I’m gonna be narrating for 2 of my friends in the cataclysm of Kang, I was wondering if the adventure will work okay with just 2 players or if I should do something else. Also first time both playing and being gm in this. (I’ve played DnD for about 3 years)

My ex (24F) blindsided me (26M) with a breakup 3.5 months ago out of nowhere. She was acting distant a few weeks before the breakup but avoided communicating with me. Straight after breaking up with me, she blocked me off EVERYTHING and ghosted me over a 12 minute conversation over text.
Her reasons were that she wasn’t happy anymore, despite showing 0 signs of this the previous weeks/months. She said she couldn’t commit to the relationship anymore. She said that she wanted to be alone and independent and that it was NOTHING to do with me. She kept emphasising the fact that the breakup was nothing to do with me, that there was no one else and that she was going through something and she needed to explore herself.
The relationship was great, we hardly ever had disagreements, we travelled all around the world. We were more than just a couple, she was my absolute best friend. We had very similar lives growing up and we shared a strong emotional bond. Believe me when I say that that we were literally super compatible in about nearly every sense.
Over the last 3.5 months, I’ve spent countless hours analyzing and reflecting on the entire relationship. I’ve searched for any signs of where things went seriously wrong, any hint of recurring issues that might have driven her away, any words that I bought up constantly, any recurring arguments or any disputes that lingered. But no matter how hard I look, I can’t find a single thing that justifies the way things ended between us. I couldn’t find ANYTHING that might have been affecting her, which hurts me to realize there must have been something that she was hiding from me - could she not confide in me?
One of our mutual friends (who she hasn’t spoken to in a year) met up with her a few weeks ago and went into the conversation acting oblivious to the breakup. She told my mutual that she said she wasn’t feeling happy with herself in terms of her religion and spirituality. She was shunned by people around her for not being religious but realized that her relationship with God is the most important. She said she is feeling closer to her family and herself, and that her relationship with herself and God has made her happy. That she needed to be alone to reconnect with God. She said she has been happy for the last 3.5 months and is happy with her choice. I genuinely think she was putting on a brave face, because why would she tell her friend that she hasn’t seen in a year that she’s broken or upset. I know her and her home life.
She said the relationship was amazing with great memories and she cherishes it. That she has so much love for me and I was an amazing boyfriend and I did so much for her. She said I treated her amazingly and I did nothing wrong and she can’t fault the way I treated her. She said she hopes I am happy and hopefully am moving on and that she has no intention of meeting any other guy for a long time.
I am so confused. I don’t know whether I should reach out to her to ask her why she didn’t tell me any of this, why she discarded me like I was nothing despite me being an amazing boyfriend. I am still blocked off everything. I have a desire to reach out and express my feelings regarding the breakup and how she handled it - being blindsided is the worst, I don’t want to ask for her back, I am not going to cry or beg in my message to her but I am simply hoping to let her know how I have felt during this time. The fact she did this over text just makes it worse.
I am hoping for some words of wisdom from people who are emotionally aware and have also shared a beautiful relationship with someone that still came to an end. The relationship was not toxic and not abusive so I kindly request those who are butthurt about their ex leaving them to not reply. It’s not black and white, no contact isn’t a one size fits all approach - it has been 3.5 months of 0 contact.
I appreciate everyone here for the last few months :-)

So I'm 20F, rooming with my 2 western female friends from highschool. I view them as people who are close to me. This year I went to my home country and bought souvenirs for them. 2 cute Japanese pens, 2 lucky charms, a set of Japanese notebooks and erasers, asian snacks and etc. I bought them gifts bcs I love my friends and they deserved it. Also for their birthday I gave one of them a figurine of a character she likes and the other one hairpins and a DIY diorama. Overall I spent $100+ on gifts.
Months later they both went on holiday together. I was super excited for my gift because they were hyping it up. But I was so disappointed when they handed me a little rolling pin that they split their money for. I don't want to be ungrateful but we already have 2 rolling pins in the house. And for my bday, they gifted me nothing. I know I shouldn't expect any gifts in return for gifting others, but I can't help feeling really sad about it. I feel selfish for wishing smth more thoughtful. It's not about the cost of the physical object I'm upset about, but how they view me as a friend, shown through their souvenir. AITAH for being disappointed?
Tl;dr: Our roomate situation isn't great either bcs I'm the one doing most of the cleaning while they create more mess in the house. Got into a huge argument bcs I told one of them to wash the moldy plates that's been in the sink for 3 weeks. She keeps telling me she's busy even though she's on fortnight.

So.Okay. This is my first post on reddit. I didn’t think that I would ever go from a faceless observer to a person who talks about his problems. I would also like to say that English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes.
Honestly, I don’t know why I’m writing all this. Why am I deciding to tell you. Is it because I want to speak out, or because I want support and advice, or maybe all together? In fact, I’m just tired.
My story is sure not new. It is not long. Not shocking. Perhaps this cannot even be called sexual violence, or violence as such. However, after so many years, I am returning to that horror again. Again I cannot sleep and think adequately. It feels like all the life has been sucked out of me again.
This happened when I was either 7 or 8 years old. I don’t even remember now. We then lived in a rural area, and due to the lack of peers, my best friend was an adult girl who lived next door. I don’t remember how old she was either. Then, at that moment, she felt like she was quite an adult. At least 17 years old. Now, rationally, I would give her about 14-15. I was a rather lonely child. I often tried to be away from home because of my tyrant stepfather who lived with us at that time. To put it mildly, he didn’t like me.
I spent almost all my time with this girl, let's call her Kate. We went to school together, and I often went to visit her. Her family was also not very prosperous. Her mother, who often drank and was away from home, her father, whom I saw only once, and her great-grandmother, who lay practically dead in the same place. Motionless, like a statue.
One day Kate asked me what I knew about porn. I was confused to say the least. It's not like anyone had told me about it before.
Having heard my answer, she promised to educate me on this matter, because I am “already such a grown-up girl” and should be cool. And all the cool girls watch and know what porn is.
I, not really understanding what this meant, agreed with her. After which Kate called me once again to her home.
I don’t remember what happened during those couple of hours that I sat with her. Now only sketchy pictures of my “enlightenment” are being reproduced in my head. Dozens of videos of a cruel nature, with elements of rape and torture. Masturbating Kate, whose face certainly showed excitement, her laughter in response to my horror. I remember that I begged her to stop. I begged her to let me go home. However, she only said, “You want to be cool and grown up?” including another video. So we sat there for about an hour or two. I don’t remember my trip home, nor do I remember the feelings.
Since then and to this day, I have an ambivalent relationship with sex and porn. I hate them with all my soul. But I also often catch masochistic and sadistic fantasies. Sometimes I act as the victim of these swarms. Sometimes I act as the punisher. These thoughts often don’t leave my head. And I understand that they are unhealthy. However, I just can’t get rid of them. I often suffer from nightmares. I hate when people touch me and any hint of intimacy. However, in contrast to this, this destructive crap still lives in my soul. Sometimes I have hallucinations. I wouldn’t say that this is the most shocking event in my life. No, I’ve seen all sorts of crap. However, to this day, shame lives inside me for what happened and is happening. self-hatred and misunderstanding what the hell happened. I wouldn’t call it sexual violence. Still, in my case, they just forced me to watch a couple of videos. So why can’t I still let this go? Why can’t I still tell anyone? I don’t know.
Thank you for listening to me. While writing this text, I felt a little bit better

Me and a group of 4 friends where in the middle of a match, when the lights went out. Initially I thought only my lights went out, but than 2 friends of mine messaged on messenger their lights had also gone out at the same time. I though ok, it might just be the state or city checking the lights on specific neighborhoods. Shortly after another of my friend's that lives about 30 minutes from me also had their light went out! The craziest thing is that my last friend lives in Florida, and surely enough his lights didn't go out but they flickered for a few seconds. This has never happened before, so it lead to speculation. Some of us have Xfinity so we thought it could had been through them that the whole house lost power? Than we also consider that somebody sent an attack to our group (I mean is it even possible, I have been kicked out of the game before randomly in a match). Maybe we all just have bad wiring by the PS5 and that caused a chained?
Has somebody experienced anything similar?

Hey everyone! I'm a TFT streamer and Competitive player, hit challenger every set since 4 (not this set! I'll tell you why). I've never posted on Reddit, but I felt like I had too many things I wanted to break down and have a conversation about. These thoughts were just too much for a Twitter post, and I'm really curious to hear how everyone else in the community feels :)!
Disclaimer: I love everyone at the TFT team, and have immense respect for everyone on it, and I know for a fact they all strive to make a product they are proud of. This post is out of love for the game.

