Posts by briskskipper71

What about shoe insoles?

19 years old... I honestly thought you were older... that's good though.
Look, I think you really need to sit down and just process everything that happened. Honestly, take a week if you have to. Just write it all out—analyze every single situation that still makes you feel humiliated today. Look at your own reactions, too. If you messed up, figure out how you’d handle it differently now. Once you’ve done that, draw a line in the sand. Tell yourself, "That happened, and it is forever behind me." PERIOD. No more chewing on it, no going back to the old ways.
Just look forward. Where are you now? Who are you becoming? What are your goals—long-term, short-term... whatever. Live for tomorrow instead of wallowing in the pain other people caused you. And yeah, I say "wallowing" intentionally because, let's be real, there's a little masochist inside all of us that kind of enjoys punishing ourselves over stuff from the past. I'm thirty, and while I don't exactly have a catalog of amazing memories from middle school or high school, at this point, those years, those teachers, those kids... they don't matter at all. It feels like it was a different lifetime. About that silly cliché you mentioned... a few years back, I ran into an old classmate from high school. She got married right after graduation, she's 27 now, a stay-at-home mom with two kids. Meanwhile, I finished college, did my internship, started grad school, worked, traveled, hung out with friends, learned things... blah blah blah. Then I run into her at a doctor's office—she lights up and goes, "Oh my gosh, remember when we were in high school? Those were the days!"
If high school is the absolute ceiling for someone, they might as well give up right now. And I don't mean educationally, I mean personal growth. Real development doesn't stop at 18 or 19; that's actually when it truly begins. So, please, stop wasting time on nonsense. Focus on real things—stuff that actually makes you happy and things you're actually good at. Start with college, pass your exams...
When I was your age, I was convinced I was the only miserable, unlucky person on earth while everyone else was perfectly happy, successful, and smart. There was this one "perfect couple" I kept seeing, and I used to be so jealous of them because, to a naive kid like me, they looked genuinely happy. Luckily, a friend eventually introduced me to his sister—someone I'd heard nothing but terrible things about for years. Apparently, both she and her husband were heavy drinkers and fought constantly; basically a social worker's worst nightmare. I was in total shock—that "perfect couple" I envied was actually my friend's literal nightmare. And I had actually been jealous of them. 😂

I get the feeling you're just spinning your wheels here. It's like you're stuck reliving the same old stuff over and over again. Honestly, I think it might be time to just... stop. How old are you anyway?

Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing—honestly, it depends on how you look at it—people just soak up behaviors from their parents or whoever raised them, and they end up copying those patterns incredibly well. I mean, it's why adopted kids often "act just like" the people who actually stepped up to raise them and left their mark on their lives, rather than their biological parents. And I don't mean looking alike physically, obviously. Most of the time, we aren't even aware we're doing it, which makes it so hard to change.

A former coworker of mine went through something almost identical about ten years ago. It all started with these crazy dizzy spells and headaches, but it eventually spiraled into a total nervous breakdown. And honestly, it wasn't just one thing—she was dealing with a divorce, getting evicted from her apartment, and dealing with this absolute nightmare of a boss who bullied her constantly. She ended up on medical leave for two years, just bouncing from doctor to doctor and clinic to clinic. Once she finally saw everyone, she made what I think was the biggest mistake of her life—and she’s still paying for it today. She took out huge amounts of money on credit cards to pay for all these "energy healers," psychics, and herbalists. We’re talking nearly $16,000 in high-interest debt that she’s still chipping away at. The funny thing is, once she actually got her life back on track, those dizzy spells just vanished. For her, the neuropsychiatrists were the ones who actually made the difference.

It’s really just this deep-seated tradition rooted in old-school religious values, I guess. There’s this huge trend where everyone tries to act like they're a saint, so we all pretend to be "good people." It feels like the less actually good someone is, the more they go on about their integrity, their honesty, or their honor. You know how it goes—it’s always the loudest ones making the most noise. Honestly, I think everyone knows exactly how much of a jerk they can be, even if they don't say it out loud. Personally, I can't stand people who constantly brag about how kind or honest they are.

