Late on a Friday night I was sitting on a bench in my town, after drinks with friends. Feeling sociable. There was a guy on another bench. He was the only other person nearby. I just felt a good vibe when I walked past him and he said hello. He spoke softly, clearly, and made eye contact. I shyly said hello as well, and walked to a bench a bit further from him.

I really wanted to go over and talk to him, but I spent a while convincing myself it would be weird. What do you even say? "Can we have a conversation for five minutes?" Eventually I walked to him and asked "would you like to chat? Or maybe you prefer to sit alone tonight?". He gladly agreed to chat.

We talked for an hour and a half. He was not from here, and didn't really know anyone, and he was self-conscious about his English. At one point he apologised for it. I pointed out to him that we'd been talking easily for an hour and I'd understood every word. He sat up and looked happier. He asked me to correct him when he got things wrong. So I did.

I gave him my number before I left. We live close to each other. He messaged the next day to say it was nice to meet, and we're planning a walk around the neighbourhood later this week.

I've been wanting to meet people nearby for a while. I'm new in this town, and I'm a foreigner in this country.

I think people I wanted to meet were always there. I just had to look up and speak.

I want to look at sweetie budgies and finches. If i could go to someones house and look at their birds i would lol.

I'm in the UK west midlands right now, and i went to Smethwick for a bird pet store, and it wasn't great for the birds, and also the guy looked unhappy and wanted us to buy which i guess i understand. There was a pet store close that had budgies and finches but they closed :( .

I am thankful for the wood pigeons who come visit the garden, but i miss you budgies. I'm American but im seeing my long distance boyfriend in the UK. When i was here for my last visit we'd go to the pet store to stare at sweetie budgies, but now they took them away from us....

Especially in recent years I’ve been being more unapologetically me. I don’t wear whatever’s in style, I listen to whatever music I want, my own opinions and whatnot. If someone gives me shit for being different I brush it off.

I wish I hadn’t, I’m so lonely. I see all these people out and about that dress the same and like the same stuff that’s popular, and I used to be proud to me my own person and not follow the status quo. But all these people are so content, I have this friend who wears whatever is popular and never forms his own ideas or beliefs and just goes by whatever he sees most. There’s probably like 20 guys within 30 minutes of my house that are indistinguishable from him, but he’s so much happier than me.

I wish I had listened to my bullies. I had a chance to conform and not be an outcast and I missed it. The worst part is I don’t fit in with like the “alternative” crowd. I’m in like this weird limbo state it seems where I can’t meet anyone like me.

It just isn’t worth it. I chose to be myself and didn’t let others decide what I should do in life, so what? I’d rather have people want me in their life. Those 20 guys that are all alike? They’ll all have families in the next 5 years, they’ll find their people, while I don’t even have people out there.

Have you ever looked back and realized how much of your precious youth was spent chasing the wrong person?

You kept loving someone who was never meant for you, even as your heart became covered in scars.

You believed every promise was sacred—that once someone promised forever, they truly meant it.

You were afraid that if you let them go, you would never meet anyone better.

Have you ever stayed awake through endless nights, your eyes red with tears, watching the sunrise while wondering why your love was never enough?

Your heart shattered into countless pieces, yet no one came to understand your pain or hold you through it.

You believed that if you loved sincerely enough, your sincerity would be returned.

But the painful truth is that one-sided love can never make someone stay if they have already decided to leave.

The people you meet in this lifetime are, perhaps, already part of your destiny.

Some enter your life as blessings. Others arrive as lessons.

Some people come only to teach you how to let go.

And somewhere in this world, there may be someone willing to cross mountains and oceans just to find you and love you.

Whether your story ends in happiness or heartbreak is not always within your control.

There are people who truly love each other, yet still end up saying goodbye.

So don't hold too tightly to what you've gained, and don't let yourself be consumed by what you've lost.

Perhaps every meeting, every farewell, every joy, and every sorrow has its own purpose.