1. Novelty in TFT / Set Mechanics: Regarding Novelty in TFT / Set Mechanics: In recent sets, it's clear that the TFT team is determined to create unique and memorable moments for players, which I appreciate. However, in their pursuit of these moments, they seem to have lost sight of the essence that made TFT so magical from the start.

We can all agree that Set 10 was a huge breath of fresh air coming off the turbo-boring set that was 9.5 where everyone equipped URF legend and popped tome 2-1 and prayed. Set 10 is, in my opinion, one of the greatest sets ever designed. Everything aligned perfectly and harmoniously (music pun!), the unit and trait design was near flawless, the set mechanic was a huge upgrade to Set 4/4.5's Chosen mechanic, and the 5 Costs really did feel like premium units. It was a homerun for TFT. (The numbers show that too for all you numbers people)
Moving on from 10 and coming into 11. It was glaring to me that in an attempt to reach the destination of creating novel moments in TFT they took the wrong road. Encounters might just be one of the worst types of game mechanics to ever exist (second only to shadow items). It's a disaster lottery draw every single time it shows up that you dread won't destroy the path that you calculated was the most optimal path based on what you've gotten so far in terms of units, items, augments, etc... The main reason why Encounters are bad game design is because they take away player agency in an unhealthy way. That doesn't mean that there can't be potential encounter type mechanics that borrow player agency that are healthy. It just means this one is bad. It's a lot of quantity over quality and it leaves the player in this weird middle-ground where they're not too impactful to create a sense of excitement and awe when they pop up, but they're just useful enough to be extremely annoying when they don't benefit you at all, and accelerate other people's boards. (Obviously this isn't ALL encounters, but definitely most)

1. Unit and Trait design: Set 11 brings some of the most lackluster / boring feeling units and traits I've ever had the un-pleasure of playing. If you named all your favorite TFT units / Traits of all time do you think any of set 11's Units / Traits would make it into your S-Tier category? (Maybe Lissandra, but she's just a worse Set 6 Tahm Kench lets be real) and apart from the idea behind Exalted (It needs more work, but can be an amazing way of introducing infinite comps) not much in Set 11 stands out to me on that front. I'll delve deeper into a few things I don't want to bloat this post, but just know there's a lot more. Kayle is one of, if not the worst summon unit we've ever had in TFT. The idea behind build your own summon unit is fantastic and I genuinely hope they give this another go, but the execution was suboptimal at best. Sets 3 / 4 / 6 / 10 All had extremely life-like and memorable summons Giant Mech Garen that thrusts down sword into the arena, Giant Galio slamming into the arena and punching units to death, Bears and dragons to buff your team and fight alongside you, and even a Hecarim that gallops onto your board and buffs your team and slashes enemies. Summoned units SHOULD feel, sound, and look impactful, and not act like any unit I could buy from the store. Or else they just end up being a glorified 2 cost. Stats aside (I love stats, but this post isn't about them), my primary aim is to ensure a fun game before delving into statistical analysis. Kayle feels like a filler unit that you mostly just plop in the back and forget about, doesn't do much unless you hit the crazy (mostly unobtainable) 10 Piece trait. Speaking of unobtainable traits. It seems to me the TFT team has come up with this bandage solution of gatekeeping a lot of really fun and exciting moments behind these extremely hard-to-obtain 9-10 Piece traits. We've never had this issue in TFT; why are we now gatekeeping a lot of the exciting moments behind 100+ hours of playtime. You can tone down a lot of the exciting moments, and still keep them accessible, but challenging to obtain. You've done this for the longest time; why fix something that isn't broken. Personally, I think there needs to be a revaluation of what makes a Set engaging and fun, and what players really want to see and play around with for hundreds of hours way before you start delving into the mindset of "How do we add as much divergence, nuance, and novelty". Those roads can meet and intertwine, but they aren't the same road.
2. Items, Augments, and Orbs!: Items - Here's a little brain exercise for everyone, what would happen in TFT if we removed all item components, and strictly dropped only Ornn anvils all game? (Take a minute to think before you click the spoiler!) If you guessed it would ensue chaos, bugs, and a balancing nightmare. OR be a hell of a lot of fun! you'd be correct both ways! (New portal idea!/s) Luckily for us, that isn't the case. However, I do think we've reached a point with items where we're too comfortable with what they wish to achieve on units, and this creates a dynamic where TFT units are always being designed with items in mind, and how the items would make the unit work. Rather than creating fun and engaging units in a vacuum and worrying about the items later. It's a scary prospect to experiment with the tried and true (Think back to Set 7 when they made Rage-wing trait experimenting with units that had a different fuel source than mana, but it was a total miss or when they created the dreaded Shadow items), but it's just food for thought. Just because you didn't get it right once, doesn't mean the idea is flawed, just means you didn't get it right that one time. A time where you definitely did get it right however, is Radiant items Look how those turned out! Some of the most beloved items of all time. This is sort of what they wanted to achieve with the new expansion to the Ornn anvil items, and support items. It's definitely a step in the right direction, but can definitely be explored more.

Augments - Augments really was a happy little accidental shift in TFT's life cycle. They created the perfect concoction of how to add an almost infinite amount of variability to a game that was missing just that. (Which also adds to why Encounters are redundant and frustrating) Since then they've time and time again created really fun and engaging augments each set, that without I'm almost certain TFT wouldn't be as popular as it is. Please keep doing this, this is really good. Another little thought exercise before we continue. What would happen if most of the Encounters were just turned into Augments instead? (Think a little before you click spoiler!) If You guessed it would just create a healthier way of interacting with said encounters. You'd be correct!
If you're trying to create a new set mechanic (encounters) it shouldn't overlap with something that already exists that's just better than the new thing you're trying to create (augments). However, getting back on track. It does feel like things have gotten a little too comfortable in the Augment space, and feels like there hasn't been much room for innovative change. There's an untapped reservoir right in front of you of infinite variability at your disposal. Why aren't you experimenting harder, instead of looking for other means of adding variability that will always be suboptimal to the one you've already created almost 6 Sets ago...?
Soft Sample Examples: A new type of Augment called Radiant Augments that provide a wide range of very strong / borderline insane combinations of items and stats, but the catch is after every player combat if you lose you can choose if you want to swap your Radiant augment with the player you just faced. (Like multiple random hexes of strong stats, or 3 tailored Orrn items / Support items, or given 3 zephyrs and knowing who you're fighting next or given a 2Star-dragon that adopts your top-most trait?!) (The design space is infinite)
Orbs - Lastly, I'd like to talk about Orbs! Orbs are a lot better, good job! That's all I have to say :)!
Thank you for reading this far into my post if you have. Again, this comes from an immense love for the game and the people creating it. I have nothing but positive interactions with Mortdog on Twitter / Discord and would appreciate if you guys keep it civil and friendly :)! I really do have a lot more thoughts, and things I'd love to share, but I feel like I've already bloated this post a lot! (Assassins, Higher Cost units than 5, Midsets, system changes, loot management, meta knowledge, Portals etc..)
I've just been really bored playing this set, and that's the reason I've retired from seriously competing or climbing for this one set, and I'm very keen to read what other people have to say about my thoughts, and looking forward to discussing it thank you!

Last year the SEC announced that T+2 is moving to T+1. I know from some friends who work in the fin tech industry that this has been a huge pain in the ass to adjust their systems to the new settlement cycle. I don't know much about the inner workings of the market to comment on how this will affect GameStop, dtcc or any market makers but I just thought I'd mention it as nobody else seems to be talking about it. This comes into effect on May 28th 2024.

(Please bear with me. This is kind of a long story.)
I have an aunt from my dad’s side who I don’t really get along with. She says and does hurtful things to me. Let me give a few examples:

1. I was being bullied at work by my managers and coworkers, which unfortunately continued after I stood up to them and told my boss everything. When I told my aunt that, she said, “That’s why you don’t go tattle.” I felt like, by her saying that, she was telling me that it was my fault that I got bullied, or that I deserved it. I tried telling her that it wasn’t tattling, but she insisted it was and told me I “wasn’t gonna change the world.” That didn’t help at all. In fact, it just made me feel worse. She called me a tattletale and also a tittybaby. When I was telling her the story again one day, I got to the part where I was telling her about how I begged the assistant manager to go home, on the verge of tears, while two of my coworkers were yelling and swearing at me. At that point, she said, “That was being a tittybaby.”
   