You know, if you plug your ears or just lay your head on a pillow a certain way, you can hear this weird rushing sound—it’s basically just your blood flowing through your vessels. And if you really focus, you can even pick up your heartbeat right alongside it. I've heard that for people dealing with really high blood pressure, that rushing noise stays there even when your ears aren't plugged. It’s kind of wild, honestly. I guess nature designed our hearing to be as sensitive as possible based on how our anatomy is built, so maybe having more acute hearing actually makes it easier to pick up those internal sounds, like that blood flow thing.

Some people just take forever to heal, and man, it can look pretty rough for a while. Like, my mom had thyroid surgery, and she was stuck with this really nasty scar for over a year. It’s basically invisible now, but it took so much time before things finally calmed down. It's weird because I know other people where the redness and that ugly texture just vanish way faster. Personally, I think Contractubex and Jomelop lotion are the way to go. That lotion is actually amazing—it even helps shrink acne scars significantly 🙂

Why do I get the feeling you both act like little boys? I mean, seriously—it’s just so childish and immature. You have every right to keep your former partners around, but the other side doesn't really have a choice since they can't stand you.

My grandma is 84 and honestly, she’s sharp as a tack 😉 even if she has had maybe two instances where things got a little fuzzy in her head, though she usually snaps back pretty quickly. I guess older folks are kind of like kids—even the ones who are super healthy and clear-headed. My grandma actually acts like a teenager whenever she’s waiting for a friend to grab coffee with. On the flip side, you see so many seniors lately who seem to lose their grip on reality, and there’s just about nothing you can do about it. I think it's best to just accept how they act as long as they aren't hurting anyone. If she starts talking about an imaginary friend, then let her have one. I totally get why you're shocked, though; you definitely don't expect that kind of thing from your grandma. Personally, I don't really view my grandma as "old" in her head, even if she is getting up there in years. If she suddenly showed up talking about some imaginary buddy, I honestly wouldn't know what to do besides just playing along, you know? As long as she isn't a danger to herself or anyone else, it's fine.

I honestly think you’re already on the right track just by being aware of what's going on. You actually see where things are falling apart, and that's huge. Most people? They just want to live in a fantasy land where everything is perfect, kind of like those folks who pretend everything is fine while they shove all their massive problems under the rug. Then they wonder why they end up miserable and stuck, always pointing fingers at everyone else instead of looking in the mirror. I guess, if I were you, I might try digging into some of those old issues from back when you were a kid—maybe with a therapist or something—just so you can finally clear the air and move on. Right now, it just seems like you're spinning your wheels and struggling unnecessarily.

You aren't actually stupid, you're just lacking confidence—and honestly, there's a huge difference between the two

Arrogance almost always goes hand in hand with insecurity, I guess. This whole statement is just ridiculous because actually knowing something has absolutely nothing to do with "having a high opinion of yourself."

Just be yourself and enjoy it.
edited: I mean, why does lecturing people about your hobbies even count as proof of intelligence? Like, why do you feel the need to constantly drone on about everything you've read or learned just to make sure everyone thinks you're smart? To me, stupidity is basically just people being unable to understand me when I don't use super literal, basic language or if they miss a really obvious connection. By the way, I have this friend who is a total walking encyclopedia when it comes to music—he knows every single song, album, and release ever made. He’s absolutely brilliant at it, but man, he’s such a slow conversationalist. I honestly have to watch what I say and keep things incredibly simple so I don't trip him up with my own random associations, because he just can't always keep up.

You honestly have no idea how lucky you are to be done with that jerk 🙂
I mean, just move on. Don't bother explaining yourself, don't send any texts... it’s just not worth your energy, and who knows? It might just give him some half-baked, crazy idea to reach out again.

