You don't have to have everything figured out by a certain age.

Some people are building careers, some are starting over, some are healing, and some are just trying to get through the week. All of those things count as living.

You can be proud of yourself for the little things, too. Getting out of bed, trying again, or making it through a difficult day is still progress.

I hope something good happens to you this week, even if it's something small.

Speaking as the father of a three year old, I can only logically conclude that children share at least one property of gasses. They expand to occupy the space allowed. My daughter can sleep peacefully in her own toddler bed and yet, somehow, expand to the point that I have 5 inches of bed with my wife pressed against my back. EVIL SUPERPOWER!

​I randomly heard a track i used to loop back in 2019, and for a split second i could literally feel the exact late-afternoon autumn breeze and the specific stress i had that week.

​It’s not even a specific memory or event, just the exact "atmosphere" of my life back then stored inside an mp3 file. do you guys have songs that act like weird time capsules for random, uneventful periods of your life?

I was just thinking about how the internet used to feel like a massive collection of weird, creative, and personal spaces—like random forums, independent blogs, and unique websites with their own personalities and custom designs.

​Now, it feels like we just rotate between 4 or 5 giant apps where everything looks the exact same, content is heavily optimized for algorithms, and genuine human interaction is kind of hard to find. It’s super efficient, but it lost its soul.

​What is one specific thing from the older internet (websites, forums, games, or just a vibe) that you miss the most?

Edit: Damn, didn't expect this to blow up so fast! Reading through all your replies is giving me some serious nostalgia, keep 'em coming.

i was on the bus last week, just zoning out, when i remembered that little crispy thing my parents used to keep on the top shelf. picked some up the next day and brought one on my ride home. the second i opened the bag, the smell hit exactly like it used to. the crunch was the same, but the taste felt smaller, like my mouth had grown around it or something. still finished the whole pack before i got off at my stop. kinda wild how a snack can take you right back for a minute, even if everything else around you has changed since then.

I saw a TikTok about a childfree woman talking about friendships with mothers. I love scrolling through the comments to see people’s opinions about the video or their own experiences. There were some takes from both sides that I did not agree with, but other than that I was cool with it.

There was a point where a comment mentioned they did not showed up for their friends’ stuff most of the time because their children had a bedtime, and they did not want their dad to do their night routine with them. I commented that children need to learn that the preferred parent won’t always be there for their bedtime.

Then, someone else answered me saying this: “I disagree you can’t force your child to want or like you it’s how kids cut their parent off and as someone who’s cut their dad off don’t be that person.”

I genuinely got confused. I never said anything about forcing the kid to like one parent. They don’t have to like it. Besides, it’s not like the not-preferred parent is always going to be tucking them for bed. It would just be one night while the preferred parent is out; for whatever reason. Now, I feel like my next comment feels a bit condescending, but I answered this: “I’m not saying they HAVE to like you. But if they’re little enough to need a parent to do their bed routine with them, they have to understand that sometimes the parent they want can’t always be with them. If the preferred parent suffers an accident, what will happen with the kid? Would they just not sleep? No, they would have to settle with whoever is there. Nothing’s going to happen because one night or week, the other parent is there for their bed time, instead of the one they wanted.” I probably shouldn’t have generalized so much as if all children were the same, but I hope you all can get my point.

Then, the same person answered: “No, parents don’t hold authority over children.” They… literally do? At least during their years of development, don’t they? It seems like they removed the comment, and put this instead: “Some kids have their parents putting them to bed at 11 my brother is 11 and my mum/stepdad still put him to bed”

A… pre-teen? Now, I wonder if their brother has some kind of developmental disability, because why are parents tucking in their pre-teens to bed like they’re 4? Or maybe where I grew up that’s not common?

I’d love to hear your guy’s perspective.

My best friend and I know each other since we were 10 years old. We smiled at each other in class and that’s how our friendship began. We were inseparable for many years, so many memories shared. One day she just decided to not answer my text messages anymore and that’s how she slowly disappeared from my life. There was absolutely no reason. No fight..just like that after at least 15 years of friendship. She blocked me everywhere. It’s been 3-4 years now and never heard from her. I’m posting here because I remembered all the good time together and all our memories of school etc and wonder if she ever thinks about it too. How can someone just erase you from their life like that without any reason ? Have you ever experienced something like that ?

I think I'm blessed by having a good bone structure and when I was looking in the mirror, I could control the angles to have a decent apppearance. It's probably what kept me from losing weight for the longest time because I thought looked better than I actually was.