2. One night, I was talking to her on the phone and I said that I was having pizza for dinner. Then she sarcastically said, “You can’t live off of pizza, Taylor.” I replied, “I know.” “Well just a couple of days ago, you were eating pizza.” I had pizza twice in a week. So what? What’s the big deal? And what’s it to her anyway? Why is it any of her business? Besides, I didn’t plan on it, it just kind of happened. Honestly, I felt insulted. That’s the best word I can use to describe it.
   
3. I told her my parents were going out of town for a camping trip on my birthday, and she said, “Oh, that was nice. They couldn’t have waited until after your birthday?” implying it was a crappy thing for them to do. I never thought of it that way until she said that, then I accepted it as true. Several days later, I told her that she wasn’t alone in feeling that way, because I told a couple other people about it and they agreed that sucked. Her response? “Taylor, quit whining about it. You’re 22 years old.” She said one thing and then she said something else that contradicted the first thing. I was confused. I didn’t think I was whining about it. It’s not like I told 50 other people about it, just two acquaintances, and the only reason I said that was because the subject of my birthday came up in conversation.
   
4. Sometimes, when I call her, she answers the phone with, “Yeah, Taylor?” in an annoyed tone. Y’know, in a way that sounds like I’m disturbing her from something she’d rather be doing. I feel like she might as well be saying, “What do you want?” or something like that.
   
5. She badmouthed my friend, essentially calling him a shitty, untrustworthy person, all because I told her he told me that a couple of the people we worked with called me retarded and one said to the other, “Hey, let’s bully Taylor into quitting.” Here’s the thing, though: she told me that my mom was a drug addict from the moment her parents died until her death a few years later. She had been struggling with depression and would ask around for pain medicine and, later on, money from family so she could buy it herself. Every few Saturday morning, my mom and I would go to Walmart really early in the morning. For the longest time, I thought I was just innocent motheson bonding time, but because of my aunt, I found out that the real reason behind that was so she could meet her dealer in private. My aunt knew all of that would hurt my feelings, but that didn’t stop her from telling me about it. She argued, “What positives came out of him telling you that?” Well, what positives came out of me finding out that my mom was a drug addict? Hmm? Hypocrisy.
   Because of all this and more, I decided to go no contact with her. I thought that it would only be healthy for me to keep some distance from her. So from January until April this year, I didn’t reach out to her at all. A month or so into this, I even blocked her number. And honestly? It was relieving and peaceful, like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.
   April rolls around and, on a Friday, her husband (my uncle) tries to call me, but I don’t answer because I’m at work. Two days later, I called him back, and he answered. My aunt was talking in the background. Immediately, she confronted me about how she hadn’t heard from me in months, saying that it was wrong and very immature of me to do that and that I can’t just cut people out of my life because they said or did something that I didn’t agree with or pissed me off. Especially family. I told her about a couple of the grievances that I had with her and we got into a heated argument.
   According to her, when she said, “That’s why you don’t tattle,” what she was trying to convey was that there’s repercussions around everything that you do. In other words, actions have consequences. She could punch all of those people in the face because of how they treated me, she would. I asked her if she would say the same thing to a child that continues to get bullied after they told the teacher about it and she said that a child that school and an adult at work are two different scenarios. When you’re an adult and it’s your job, you have to weigh things out and be very careful about what you tell your boss because most of the time, it will backfire and you will get treated worse. And I warned you about this, yet you still did it, so that’s part of the reason why I called you a tattletale, because I was upset and frustrated that you did something opposite of what I said.
   She never said that to me. I don’t remember that AT ALL. I feel gaslighted.
   Her other defense for her using the words tattletale and tittybaby was that I was talking about something that we had already talked about, so her patience was running thin. Then she at least should’ve said, “Taylor, you’re being a titty baby right now,” that way, I would’ve known that she was calling me a titty baby in the present moment and not because of how I acted in the past. But ofc, she still would have been calling me a name. (Btw, I looked up the definition of titty baby, and it means someone who is unusually whiny, timid, or cowardly.)
   The reason why she told me to quit “whining” about my parents going out of town on my birthday was, again, that I was talking about an already-discussed thing and she was just in a bad mood and having a bad day.
   The conversation didn’t go well and we had to end it. An hour later, she sent me a long text message saying that her emotions are raw and her feelings are so hurt. I come to find out that these past few months have been pretty rough on her because her son had a heart attack and almost died and had to spend weeks in the hospital. She felt like she deserved an apology because in that time that I went no contact with her, I could have been at the hospital with her. She said that it’s never her intention to hurt my feelings and that if she did she was sorry. She’s always loved me like one of her own children and how other people treat me are her foremost worry.
   Later, I discovered that she tried to call me and left a voicemail a week before.
   

“Well hey, Taylor. This is your long lost aunt and I was just wondering that I guess I must’ve really said something or didn’t agree with you about something for you to totally shun me for the last couple months. Russell had a heart attack and almost died and things have gone on, yet you haven’t reached out or nothing with me. I love you, but I find it weird. Bye.”
Lemme also note that I’ve tried talking to her about these things and how they made me feel before, but those conversations didn’t really go anywhere. She justified them.
AITAH?
[TL;DR I kept distance from my aunt for a months-long period because she said and did hurtful things to me on multiple occasions and she got upset about it.]