Man, I don't know... if he isn't being honest with us, I really hope he's at least being real with himself. Like, maybe he actually understands what his own issues are in life.

Honestly, if you’re trying to change your mom, I think you’re wasting your breath. You should probably just focus on building a life for yourself. Maybe try this little experiment for a month: just completely ignore her nagging. Just do whatever she tells you to do, but do it in a way that hurts you the least. It looks like your brother has already figured out how to navigate this successfully. Just study, focus on your goals, and realize you need to move out as soon as humanly possible. You’re going to have to swallow a lot of pride, I guess. Man, I really wish I could tell you to just slam your fist on the table and demand to be treated the same way your brother is—you could probably pull it off, but it won't actually change anything. If I were you, I’d just go through the motions without making a scene. It's not hard, even if it feels totally humiliating. I know because I've been there, and you don't really have much of a choice. Back when I was a student, I lived in my aunt's apartment in Chicago. It was about 1,000 square feet, but the living situation was terrible. Even with all that space, I was sharing a room with relatives. I was basically Cinderella for almost four years. Instead of actually studying, I spent most of my time doing chores just because I didn't have any other options. But hey, I managed to graduate and finally get away from them. If I had stood up for my rights, since it was my aunt's place, I probably would've been kicked out. That would have meant dropping out of school, and instead of being in grad school now, I'd be stuck at home with nothing but a high school diploma and some failed college credits. Oh, and those relatives? They actually made it to college, but they never made it past freshman year.

When I first started working with people who have college degrees, I honestly thought everyone was on the same page. But man, I was shocked pretty quickly by how most of the staff—you know, the ones without higher ed—view things. Don't get me wrong, they know their specific little tasks, but their grasp on how the whole company actually functions? It's kind of warped. I’ve almost ended up in a huge confrontation a few times just because I owed someone something or was trying to collect something from them. I guess you can really see the massive gap in perspective between an average educated person and a typical blue-collar worker. I totally get where you're coming from, though, because some folks think having twenty years on the job is somehow equal to two university degrees. Honestly, when you listen to them talk about how they'd run things, it makes you want to just give up entirely. Anyway, if you let them get to you, they can be really nasty. You shouldn't even bother arguing or explaining yourself to them. Just do your thing, let them do theirs—everyone is responsible for their own slice of the pie. You might be able to win over some of those less-educated women by being flexible with their days off or letting them head out early, but you've gotta be careful so they don't take advantage of you. Mostly, you just have to learn everyone's place (including your own), and you need to know what info to pass on to the boss, a peer, or a subordinate. Not everything is meant for everyone, and not everyone can understand what you're saying if you aren't tailoring it to their level of education and experience. I try to be really good to my subordinates—there are some degree-holders out there who are incredibly rude to anyone with less schooling than them, which I think is pathetic and shows they don't actually feel worthy of their positions. The one thing that really gets under my skin is that I have to double-check every single rumor about changes brought to me, because they tend to mix things up. Like, back when the tax laws changed through the FBI, there was this part that used to be covered by the company but started getting deducted from net pay instead. I explained what was happening and why at least ten different times, only for them to look at the payroll list and claim we "took" their money. Then suddenly, it was all "oh, it doesn't matter" or "it's always been a tax." 😂 Basically, just stick to your job and report to your manager, not the workers. You can always make it clear where you stand if someone starts acting out.

It looks pretty decent, I guess, but it just doesn't move quite like a healthy eye would, so you can tell something’s a bit off at a glance. I actually know two people who wear prosthetic eyes, and honestly, one looks way more natural than the other, even though I doubt they have anything particularly special going on. Maybe try doing a quick Google search for "prosthetic eye" and you'll see what I mean by how they look in photos

I mean, why on earth would they even bother giving someone a pregnancy test right after a suicide attempt? It feels so weird. A friend of mine was telling me that maybe the person just needs to start being a bit more responsible for themselves, because honestly, if they keep going down this path, they aren't going to make it very far. I guess she's right, but it's still just so heavy.