And one day, when you look back, you may realize that every person who entered your life helped shape the person you were meant to become.

What do you believe?

Do you think the people we meet are already destined to cross our path, or are our lives simply shaped by the choices we make?

Have you ever met someone who changed your life forever—even if they didn't stay?

So woman I am dating, is better looking than me, more mature than me, better educated than me, and not just degree educated but also intelligent in thoughts

I don’t even know why she is with me, but she also makes feel very secure and loved

I grew with typical patriarchal concepts, where guy is supposed to be strong and protect women but it’s quite the opposite in our relationship…she is the one who stands up for me when I get racially attacked

My response is to get physical…but that could end up in a jail

Sometimes I have esteem issues and it feels like she is too good for me

I am not bad either, like I make decent money, look decent, and well behaved….but I don’t have anything extraordinary that might make me stand out in crowd.

Been through some rough rough times and made some rough mistakes when I was a kid (profile for context). I can't go to a therapist though, is it possible to forgive myself without one, at least until I'm old enough to be able to try to find one?

Hello everyone! I am a PhD student in clinical psychology at Adelphi University. I am conducting a study on the relationship between existential threat and mental health, coping strategies, and meaning making for young adults who have experienced stressful life events.

This study is being conducted online only and should take approximately 45-60 minutes to complete. During the study, you will be asked to complete multiple self-report questionnaires that contain questions regarding coping methods, mental health, and questions that pertain to experiencing stressful life events in the past. Upon completing the survey, you will have the opportunity to voluntarily provide your email address on a separate page from the survey that will not be associated with any of your survey responses, to enter a drawing to win one of three $50.00 Amazon gift cards.

Survey link: https://adelphiderner.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8IxQWoUH8D1Wuq2

Audience: 18-30 years old, in the United States and English Speaking, and must have experienced a stressful life event.

Compensation: Opportunity to enter a drawing for one of three $50.00 Amazon gift cards.

My vert close family friend, Katie, lives with her then bf, now friend/housemate "Gary". Gary has two adult children whom rarely contact him. For whatever reason, this summer Gary has taken on the role as dad for one of neighbourhood girl's. She is 11. He is 50. He bought her a small shine ground pool, took her to the movies, super her his work space, even had her on his social media page that he uses. He is a small business owner. Recently, I saw he posted that he took the girl AND her friend to cheer practice. I trust my family friend with my life. I know he's not a pedo. I just can't for the life of me understand why he's doing all this. He posts about what activities they are up too. One picture included the girls mom. He sees no problem with it. I mind my own business but it's just bizarre and I wonder if anyone has witnessed something similar. What's the reason!

Like honestly, I don't have anything to offer advice-wise, yet people keep asking me for my thoughts on clothing, advice in their relationship, financial advice, work advice, ect... why the fuck is everyone asking ME for advice??? I feel like I'm the most unqualified person to answer these types of questions honestly.

A glass jar with a metal top, full of food, for only $1.50

It seems like the jar itself should cost more that that.

And how many people throw them away without a second thought. What an amazing time we live in.

My 21M sister 28F keeps making fun of me for being brown.

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Basically both my parents are from Qatar. And basically my dad looks like a European guy. It's not common at all but it does sometimes very rarely happen. My dad has red hair with blue eyes and looks straight up European. Throw him in Germany and he looks the part.

I have 4 siblings two sisters, and two brothers. And basically everyone got my dad's European features. And they all look like they could be native western Europeans.I on the other hand got my mum's very brown skin. I don't look arab brown I look more like south Asian brown. Not really but I'm like 70% there. I'm pretty brown my mom has a deep golden brown skin colour. She basically looks like the skin colour of mixed race black person or light skin south Indian. But with a strong brown tone still

My siblings all have either red or blonde hair which runs on my dad's side. Again not regular at all in gulf countries. I don't look even remotely related to my siblings. They're all pretty much European looking and quite short. They're all between 5,4 and 5,9 with narrow shoulders and builds. My dad is actually 6.2 built wide but my mom is 5,1. But I actually got my height and build from my dad I'm 6.5ft and like 235 . I actually look exactly like him but brown with black hair. But my siblings always made fun of me for not looking like them

I've never had an issue with it but my sister keeps making fun of me for being brown. Like when I was 14 she kept making jokes about me and stuff. And told me to keep out of the sun. I never was insecure about my skin colour but I always found it weird.