Well, here I am. I've avoided sharing this for over a year, but I'm finding myself trapped - even though it seems like the strangeness has ended or gone covert - I can't seem to get past the experiences I had last year. I've held this all in since then, and it has to come out somehow.
It's really long. TLDR at the bottom.
February 2023
I picked a foolish battle with my employer - a large corporation known for poor ethics, corruption and crony capitalism. I went after them hard, determined to expose their wrongdoing, and got other ex-employees involved too. We went to the media, appeared on podcasts, but I was the one who took it too far. I flew too close to the sun and got myself in deep. My juvenile attempt at being some kind of brave robin hood hero got my colleagues and I tormented by private investigators. Everyone got followed, but only two of us seemed to have anomalous experiences, and I got the worst of it. They left my friends alone when they realized I was the one facillitating everything.
After being tailed home at 4am one morning, I immediately bought security cameras and set them up. You'd think I would've got the message and backed off, but I was angry over my privacy being invaded, and felt security with the support of my colleagues. I was determined to defend what I believed in, and I resented their brazen harassment and intimidation; it was clear they didn't mind using resources to spy on me. Maybe I shouldn't have spied on them.
There's a whole lot more to that nightmare, but I'm not posting this on whistleblowers; I'm here for a reason. Because I can't think of anywhere else to get the answers I'm seeking. I need help, and I want to talk to experiencers who can help me make sense of what happened, hell, I'll even settle for advice on moving forward, and getting the past shit out of my head.
March
I started noticing anomalies on the cameras I set up. It was strange and got my attention, but very subtle at first; it was more confusing than anything. I should mention my lifelong interest in aliens and UAP, quite literally as long as I can remember; but that interest dwindled after my teen years. I'm almost 30 and have real life shit to worry about, clearly.
Not even a month later, things were getting weird. I saw orbs split in two and three, merge back together and go right through solid objects. Right in front of my house. This kind of activity began happening more frequently (or I became more aware), until one night I noticed a drone-like object following my car. I went home, and sure enough, it stopped over the street in front of my house. I realized this must be something supernatural, as it was similar strangeness to what I saw on my cameras. Splitting apart, dramatic color shifts, and just plain bizarreness.
I left for work the next morning, it was still dark, and the orb was still following me from a distance; it wasn't too close, but it definitely wasn't far either - it just seemed like it was continuosly locked onto me. By this point, I'm getting concerned, and as a heroic whistleblower committed to getting to the bottom of anything and everything, I investigated. I realized these things really were following me. So I started documenting. They would come out of nowhere and into my field of view. I'd be laying in bed, watching TV, and an orb would float between a small gap in the curtains where it was obvious and I couldn't ignore it. I remember feeling disoriented if I stared at it too long.
By now I'm pretty worried about these ongoing events, but my curious cosmic side was intrigued. I didn't like what was happening, but I definitely found it fascinating and kind of cool. So I filmed. Every single day. I was followed by strange lights for six months straight, and it wasn't only happening at night.
I started seeing figures of light beings outside my house. Gray-type beings that looked like they were using magic or casting spells. I had never considered or believed in beings like this. I didn't really believe in demons, but that's the closest thing I can describe them as, like shapeshifting Jinn. But multiple types of entities, my house became a hotspot for strangeness I couldn't even fathom.
Many of the beings I filmed I noticed later when analyzing my videos. I would be filming one anomaly, focused on that, completely unaware of any activity right next to me. But I got better at picking them out over time. I was committed to studying my videos over and over, trying different color levels, shadows and contrast to better pick out the anomalies.
August
By now I had taken hundreds of videos on both my iPhone and security cams. I learned that my iPhone 14 had trouble capturing these things, even when they were stationary or nearby. My camera struggled to focus, and when I tried zooming in on an orb or entity, it would shoot my camera out of focus. I have some pretty cool shots of this happening. Whatever it was, it probably didn't care to be filmed. It was far too difficult to get a good shot. I have a solid phone model and was shooting in 4K; I would get a clear image, then try to focus on orbs/NHI, but end up with glitchy artifacts and static noise in my videos
I'll never forget the feelings and emotions I felt the next month. I was looking back at videos from April, and I found something I hadn't noticed from April 26-28. It looked like I was abducted. I filmed what looked like an arm come down from the trees, and it appeared to take me, or maybe take my 'astral' body? Then half of a gray's face briefly appeared in frame; it looks like the Gray on the cover of Communion.
The next video on my phone I didn't remember taking. Mere minutes later, it looks like I'm approaching a door I've never seen in my life, and my body goes right through it. Then I'm back in my house. Its a short three second clip, but it was definitive proof to me that I experienced high strangness, I just couldn't understand why. I still can't get it out of my head. Since then I've gone back and found more anomalies I had never noticed, and I'm really struggling with making sense of what may have happened. I don't get spooked easily, but I can't come to grips with this; I feel like I've been victimized, and I'm honestly traumatized just off the videos I took. I have no recollection of being taken or anything traumatizing happening. All I have to go off is what I captured, and the feelings I get every night when I go to sleep.
The blatant strangeness slowed down and had seemingly stopped by October, shortly after I retired from my whistleblower antics. The effects of whatever happened are with me every day. I think about it every day and night and fear it coming back. I wish I could have some level of closure, even if it isn't realistic.
Somebody here can help me. I'm certain the right person can make some degree of sense of the videos, and even a little bit of clarity would go a long way for me. What's more likely? Negative NHI harassing me for exposing corporate wrongdoing, or any NHI all of a sudden taking an interest in my everyday life? Is it possible for someone to weaponize paranormal forces against you? I truly don't know. I'm not satisfied with any of those possibilities.
The biggest thing I've grappled with is understanding the origins. Is it negative NHI being used against me? Could it be nefarious humans using advanced technology against me? Psychotronic weapons? How can you even differentiate?! I just can't tell. If you're an experiencer with an open mind and educated in different types of beings, please have a chat with me and look over my videos. I'd post them here but my house and my neighbors homes are visible in most of them. If you're just interested and want to take a look, I'll share a drive link with anyone, I just don't feel right posting these publicly yet.
TLDR;
Potentially harassed by negative NHI or advanced tech. Both are equally terrifying to me. Can't understand how or why this would happen. I'm seeking other experiencers with knowledge on different types of high strangess, anomolous beings/interdimensionals.
I have a bad feeling that somehow people are behind this.
Need guidance on moving forward if I can't find answers.
I have a bad feeling that somehow people did this to me. I really want to know if thats even possible. Thank you for reading :)

Well, here I am. I've avoided sharing this for over a year, but I'm finding myself trapped - even though it seems like the strangeness has ended or gone covert - I can't seem to get past the experiences I had last year. I've held this all in since then, and it has to come out somehow.
It's really long. TLDR at the bottom.
February 2023
I picked a foolish battle with my employer - a large corporation known for poor ethics, corruption and crony capitalism. I went after them hard, determined to expose their wrongdoing, and got other ex-employees involved too. We went to the media, appeared on podcasts, but I was the one who took it too far. I flew too close to the sun and got myself in deep. My juvenile attempt at being some kind of brave robin hood hero got my colleagues and I tormented by private investigators. Everyone got followed, but only two of us seemed to have anomalous experiences, and I got the worst of it. They left my friends alone when they realized I was the one facillitating everything.
After being tailed home at 4am one morning, I immediately bought security cameras and set them up. You'd think I would've got the message and backed off, but I was angry over my privacy being invaded, and felt security with the support of my colleagues. I was determined to defend what I believed in, and I resented their brazen harassment and intimidation; it was clear they didn't mind using resources to spy on me. Maybe I shouldn't have spied on them.
There's a whole lot more to that nightmare, but I'm not posting this on whistleblowers; I'm here for a reason. Because I can't think of anywhere else to get the answers I'm seeking. I need help, and I want to talk to experiencers who can help me make sense of what happened, hell, I'll even settle for advice on moving forward, and getting the past shit out of my head.
March
I started noticing anomalies on the cameras I set up. It was strange and got my attention, but very subtle at first; it was more confusing than anything. I should mention my lifelong interest in aliens and UAP, quite literally as long as I can remember; but that interest dwindled after my teen years. I'm almost 30 and have real life shit to worry about, clearly.
Not even a month later, things were getting weird. I saw orbs split in two and three, merge back together and go right through solid objects. Right in front of my house. This kind of activity began happening more frequently (or I became more aware), until one night I noticed a drone-like object following my car. I went home, and sure enough, it stopped over the street in front of my house. I realized this must be something supernatural, as it was similar strangeness to what I saw on my cameras. Splitting apart, dramatic color shifts, and just plain bizarreness.
I left for work the next morning, it was still dark, and the orb was still following me from a distance; it wasn't too close, but it definitely wasn't far either - it just seemed like it was continuosly locked onto me. By this point, I'm getting concerned, and as a heroic whistleblower committed to getting to the bottom of anything and everything, I investigated. I realized these things really were following me. So I started documenting. They would come out of nowhere and into my field of view. I'd be laying in bed, watching TV, and an orb would float between a small gap in the curtains where it was obvious and I couldn't ignore it.
By now I'm pretty worried about these ongoing events, but my curious cosmic side was intrigued. I didn't like what was happening, but I definitely found it fascinating and kind of cool. So I filmed. Every single day. I was followed by strange lights for six months straight, and it wasn't only happening at night.
I started seeing figures of light beings outside my house. Gray-type beings that looked like they were using magic or casting spells. I had never considered or believed in beings like this. I didn't really believe in demons, but that's the closest thing I can describe them as, like shapeshifting Jinn. But multiple types of entities, my house became a hotspot for strangeness I couldn't even fathom.
Many of the beings I filmed I noticed later when analyzing my videos. I would be filming one anomaly, focused on that, completely unaware of any activity right next to me. But I got better at picking them out over time. I was committed to studying my videos over and over, trying different color levels, shadows and contrast to better pick out the anomalies.
August
By now I had taken hundreds of videos on both my iPhone and security cams. I learned that my iPhone 14 had trouble capturing these things, even when they were stationary or nearby. My camera struggled to focus, and when I tried zooming in on an orb or entity, it would shoot my camera out of focus. I have some pretty cool shots of this happening. Whatever it was, it probably didn't care to be filmed. It was far too difficult to get a good shot. I have a solid phone model and was shooting in 4K; I would get a clear image, then try to focus on orbs/NHI, but end up with glitchy artifacts and static noise in my videos
I'll never forget the feelings and emotions I felt the next month. I was looking back at videos from April, and I found something I hadn't noticed from April 26-28. It looked like I was abducted. I filmed what looked like an arm come down from the trees, and it appeared to take me, or maybe take my 'astral' body? Then half of a gray's face briefly appeared in frame; it looks like the Gray on the cover of Communion.
The next video on my phone I didn't remember taking. Mere minutes later, it looks like I'm approaching a door I've never seen in my life, and my body goes right through it. Then I'm back in my house. Its a short three second clip, but it was definitive proof to me that I experienced high strangness, I just couldn't understand why. I still can't get it out of my head. Since then I've gone back and found more anomalies I had never noticed, and I'm really struggling with making sense of what may have happened. I don't get spooked easily, but I can't come to grips with this; I feel like I've been victimized, and I'm honestly traumatized just off the videos I took. I have no recollection of being taken or anything traumatizing happening. All I have to go off is what I captured, and the feelings I get every night when I go to sleep.
The blatant strangeness slowed down and had seemingly stopped by October, shortly after I retired from my whistleblower antics. The effects of whatever happened are with me every day. I think about it every day and night and fear it coming back. I wish I could have some level of closure, even if it isn't realistic.
Somebody here can help me. I'm certain the right person can make some degree of sense of the videos, and even a little bit of clarity would go a long way for me. What's more likely? Negative NHI harassing me for exposing corporate wrongdoing, or any NHI all of a sudden taking an interest in my everyday life? Is it possible for someone to weaponize paranormal forces against you? I truly don't know. I'm not satisfied with any of those possibilities.
The biggest thing I've grappled with is understanding the origins. Is it negative NHI being used against me? Could it be nefarious humans using advanced technology against me? Psychotronic weapons? How can you even differentiate?! I just can't tell. If you're an experiencer with an open mind and educated in different types of beings, please have a chat with me and look over my videos. I'd post them here but my house and my neighbors homes are visible in most of them. If you're just interested and want to take a look, I'll share a drive link with anyone, I just don't feel right posting these publicly yet.
TLDR;
Potentially harassed by negative NHI or advanced tech. Both are equally terrifying to me. Can't understand how or why this would happen. I'm seeking other experiencers with knowledge on different types of high strangess, anomolous beings/interdimensionals.
I have a bad feeling that somehow people are behind this.
Need guidance on moving forward if I can't find answers.
I have a bad feeling that somehow people did this to me. I really want to know if thats even possible. Thank you for reading :)

