4 posts shown.
I can't get behind the idea that childhood is the peak of happiness. Kids are individuals, and they are shaped by their specific families, neighborhoods, or even the country they live in. For me, my youth and adolescence were easily the darkest chapters of my life, defined by fear and physical abuse. Then, the war came along. It’s hard to argue that kids in places like Iraq or Somalia are living their best lives just because they happen to be young. Think about the millions of children lost to predators, the millions trapped in modern slavery, or the countless victims of human trafficking and organized crime. Even here in the States, there are over 100,000 homeless children, not to mention the massive number suffering through domestic abuse behind closed doors. I’ve never bought into the myth that being a child is a universal golden age; for me, and for millions of others, it was the worst part of life. Children are people, and they live according to the reality of their environment.
There is an American version of this clip too, dating back to the 90s. Not a single kid in that video looks happy just because they're a child.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtvqT_wMeY
James Phillips2 said:So, we were hanging out at the beach recently and met this couple with a kid—maybe four or five years old—whose name is Grove. Honestly? We were just stunned. You’ve gotta have some serious guts to pick a name like that. I can’t even imagine what the other kids at school are going to say to him. 😢 I honestly don't get parents who go for those super dramatic names. It's like they think life isn't stressful enough already—does a kid really need to be a victim of their own name just to add more chaos to the mix? 🤷
Actually, Grove is an old-fashioned masculine name—think Gaius Julius Caesar. It's probably just rare, which is why it felt off to you. In the States, it functions more as a surname, though those are getting rarer too...
I’ve never been a fan of my own name, though I’m certainly not about to go through the hassle of changing it. It just doesn't fit who I am, and honestly, my nickname isn't much better...
I learned early on that when life finally lays all its cards on the table, you see exactly who was standing by you and who was just playing a part. Sometimes, people you barely considered friends end up surprising you with genuine loyalty, while those you thought were your ride-or-dies turn out to be complete strangers...
So, cut ties with that "friend" because they were never actually in your corner. When a true friend finally finds the courage to be vulnerable and opens up about everything they've been carrying, a real friend stays by their side...
She wasn't a friend; she was a parasite. You lend her cash, and suddenly she’s too busy to grab a coffee? Look, when I lent money to my buddies, I never expected a repayment plan, nor did I ever demand they show up to help me paint my house or fix a leak—they just showed up because that's what you do. Real friends are like family; they might argue with you or disagree, but they’re there when things get heavy. They don't throw your vulnerability back in your face or accuse you of being dramatic. They work through the friction to fix the relationship. Just cross that "friend" off your list and move on. There are plenty of other people out there, and maybe someone better is just around the corner...