this larger web of the magic and mysteries of life. I've had two friends who recently had births, one who is doing quite well and the other who is struggling. But the both of them seem to be happier overall with their decisions. And the one who is struggling sort of has this struggle with or without the babe. So we always knew it was a possibility and the best thing that I can say is that the awareness and the love have truly helped them navigate the space they're in.
Congratulations btw, I am glad you're happy =)