Made it 8 months last year... but fell back into the cycle of drinking HEAVY for 2-3 days and then not drinking for a week or two, rinse and repeat. Been back in this cycle for 7 months or something now, and even though I am not a daily drinker everyday, these benders completely derail my progress building my company, hitting the gym, keeping friends, writing music... its just a stupid behavior and I don't really get all that much from it anymore. I have never wanted to quit more in my life.
Ive learned to fail properly though so each relapse is now an analyzation process of finding triggers, sitting with the regret and giving it love, figuring out what im trying to escape with drinking, etc. instead of using other drugs or b*tching about it and not owning the experience.
Any advice about attending a meeting for the first time, or really any advice in general is appreciated. Im pretty dang excited but at the same time a little nervous.
Also Would love to hear what really helped you STAY sober week by week, especially for the first year.
IWNDWYT :)

u/kk6321 thank you for the nice card and stickers. I hope your dog is doing great with training.
u/snoomacarons5351 thank you for the Melaka, Malaysia postcard love the cute trishaw, that would be a great ride around town.
u/Adoreible95 thanks for the cute handmade card love it how you added my initial and all the butterfly info.
u/Destalena thank you for the thank you postcard. This is my first thank you postcard, I didn’t think they made p/cs like this.
u/sourshrimpmaiden thank you for the Jakku Desert Planet postcard. I’m with you Luke deserves better, he is also my favorite character.
u/hoolu123 thank you for the great Edgar Allen Poe postcard, and all the cute stickers on it.
u/Melhen16 thank you for the Happy National Postcard week postcard and the great info.
u/TyeDyeAmish thanks for the San Diego Zoo p/c. It’s been a while that my family and I went. I found it interesting seeing all the animals.
u/_pickupthepieces thank you for your card, love how you did my name in green color, my fav color.
u/synchrotronboson X2 thank you for the 2 postcards of Pusheen p/cs. I like cats, we had a cat here in my house that was my daughters, she moved and took her cat. Miss ms Quinn. 🐈
u/unseenbowl X2 thank you for the get well cards, love the flowers.
u/rennbrig thank you for the postcard from up above the clouds. I hope your trip to Denver was fun.
u/SheBuena20 thank you for the Hong Kong postcard , I find it very interesting to see other places even if its trough cards or pictures.
u/tinawebmom thank you for the handmade card, I hope your picture day turn out nice. That’s amazing to have all the family together. Love all the emoji stickers. Take care friend.

Im looking to make a pc for photoshop and work not for gaming currently I got quoted 580$ for the parts I chose I5 12400f Asus prime h610m-e d4 Mb Lexar m.2 nvme gen 4 1tb ssd Egeira case honey comb 16gb ram 3200mhz A 550 w power supply And a 6gb mai 3050 What should the price be and what parts should I change need suggestions

DISCLAIMER: I did not transcribe this myself, though I could. I had a machine do it, and then the machine threw up afterwards -- but I did go through and add some bullety points while Jamie shot off her mouth. It's a total word salad, but one has only to skim through and see the number of ways she yawns and yawps and contradicts herself ... and does not take a breath, so there is very little punctuation. Again it's a run-on slog and the AI program chose to only use periods to end 70-some sentences because of all the run-on "like ... you know ... and ... but" instances as she ran with it -- with NO BOUNDARIES WHATSOVER. I did take out the kids' names, and I did search-and-replace all instances of "to" with "tuh" because that IS how they talk!
ENJOY -- and I use that word lightly:
AND SO IT BEGINS WITH Doug wishing Happy Mother's Day … and immediately Jamie corrects him, "Well, not really Mother's Day …" since they are recording after Mother's Day. Got get those Doug corrections in toot sweet, lest he thinks he has a mind of his own.
They note they tend to be "a little late on things," but they are "trying to get better about that." Doug says they had a fantastic Mother's Day, and he asked her if she had a good time. She said she had a great time. Doug wrote Happy Mother's Day on some cards and the kids drew on them. He gave her an eyelash waxing and noted probably a bad idea. She said it wasn't that she wasn't thrilled as she did mention that pregnancy makes her eyebrows bushy, but she was scared, maybe just mentioned she'd need to tweeze, but oh, well, yes, she likes his gift.
Jamie noted that it was "just the four of us" and of course, the babies in her belly, and that was fine with her – until her son's birthday of course, when she noted that their entire families suck!
So onto her son's birthdays and THESE GEMS AND THOUGHTS: I think it's just pregnancy hormones, but honestly, like, I just, I just can't, like, I don't know why, like, I guess, like, you know, ever since I was little, I've always really, really wanted family, like, so badly, like, I wanted just, like, deep connections with people who truly love me, and I truly love them, and we just really, truly support each other, and just, I don't know, I think, like, just pregnancy hormones made me think about it, but, like, yesterday for Son's birthday, and just family members who just completely forgot, and they just don't care, and I'm like, is it me? Is it him?
Like, and I don't want my son tuh grow, like, he doesn't know, and he'll never know, because I'll make sure, I mean, I spent every second, that boy had no second tuh think yesterday, like, I picked him up from school, and I took him tuh the library, because that's where he wanted tuh go, and then we, like, you know, we really love surprises in this family, if that's not clear by now, and so Daughter and I surprised him with a splash pad, like, we went tuh the splash pad for the first time, and we never do things like that on a school night, and so, and then he got tuh go pick out a cake that he wanted, and then Doug had dinner already at home, and then also we had decorations in his bedroom, which I was, like, hoping tuh have for the morning, but then Doug was, like, at, like, midnight, when we're, like, thinking about starting tuh blow up the balloons, Doug is like, Jamie, let's just surprise him tomorrow after school.