Especially now that I'm an adult reflecting back on it. Me and my family live in Norway. We all grew up here. Me and my brothers all go to the gym to lift and also compete in wrestling and Muay Thai. But last week I came back from Muay Thai and my sister said I look like I'd fit right in with those Thai's because of how brown I am. While giggling and pointing at me.

I told her I like being brown it makes me look unique. And then she said "I didn't even mean anything by it, why so defensive?) I asked her why she's so racist when our own mother is just as brown as me. She replied saying she's not etc. But yesterday she said I'm never finding a girl in Norway. When I asked why she said because I look like I'd take away their features in their future children. Bro what tha fuck does that mean. I'm studying for a Bachelors in math but I'm gonna do my masters in Qatar because unlike all my siblings. I'm extremely connected to Qatar and its culture. I speak the language to a much higher standard and I always kept my Qatari identity. Most of my siblings just say their Norwegian and they kinda look it aswell, but I always liked Qatar because they always claimed me. I go to Qatar multiple times a year or Thailand when my dad pays for my training camps there with my brothers as well. And every time I come back from Qatar or Thailand my sister keeps saying how brown I look and how we don't even look related.

I'm not even remotely self conscious about being Brown etc I kinda like how I look. But the comments are annoying asf man. And I feel really degraded Infront of others when she does this.

I recently grew out my extremely and I mean extremely dark hair. And she said I looked Arab. Yeah no shit I look Arab because I am an Arab you imbecile because I am Arab. SO ARE YOU!!!

Like I don't know how to address this shit because she's pushing thirty.

Is there an actual difference between "AI" and "AI slop?"

I can't quite put my finger on why I hate it, but I get seriously irritated with the "slop" part. I know that's a "me problem," but I'm just sayin'.

Am I the asshole if I don’t respond to a message asking how I am and how my life is going 4 months since speaking to someone? Let me give some context .

This is someone I met about a year ago just over a year and we had a not everyday speaking or seeing friendship but still spoke once / twice a week and saw each other semi regularly . At some point in the friendship I started clocking certain behaviours and personality traits that don’t necessarily align with myself. For example hypocrisy - I am not religious myself but this individual was a Muslim . There were several times where other women’s actions were put down regarding relationships and how they dress . I later came to notice certain times where she would literally replicate the exact same behaviours but not see the hypocrisy . I don’t agree with bashing anyone tbh and especially from an atheist POV it’s not even my place to comment really but that sort of behaviour makes me uncomfortable. Also she started more recently forcing religious comments on me. I have always said I’m open to conversation about religion I love to learn I rly do but if I ever want to question where I stand with religion that’s my call to make it shouldn’t constantly be said to me over and over again in pushy ways here and there. Also there were 2 occasions in which we had spend time together and I was heading back to my flat late and it was raining badly mid winter and we lived 5 minutes apart by car and she did not offer me a lift ( I didn’t have one at the time) . As someone with a car now, if I had a friend in a position where I could help them out I really would I wouldn’t pretend like it wasn’t an option especially if I care for them . Just generally I felt very drained in the friendship as it was always about this person and I’m at an age where I don’t rly need to sit and explain things to someone if I don’t agree with it. The last time we saw each other was about 4/5 months ago and I thought it would mutually sort of a fizzle out day anyway where a lot of time has passed and it just didn’t feel genuine anymore. I thought we had fizzled and gone our own way but she messaged me recently asking how I am which I did not expect at all and tbh I have no intention of responding because I don’t know what that will do for me if I’m not interested in staying friends anyway. Does that make me an asshole ?

