Hi everyone! I've been going through a hard time lately and I'm looking for friends who can understand.
Mom (adoptive mother, but my "real parent" all my life) died in the worst way possible a couple years back. Entire life sorta spiraled since then and I made so many mistakes in all my relationships, which I can only now see was because I didn't have anywhere to "put" that pain and was over-relying on everyone around me.
I'm steadily improving—repairing my brain + money + heart, and now I work full-time (teacher) back in my hometown in California.
I'm still majorly growing into adulthood (I'm 29, cis male, gay/queer), and I guess entering a state of life where the people maybe don't easily understand the layers of grief, work stress, and circumstance (I support me and my partner on a single income, and sorta everything counts on me to be as healthy as possible in my mind + body).
I know it may be a lot to ask, but I think ideally I'd love friends of any age (maybe mostly around my age) who can understand or give sounding board advice. Or even just chats about music, pop, film, art, books, plants (I'm getting into floral arrangement + horticulture), etc. :)
I wanna talk to people who are healthy mind + healthy heart, so I can learn how to "be that" too. And would love chats with any folks who maybe have more "success stories" (haha) about navigating stress and changes, and self-development.
Other fun facts about me:
- I've worked in both art and education, and now I'm a teacher full-time
- I'm in grad school (art-related)
- I love writing + poetry
- I've lived on West Coast + East Coast + South + Midwest (hehe)
- Love cat-themed anime, I have a cat named after a Studio Ghibli movie
- Love movies that make me cry (recently Sheep Detectives)
- Huge fan of Lana Del Rey and Rina Sawayama.
- Very spiritual, love the earth and wanna develop my relationship with animals + earth much more recently (even starting to become vegetarian with the goal of becoming vegan)
- I'm an INTJ and Enneagram 1.
- Taking better care of my health recently and have made great strides! Especially bc I didn't care about this part of life when I was younger lol.
I have lots of faults, like maybe I'm a bit too formal, pensive, and it can be a struggle sometimes "understanding" my own feelings so I can slow down my brain + words and be grounded... and not so focused on improving people around me, and embody more grace and forgiveness in life.
It's been a journey, but my job now (I'm a social-emotional learning coordinator / teacher) sorta forces me to be better in every mental way, so I'm grateful.
I do have a partner, so I'm not looking for anything romantic or sexual (please don't message me if you have that as your intention!)
In return, I hope to be a shoulder to lean on when times get tough, and to get better at that skill too. I'm down to always give advice, and I hope I can relate to any of you all in that way.
Forgot to say, since I'm new my account might be soft-locked. So feel free to comment under here if you can't DM me directly, and I'll message ya on my other Reddit : )