(Notice she takes no breath … and also they were super-last minute when it came tuh getting ready for his birthday, versus, what we have all mentioned, that isn't so when it's a gender reveal or a party or pickleball or something FOR HER.)
HERE, DOUG ASKS … "WHY, ARE WE GONNA DO THIS NOW?" AND THIS WAS PRETTY MUCH THE LAST EFFORT HE MADE tuh STOP HER BECAUSE SHE WENT ON WITH: Yeah, because it was so late, but I was like, I just have, like, this vision that I just wanted for him, because, you know, I'm just trying tuh give them the childhood that, like, I would have wanted, that any little kid would want, and really all that involves is truly just two loving parents who are there, and, like, that's really all that really involves, but if I can go a little extra, you know, and surprise him, and I, then I want to, you know, and so, you know.
DOUG NOTES THAT HE DOESN'T THINK THEY KNOW ANY DIFFERENT, AND HE CONTINUES WITH: I don't think they really know any different, you know, and I know, I know it's, it's tough, and I think, especially with, like, little kids, you know, they, they won't necessarily feel the impact and that want, you know, and, and I know that you do, and it, it hurts me that, you know, you would, you would want people tuh care enough to, tuh reach out, and I think, you know, for, for me, I, that's, I don't really set my expectations or, or give those expectations tuh son and daughter.
JAMIE BLASTS BACK, SUPER-DEFENSIVELY: Oh, I do not either, though. I do not at all. I don't say a thing tuh them about anything, because, you know, sometimes people miss their – you know, and that happens sometimes, but when it's, like, over, and over, and over again, and, like, it's just so obvious, and, and people ask us why we moved tuh Florida, and don't we want tuh be near family, and, you know, tuh be very honest, this is why.
Like, we, you know, I, we would fly up there tuh try tuh prove, like, hey, listen, we're not just trying tuh leave, though. Like, we, we, I want that family connection so badly with your family, with my family, and it's just, you know, unfortunately, it's, people are in different stages of life. I try tuh make excuses, like, for them, and, you know, for us, and it's probably not personal, but the point of the matter is, is that whether it's not personal, and people are busy, and whatever the case may be, we don't have that family connection.
We just don't, and I'm, I try tuh nurture it, and, um, you know, and we do with some family members, and then just others, you know, you just, it's just. Well, you can't help but be disappointed. Yeah, and, like, I guess my heart hurts, because I want our son, and our daughter, and our children tuh have just so many people who love them, and want tuh be around them, and who will encourage them, and support them, and.
DOUG NOTES THAT HE THINKS FAMILY KNOW ALL OF THIS AND THAT THEY, THE KIDS KNOW HOW MUCH LOVE THEY HAVE FOR THEM, AND ALL THE EFFORTS THEY PUT FORTH, AND HERE HE SAYS, "Especially you," AND THAT ALL OF THIS IS WHAT MATTERS MOST.
JAMIE'S REBUTTAL: Yeah, I know, but Doug, what I'm trying tuh say is that, like, what I would want for them is them tuh have many people who love them, and, like, you know, like, I always wanted, you know, it's not even a secret, like, way back, I'm married at first, like, the one thing I wanted was tuh marry into a family, like, a big loving family that would welcome me as their own, and, and I'm really thankful for your family, and, yeah, but, like, I just feel like, like, I want that for our kids. Like, I wanted them tuh have people who loved them, who wanted tuh come around them.
Like, my, my siblings and I really didn't have many aunts or uncles or grandparents who, I mean, you know, it's kind of, it's so long, because, like, there are some people who were there, but it was, like, toxic, and aye, aye, aye, it's just, you know, it's just, at the end of the day, I'm pregnant, and it's just hormones, and I know our kids feel nothing but loved, but it's just really evident, like, on a birthday or holidays, like, people who, who actually, like, family who actually truly cares for us, and, like, all I've ever wanted was just our, like, I, I don't know why I care about these people caring about me, when, like, they don't care, and it's okay, and that's, that's, it's okay.
Like, it, I'm trying so hard tuh just be, like, accept it, girl. Like, you know, you can't force family tuh love you.
JAMIE TRIES TO DIFFUSE THE TIMEBOMB SITUATION THAT IS HIS WIFE, CLEARLY GOING OFF ON EVERYBODY BY SAYING HE KNOWS THAT SHE DOESN'T WANT THIS FOR THEM BUT THAT THEY, THE KIDS, DON'T EVEN NOW ABOUT ALL OF THIS RIGHT NOW.
JAMIE'S REBUTTAL: Well, I know they don't, and so, at the end of the day, I was, like, sitting in bed crying earlier, and I was, like, what is wrong with me, because I know my son had a great birthday yesterday. Like, I made sure of it.
DOUG NOTES SHE "KILLED IT, YESTERDAY."
JAMIE BLASTS ON: At the end of the day, I think, like, it's a personal thing, because it's, like, they don't care about me, and therefore, they don't care about my son, and that hurts, you know? Like, it's just hurtful, and not, because I care about them, and I love them, and I've tried so hard tuh be part of them, and, and try to, like, I've tried changing my ways. I've tried tuh adapt tuh be more like them.
I've tried all these different things. At the end of the day, nothing I do, like, I may as well just be myself, and, and, because if I have tried tuh be like them, they don't like me. If I try tuh be myself, they don't like me.
Like, no matter what, like, I don't feel like, I feel like they're, I'm just kind of judged by them in the way that I live my life, and anyways, it's fine, but.
DOUG COUNTERS IT WITH THE FACT THAT JAMIE GOES "ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR EVERYBODY," AND THAT IT'S TOUGH THAT SHE "WANTS OR EXPECTS THAT IN RETURN," BUT NOTES THAT THIS IS ALSO MAYBE WHERE THE "BOUNDARIES" LIE … cool, they now have a title for the podcast!
JAMIE CONTINUES tuh BLAST: Well, no, of course, and this is exactly why I'm also crying happy tears, because for so long, I just really tried tuh nurture, like, a true, like, true family, and deep connection, and like, try tuh be, like, really close, and, and it's like, well, if you're the only person nurturing that, you're bound tuh get hurt. It's bound, it's not going tuh happen ever, because it has tuh be a two-way street, and so, unfortunately, like, I started putting up boundaries, and I knew it was going tuh hurt, and like, here it is. It's, it's hurting, you know, like, and then inevitably, they'll be like, you know, you moved tuh Florida, but even when we didn't live in Florida, let's be honest, like, we didn't see family very often, unless, like, it was, it just, unless it was us going places, and then even when we moved here, I would fly up there.
I flew up, we were flying up there, like, once a month. It was so expensive. It was so taxing, but I just wanted to, tuh kind of prove, hey, listen, like, but, you know, I'm so glad we moved here, because at the end of the day, you know, even if we never even find our own people, like, our focus is on our core family, like, we had zero distractions for Son yesterday, like, his birthday was the hundred, like, and it's just, that feels good, because normally, we wouldn't have that. Yeah, normally, I would be cleaning the house, trying tuh prep for people tuh come over, who I would have called 10 times, make sure they remember that he's coming, and it's like, or that his birthday is coming, and it's like, it's just, you know, this is such a vulnerable, I don't even know if I want tuh share any of this, because it's just so personal, but.
DOUG NOTES THAT ALL REFLECTS MORE ABOUT OTHERS AND NOT AN ATTACK ON JAMIE.
AND YET JAMIE CONTINUES TO DEFLECT AND ATTACK: No, I don't think it is either, but it's just very evident where people, like, if people care about us and our family, I don't think they actually, that's the thing, is they don't, like, and so, they're not thinking about it one way or the other, it doesn't even matter tuh them, and that's what hurts, because I wish that they cared about us the way that we cared about them, but they don't, and so, that's why I'm trying tuh have the boundaries tuh be like, find people who will care about you then, or just focus on your own family, and if people wonder why I want so many kids, well, there you go. People constantly say, why don't you love the two you have?
Oh, of course I do, and I'll tell you what, I want tuh have 10 more, because I want tuh raise them in a way where we love each other, we're always there for each other, we don't forget. It's just silly little milestones, it's not about presents, it's not about anything other than just love, and remembrance, and just, like, celebrating each other, and I am going tuh raise my kids tuh just really love each other, and tuh know that their parents love them, but God forbid, one of us are taken, and then, then it's like, I think about things like that, and I'm like, who do they have if they don't have us? Like, seriously, and that scares the crap out of me, because there are very few people who even remember, like, and tuh me, it's just a birthday, I know, it doesn't really matter, but like, that's of significance tuh that child, and people just don't care, like, they just, our fam, so many of our family members just don't care. Well, we make, we make it, and then I'm like, am I making a mountain out of a molehill, but like, and am I?
DOUG ALSO THINKS ABOUT THEM "DEPARTING EARLY" AND WHAT HAPPENS tuh THEM.
JAMIE BUSTS BACK IN, AND STARTS tuh TALK ABOUT "ESTATE PLANNING," WHICH SORT OF MADE ME SIDEYE BECAUSE SHE GOES ON tuh TALK ABOUT THE KIDS AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM, AS IF THEY WERE PART OF THE "ESTATE," BUT I GUESS SINCE THEY ARE THE MONEYMAKERS SHE THINKS OF IT MORE IN THAT WAY THAN GUARDIANSHIP PAPERWORK … AND SO SHE CONTINUES: Well, when you think about estate planning, and then who you're leaving your kids to, and I'm like, who can I leave my kids to, who are really going tuh love them, and the people right now didn't even call tuh wish him happy birthday, they didn't even call tuh wish him a happy birthday, they didn't send a gift, and it's not even about the gift, but it's about the thought, who do we have in our life, Doug? I don't think it's, you know, I ask if I think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but then I, like, I almost, like, talk, like, convince myself that, no, I'm not, like, I'm really trying tuh make sure that our kids are taken, like, loved and taken care of, and sure, we've got it out, down pat, but what happens, like, then what?