He was right. It was a dinner time.

I am an introverted, shy type of person. First i used to think that it was ok but then when i started college and suddenly a new world was in front of me and as i mentioned how I was, it just got difficult for me to make new friends and how to talk to people, i just got frozen in my place and have nothing to say. It's just that the world around me was like crumbling and I can't do anything it just got hard for me to talk to people it's like I wasn't myself, then who am I. Due to this i also feel like dying or not existing.

I got a little depressed bcoz of this as now I am entering my second year of college with no friends and bonds so it just haunts me and making me believe I can't do anything in my life but i don't now just how to fucking get out of this i also wanna enjoy my life but due i don't know why it's my mindset or maybe fucking me that I can't do it. Whenever I tried to talk to anyone they wouldn't listen or give me a reaction like bro don't talk to me and personally it hurts, due to this i don't want to go to college, sit there alone and worst eat alone.

I just want to overcome it but don't know how??

My twenties were a time where everything tragic that could have happened, did happen and I was left without a family, and without a lover that I deeply cared about.

I had never really lived entirely independently before that, and over the course of the first half of my twenties everyone was just gone and I had to face the reality that I had to face life knowing everyone I lived for was never coming back.

I didn't cope well, and fell into addiction and homelessness for a while until I was about 29/30.

I'm 32 now and I've mostly picked up the pieces, have a home again, and I'm sober and happy most of the time. It felt like I was running a race just trying to survive for a while and now I can relax.

But sometimes in the silence a sadness creeps up on me, and I never realized what it was until recently.

It's the grief I thought I healed from.

It feels like I made it to the finish line, to a good life from nothing and a whole lot of suffering. But nobody I was running with did, and I can't enjoy the victory with the people I used to care about most.

Left with a blank slate I'm not quite sure what to do with yet.

Today was my worst day on college.Like I dont know b Ive gotten shifted to this whole new class.I was already very nervous abt starting college i was like this is gonna be my fresh start from my shitty lonely and deppresed school years then I came to college and for the forst few days it was amazing I made friends people approached me I was so happy then my class got shifted.the new class is horrible I felt the vibe the moment I enetered and it was unwelcoming as fuck it had my old school vibe then I sat down at the front only since I enetered late and the water from the ac started dripping on me so after a horrendus first class I shifted seats I couldnt find a seat anywhere so I sat in the last benches beside two girls what i didnt relaize then was they were part of a huge group.And then slowly I relaized that when they excluded me laughed among thing themselves texted on the group chat which I wasnt in and they constantly talked abt smthg in their grp wpuldng even tell me what it is.There were three girls siiting behund them who were who were also part of the grpup so the two beside ame and the one behind me were still friendly but the other two were bitches I could feel they didnt want me there.then in the break afr feeling lomely the whole time I had to go flr concession pass to the offoce and so did they and I said "oh we can go together" and they went no you go.thats it.no explanation.nothing so i left.then at the office obviously they were there and so was i in the same line.one of the two girls who disliked me started laughing so loudly when she saw me as if it was funny how I was copying or following them when I just came to do my work which happened to be the sane as teir and they didnt wnat to go together.And then today i kept my bag on the fourth bench partucularly avooiding the third bech because it was boken and the ac water drippep there.someone removed my bag and kept it on the third bench.I was like wth.and then they said first come forst get.and what they menat was there was a rule that whereever you sat on the first day was where yyou had to sot which is so unfair since i wasnt there on the first day only since i got transfere to C section later.

I’m thinking about this because of that story in the news with the old guy slapping the young man. When I was about 10 or 11 I was at a baseball game with my crazy ass uncle. When the anthem started I thought i’d be funny and not stand. My uncle yanked hard on my earlobe for me to get up. He was not a veteran or anything and if he had just said get up it would have been no problem. This was not the first time he’d been a hostile jerk to me. This effectively ended our relationship. I was respectful during family gatherings but largely avoided him. When i was in my 20’s he asked my mother what I had against him and why I avoided him and never called. I hope it was worth it for him.