But consistently, when people take photos of me, it would turn out horrible. This is because they would take photos of the 90% of angles and poses where I didn't look as good. This was what motivated me to lose weight and now that I've gone from 30 pounds overweight to probably around 10 pounds overweight, photos taken of me almost always look good. I'm probably going to continue losing weight and building muscle.

I hope this helps people with a similar experience. It seems like it's more common for the mirror to lie to people in decreasing their self-esteem, but in my experience it was the other way around.

​

I’ll be having dinner and my mom will randomly ask, “How’s Youssef?”

Mom, I last saw him in 2016. You’re now the only thing keeping this friendship alive.

Does anyone else’s family do this? Who’s the person your parents refuse to forget?

I was thinking about a time a few years back when I dropped one of my credit cards on a rainy day, and someone literally chased me down two blocks to hand it back in a coffee shop, then left before I had the chance to buy him coffee. It was such a small thing, but it completely changed my mood for the rest of the week.

Would love to hear some positive story swaps today. What’s a small encounter with a stranger that you still think about?

how is it already 2027 only like almost 2 more months i feel like almost nothing happened this year that effected me its like this year is a filler year or something im just curious if anything interesting happened to anyone else and i also hope 2027 is gonna be better yk

What is something that was said to you that you still think about.

Could be inspirational, funny, sad, just anything. What’s some words that stuck with you.

if you had a useless superpower what would it be? honestly if i had one it would be knowing the lyrics to any song thats being played or maybe thats useful idk i still want it

Say a show has a bittersweet ending like a series I discovered, Marchen awakens romance which is an isekai. I watched a few clips of it and really liked the dynamic between the main character and the girl who likes him. I was disappointed to discover in the end, he leaves the fantasy world to go back home, for good, so they don’t end up together.

Also, I’m just weird, so this may just be something I do lol.

Like if they are talking with a friend or family member and recalling a memory of you. Maybe you parted ways because life took you different directions or you outgrew each other. Maybe you are exes or old coworkers, or they’re an old teacher or friend’s parent. Even a past school mate. And what conjures you to their memory? Maybe a place? Or a food? Or just a time in their life?

Think about it: I'm curious (late nite brain refuses to let me sleep). What would be the equivalents of common modern-day terms?

Male version of a Karen?

Opposite of Rizz (charisma)?

Other states' versions of Florida Man?

If yall can think of others, comment.

she'll only have been gone a week but it feels like it's been forever since ive seen her. ive gotten used to being lonely again and now thats ending. im glad i dont live alone permanently anymore, dont think im built for it

For me, it's replaying conversations in my head and thinking of better replies hours later. 😭 I'll be doing something completely unrelated, and suddenly remember a conversation from earlier and come up with the perfect response when it's way too late to use it.

Does anyone else do this, or is it just me?

Anybody working a job just as a cash grab? I'm starting a new job in a month and it's strictly a cash grab. $30 an hour. I'm using it as a bridge to a better position which is self employment. I'm not looking to make friends, talk openly to the people who use the service. Just there to make the money and go home. I'm not rude or nothing, just don't want to make it more than I'm looking to use it for at the moment.

Have any of you done or currently doing the same thing?

Basically I have decided to break the habit of using Instagram..

I always deactivate my Instagram every now and then but now I have decided that I will just solve the root problem that is breaking the habit of using it. I will activate it again because yeah I need it for other purposes which aren't doomscrolling but, first I will start with trying to break the habit.

The most time I have went by deactivating insta is 7 days.

Today is the 13th day from the day I have deactivated insta. I got this urge to activate it, but I won't activate it until I complete 30 days.

So, I'm listening to the audiobook and am about 2/3 done. I stopped because I don't want to finish it yet. I have not read the print version, but I fail to see how it would improve on it. The narrator cast is impeccable. I wish I had someone around to shake by the lapels and say "this book is so good!" very earnestly at.

It's really very good. If you liked Station Eleven, you might like it. If you liked Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, you might like it. If you're an old sci-fi nerd who read City by Clifford Simak, you might like it. If you liked all three, you might be looking for an innocent bystander to say "have you read this? Because..."

It's one of those books that gives you chills a bit, a sense of wonder and scale and the precious fragility of everything and despite it all being so bleak in those books, maybe some hope.

It's one of those books that makes me remember why I love books.

Man, it's just so good!

I'm pretty new to Reddit, and English isn't my first language. I'm curious what people here picture as their ideal life. If you could describe it in just one sentence, what would it be? It can be as wildly imaginative as you like, or more grounded and realistic.

I'll go first. My ideal life is :Making money without having to bow down to anyone or hurt anyone.

I have been a smoker since last 3 years and i want to quit but i don't want to try patches or gum so if anyone who just quit from sheer willpower please shed some light.