And like, I'm not gonna go down that rabbit hole, and I'm sure this is all pregnancy hormones, and I'm just exhausted and tired, so, but I just think about these things, and then, and then people wonder why I am so thankful for our followers, for those of you listening tuh the podcast, and those of you who follow us on Instagram and YouTube, and who are just excited for us, because a lot of our own family members aren't, like, it's just wild, and so, yeah, and so thank you for those of you listening, and for those of you who comment, and just, you know, just are excited to, like, like, tuh be part of our family, like, because we have forever been looking for that, and, like, our family's just not that interested, and we could try, and try, and try.
DOUG: Out of sight, out of mind.
JAMIE BINGOS!!!!! THAT THOUGHT AND CONTINUES: Yeah, it's, and it's fine, but I'll tell you what, I genuinely do appreciate every single five-star review, every single, like, nudge that you just, every single moment that you take out of your life just tuh be like, hey, what's up with Jamie, you know, and that's why I try tuh do giveaways, and I try to, you know, like, read your five-star reviews, and I try tuh show you that I genuinely care about you, too, because I really think that it is a two-way street with everything in life, like, so whether it's, you know, family, it's friends, it's working, it's, we're colleagues, like, if someone is showing you a lot of, you know, any support, or encouragement, or care, like, then that's the person that you should then go show love, support, and encouragement, and care to, whether they're family or not, and unfortunately, if family doesn't seem tuh show you that, well, then you do have tuh set up boundaries, and it hurts, like, h-e-l-l, because then you'll start to, when you stop reaching out as much, well, then you'll start seeing that your relationship becomes even more distant, but you can't constantly break your back tuh try tuh make relationships.
DOUG NOTES THAT THEY EITHER STEP UP OR DON'T, AND THAT’S WHERE IT LANDS.
JAMIE CONTINUES: Yeah, but from what, from my experience, from what we've experienced, you know, no one really steps up, and it's pretty evident when you start, when you realize you have tuh make a boundary with a person, like, just know in your heart that it's gonna hurt, like, you know, and I'm sure that we're, I'm not the only person going through this, and that's, I think, why it's important tuh share, is that, you know, because it's hard tuh share these things.
It's embarrassing. It's, I feel, it's almost, like, belittling. It's like, like, you know, it's like you're, you're sharing that you're rejected, essentially.
Who wants tuh share that? Like, who wants tuh admit that? But the truth is, is that we all have been there, and so I think that the biggest way tuh heal, and what I've learned is, of course, tuh find, to, like, lean in on the people who don't, like, desert you, betray you, talk behind your back.
I mean, that's the thing, is people who also, who are there, but they're really, like, kind of a snake in disguise, and, like, it's, like, like, they, it seems like they're there for you, but then behind, but you're walking on eggshells around them, because you know that they're saying things behind your back, and that's not, that's not healthy either, and so what I've really tried tuh do is really just focus on people that have really just been loving and nurturing, and the more people are loving and nurturing tuh me, whether they're family or not, the more I will lead, like, reach into them, and...
DOUG BUSTS IN TO TAKE A "QUICK PAUSE" FOR AN AD, IRONICALLY ABOUT INVESTING AND GOOD FINANCIAL HYGEINE.
JAMIE GETS RIGHT BACK TO IT: Of course, holidays and birthdays are tough because like you want like my mom like I mean forget it but like I love her and she's doing the best she can but like you know it's like I don't know I guess it's because I'm pregnant and then like when you become a mom and you just think about this relationship and it's like I just have always wanted that relationship with my mom and of course I know real like logically it's not gonna happen but anyways it's um it's just hard but anyways what I was trying tuh say tuh you though listening is like if you're going through this type of situation like just know that you're doing the right thing by kind of putting the boundaries up and then kind of you know you got tuh focus on gratitude more than anything else and so I consistently try tuh remind myself tuh be thankful that I am alive I'm able tuh be there for my kids my son has no idea who remembered and who forgot his birthday but of course he knows who he talked tuh but like you know I, I know that he had the most spectacular day yesterday and I made darn well sure of it and it literally cost me like zero dollars tuh it's not like it has tuh be expensive it wasn't extravagant we went tuh the library which is free and then we went tuh a free splash pad that's in our city and slash playground yeah, yeah and he had a great time so it's like people it's because the other thing people say well if you can afford tuh give them that it's like it doesn't you can find ways tuh live tuh like really bless your family and your kids without having tuh spend boatloads of money um but the biggest message and takeaway of this all and I guess of like I we never planned on sharing any of this we were planning on sharing about mother's day and
DOUG DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT tuh SAY, BUT SHE NEEDS tuh KNOW HOW PROUD HE IS OF HER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH …
SHE THANKS HIM QUICKLY AND THEN GETS ON WITH HIS always getting by my side and like when I'm thankful for you when I started you know going tuh therapy and, and I mean forever ago I'm telling you forever ago when we were first married and I first started going tuh a therapist outside of married at first sight she told me she looked me in the eyes and she said Jamie like they might be family but they're not your people and you gotta go find your people and I didn't want tuh believe her I didn't want I literally just said you know thanks but no thanks essentially and I'm gonna try my best tuh turn this family into mine because I want this connection and I want this and I wish I could have saved myself all those years by just listening tuh her and you know finding my own people who, who do love and support me for who I am who I don't have tuh like I can just don't have tuh walk on eggshells I don't have tuh try tuh be anybody else I can just be myself and they'll see like the good in that and they'll like it you know and, and not everyone's for everyone and that's okay and I just try tuh remind myself that but anyways um yeah you've always stood by my side so thank you I see you I'll always be by your side I just like sometimes doubt like if like you know like, like, like what have I done like am I a bad person like did I like what have I done this has nothing
DOUG NOTES THAT THEY'D FIND PEOPLE "DOWN HERE" IN FLORIDA, AND THAT THEY BOTH KNEW IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, THAT REALLY MEANINGFUL BONDS TAKE TIME, BUT THEY ARE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE POSITION TO BUILD A COMMUNITY AND MAKE STRONG FRIENDS THEY CONSIDER TO BE FAMILY, AMAZING PEOPLE, AND THERE ARE KIDS TOO, AND THEY CAN WATCH EVERYONE GROW UP TOGETHER … AND HE THINKS, "That's kind of the point of, of moving tuh Florida find community find our people and also find out you know who would be there with us and for us and …"
JAMIE BLASTS BACK: It has nothing tuh do with you or who you are well the truth is, is obviously it does because these people don't enjoy being around me so then therefore they don't enjoy remembering our kids and or me whatever I guess I think I'm just really hormonal and emotional but I guess I just feel incredibly rejected and like I've done something wrong but I also know at the same exact breath that this has been happening for years and years and years where I've really
DOUG NOTES JAMIE HAS "TRIED SO HARD" AND THAT IT'S NOTHING THAT SHE DID.
JAMIE BLATHERS BACK THAT IT'S NOT REALLY THAT THEY'VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT … we just don't jive and I guess you know we have different we're different people and we can't force it yeah and so there's very little control that we have over it other than us being us yeah and so but you know but I guess this is like the healing part that everyone talks about with boundaries that's so painful like it's so painful because when you want something so bad and like I think it's like wired in me because it's family and like I really want tuh support family and love family and be there for them and but then it's like but it's just not there in return and you could just spend your whole life searching for it and or you could kind of put up a boundary and, and stop allowing that tuh continue tuh hurt you and find people who are genuinely happy tuh be around you and so needless tuh say for those of you listening if - if you're in this boat with someone whether it's parents siblings aunts uncles cousins I don't know or even long-time friends who you think are quote-unquote friends but you know things change or who knows I mean it's so darn hurtful but I really believe at the end of the day that I mean I was I spent years and years and years trying my darnedest and now I'm like if I, If I could give like an inkling of that effort tuh someone who gives an inkling of the effort back tuh me like the just the joy and happiness that could come from that or just like the stability and also like I did try changing myself tuh kind of be more like them tuh have more in common with them and it just I can tell you right now if you're trying tuh do that that's not gonna work either like it's hard unfortunately you just gotta be yourself in this world you gotta love with your whole heart and, and be selfless you know you can't expect people tuh just care about you if you don't care about them of course you gotta show up for people you gotta really like put yourself out there for them but if you consistently do that and you're not getting any of it in return you gotta change your path and it's the hardest thing in the world tuh do but you know tuh be very, very honest like going tuh bed with Doug last night after Son's birthday and like just everything that went down and whatnot I was just like and this is why we live in Florida this is why we moved here because this this served our core family more so than trying tuh fit a round peg into a square everyone else's schedule and everybody else's lives it's just you know and it's and I'm incredibly thankful tuh your sister and tuh your mom and your dad of course because they did reach out and that's just really, really kind like they called and they just show that they really care and that really means the whole wide world tuh me and like regardless of what they think of me like they love our kids and that's really all that