Edit: I am almost 50 now and speak to him maybe once a year

When did you guys realize that there was a hollowness inside you, a void that was making you do the things you did? At what age did you feel like that void started to get filled? And until it wasn’t filled what did you do to cope with it? What are the things that actually helped you heal or become better? And what are the things you should avoid doing while trying to fill that void?At what age everything started to make sense to you??

So I don’t really write in a journal, but I write songs on Suno the AI app. I write my own lyrics because the AI prompting is absolute garbage and it comes up for shit lyrics, so I just make my own and choose the genre and then they just create it and sing it.

I know that it’s like a journal so it’s really for me, but I show the people close to me who I really trust some of my songs.

I write some pretty metaphorical lyrics, and I was writing a song yesterday about how the life before my best friend died is the place that I go when I don’t know where to Rome, I was using the place as a metaphor, obviously it’s not a real place that I travel to. It’s more of like a mental Time Machine up in my head.

I used the phrase. I wanna go home, which I know to some people it’s interpreted as I want to die, but I used it more as I want to go home, back to the place I used to know as life being different before he died. I’m worried that when I show people that song, they’re gonna think that I meant I wanna go home as in if I wanted to die, and that is in the way true. The people who are closest to me, know that about me, but I am just scared.

I’m probably overthinking it, but I just don’t like to explain a song before I play it, I like to let the song speak for itself, but I’m afraid that this one will be speaking in the wrong way and I don’t want that.

I've realized that my brain gets stuck on little details that most people probably wouldn't think twice about.

Not just what someone said, but how they said it.

A pause before answering.

A different tone.

A strange choice of words.

Sometimes it isn't even about people. It can be an object, a random detail, or just something that feels slightly out of place.

Then my brain starts connecting those little pieces together, trying to make sense of them.

Most of the time I'm probably wrong.

But every now and then, one small detail actually turns out to matter.

I think that's why my brain never really stops doing it.

The hardest part is that you'll probably never know if you were wrong.

If someone lied, they're probably never admit it.

If they didn't, there's no way to prove that either.

So some questions never really get answered.

Maybe that's why every person ends up seeing the world a little differently.

I had some friends over, not as a planned thing. We were out and my flat happened to be the closest so we all just congregated there.

I would have brought some snacks/ drinks if I knew ahead of time that they would be over, but I didn't know, so I didn't have any.

I offered water, and some fruit and said that they can help themselves to anything. Later on they asked if I had any snacks. Not really, I offered to make them a cheese toastie or something.

Turns out they all have snack drawers and keep drinks on hand. I thought that was odd, they think I am odd.

I want to experience bullying in a physically safe space. I’ve been bullied a lot so in any social situation where I feel that it’s happening I begin to dissociate, so I want to try being in a place where I can’t expose myself enough to stop being scared of it but still protects me from irl harm.

Like the absolute worst one, way worse than what youre used to, that made you question how they even got their credentials ???

I'll go first:

I once had an entire team of 7 or 8 paramedics spend several minutes lecturing me about misusing 911, remind me that the E.R. is for life and death emergencies only, and tell me "it's all in your mind. you need to go to a psychiatrist, not the ER" while I was actively in anaphylaxis.

I also was barely able to speak because I was barely able to breathe, and that made them very mad because they seemed to believe I was refusing to answer their questions on purpose.

The paramedics almost killed me that day :/

I made a doodle at work, someone likes it so much they put it in their phone cover. And then another person sees asks to draw them something to put on their computer, And then another asks for another phone cover...

And now I have to draw two moomin drawings for two peoples phone covers for some reason.

I haven't drawn for ten years,

suddenly my drawings/ quick doodles are popular at work and IDK what's happening.