DOUG NOTES WHAT MATTERS IS-AND MAYBE THEY NEED TO BELIEVE IN SOME KIND OF "HIGHER PURPOSE," BUT HE DOESN'T CONSIDER IT ALL "WASTED TIME OR ENERGY," AND THAT IT MAYBE HAPPENED THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AND FOR JAMIE TO GIVE …
AND SHE CUTS HIM OFF TO SAY THAT THIS MESSAGE CAN help others. I've really kind of like avoided being this vulnerable lately because I feel like there are some people who just really don't like me and it's been brought tuh my attention and just no matter what I do they really don't like me and I guess like everybody has quote-unquote haters but it hurts my heart a little bit and I don't know but, but the truth is, is like just like I said before what I learned in this the certain boundaries that I've talked about before is that you really can't change who you are in the hopes that people will start tuh approve of you because they're never like the people who just choose that they don't like you and they just choose tuh find your faults will always like they will always see your faults and they will always yeah there's no convincing them otherwise and that's and if you're listening tuh this like this is the truth for all of us is that when you're looking for the good in life you're gonna find the good and you can focus on that and try tuh get like more of that and garner more of that but if you're focused on the negative whether it's in life or with your spouse or with a friend or at the workplace you're gonna find that and so if so sometimes if you've you know if you see that you're consistently feeling like you have quote-unquote bad luck or that this person's being wrong tuh you or they're not caring about you will try tuh think about the good that they do and, and, and so truly like for me with these whole boundary things like I've tried just I tried tuh kind of I've already tried that with some of these family members that just don't seem tuh care and um and, and so that's and then that's when the hurt comes is you know when you realize oh yeah you're actually all right and you are onto something and for whatever reason their life isn't aligning with yours and it's and that's okay but it doesn't mean it's not gonna hurt a little bit for the person who like wants it tuh be there but that's when you go out and find someone who wants tuh align their life with you or maybe their life already aligns and they just and you can serve each other you can love each other you can be there for each other and whether it's blood related or not like that will serve you better in life and so that's kind of where I think Doug and I are right now um but also for, for you listening if, if you're just finding yourself in this situation too just try tuh make sure you're not just trying tuh find the fault in someone because you don't want tuh get caught in that rabbit hole and there are people out there who just want tuh find the negative and then there are people out there who cut that down like don't allow that tuh happen tuh yourself because you will be miserable your whole life hating on someone else and just constantly finding their faults and constantly complaining about them is never going tuh bring you true happiness it really isn't and so think about you know yourself and like what you can do differently and try tuh bring the positive and so yeah I haven't been as vulnerable lately because it's been hard tuh be very honest tuh just share like my heart and then people are just going tuh attack me for it you know I'm sure but um but my goal in sharing this if we end up sharing this is that it helps the one person out there or I'm sure several really who are in the same exact boat who are you know trying tuh keep a friend that they've had forever but that friend's just not there or trying tuh maintain a relationship with one of your parents or your siblings or it shouldn't be hard it shouldn't be and you shouldn't have tuh change who you are and if you do then that's really just not the right person for you and, and you can talk tuh them about it of course and then if they're just combative, at the end of the day, I just say the best advice is find a therapist, and this book called Boundaries, and it's a little religious, and also a little kind of like, whoa, but I'm telling you, Chapter One, just give it – if you don’t' like it after that, don't even try, but like Chapter One, I was like, wow, I can see so much of myself in this, and I can see how could change, and I've got tuh promise you that it's been hurt along the way, but I have – we have, and our family has more positive days now than stressful, trying tuh like pull people in who don't really want tuh be there, trying tuh help them remember because they're gonna forget, like it's just – like yesterday was like the least stressful day ever, and we didn't have one person coming tuh our – or even Mother's Day, it was just us four, and you know, before I had kids, and I think – I saw someone else write this, but like before I had kids, I looked at the world as like everyone I encountered, and how can I be helpful tuh them, and that – like, but now it's like my world is my husband and my children. My world is within my four walls, and how do I love them and support them the best that I possible can, tuh help them become good – eventually like good husbands, a good wife, good mothers, good fathers, and good, good family members, and so …
DOUG IS SO PROUD OF HER AND THINKS SHE SHOULD ALSO BE PROUD OF HERSELF BECAUSE OF "HOW MUCH YOU HAVE GROWN FROM PEOPLE STARTING TO COMMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND YOU TRYING TO BRING THEM BACK OVER TO YOUR SIDE TO RECOGNIZING THE TOXICITY OF IT, AND SETTING BOUNDARIES." HE HAS TO TELL HER THAT IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SHE HAS "SPREAD MORE POSITIVITY, IN MY MIND, THAN ANYBODY, FOCUSING ON BEING THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL," AND A MESSAGE SHE IS PASSING ONTO THE KIDS WHO ARE REALLY STARTING tuh THINK ABOUT IT AND FOCUS ON IT, AND IT'S "DRIVEN BY YOU."
MORE RASPY WHINY TEARY VOICE: Oh, Gosh, Doug's that's the nicest comment that I could have ever received because I really want that for them … yeah, because I – because we could all fall into that where you see the negative and you just kind of focus on that, and I'm trying so hard not to, and tuh just – you know, pray more, and even meditate, and that has nothing tuh do with prayer, but like just rewire my brain tuh like the positive things and finding the positive and helping others, also because – honestly, and I want tuh raise my kid where they are not seeing the negative, they're seeing the positive in situations because life, regardless of who loves you, how much money you have, what home you live in, what car you drive, life is so much better when you're able tuh see the positive and you're able to, like lean into that more, and you're able tuh then attract people who are like that, and the Negative Nellies are just going tuh always be there talking their smack about you, and that's fine, but like, if you can find the positive, you can focus on that, and you're going tuh have such a happier life, and the Negative Nellies, unfortunately, like I still pray for them, I still hope for them, because it's sad – like they're not living a happy life. You can't be a hater tuh all these people and be happy. It's sad.
DOUG THINKS THEY ARE "living proof of it, because once we started tuh focus on happy, once we started focusing on being thankful and grateful, the people that we attracted are the people that we would want tuh be with … didn't happen overnight, but as soon as we started tuh rethink that, and really try tuh be positive and do positive things, and our prayers and with the kids and being thankful and finding good, and gratitude, you know, we attracted people into our lives that, you know, are going tuh be there – I mean, I feel these are now lifelong friends, and you know, all of that was attracted, and there has got tuh be something tuh that."
THE END, THEY MUST GO PICK UP THEIR DAUGHTER BUT ONLY AFTER THE FIVE-STAR REVIEW AND THEN "SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!"
DELUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSIONAL – THE BOTH OF THEM! And according to the AI program Jamie talks more than 90 percent of the time, and Dud, hardly ever.

So I've never done this before however i see a bunch of these stories on YouTube and decided to put my query to the people and see what sort of response i get.
Ill call my self T and my partner is S. we have known each other for about 4 years. and i suppose we have been official for about 2 years. our situation all started as a friend with benefits kind of situation and i was never really interested in a relationship or commitment.
I consider myself extremely logical and I don't deal with the majority of emotions, as most of the time I see them as obstacles that distract you from doing the things you have to do. However I don't want you all to think I am heartless I am not.
There is a lot more to this story then i will put here for now however i will add more if it is what people want for a better perspective.
I T am about 5'10" 160lbs quite athletic a regular gym goer and i train in BJJ (Jiu Jit Su). i am very driven to get out of the commercial work system, to achieve financial freedom. i don't make up excuses to not do things and anytime i know i am being lazy i berate myself, always hold myself accountable, and never use any circumstance as an excuse to not be productive in life. simple example if i am being lazy and i know it i say to myself "you know your being lazy and you need to do better" and that's it.
My partner S is about 5'6" 165lbs she is a animal lover and very compassionate person however that's about it she doesn't really have any specific hobbies and she seems to like the simple life she works in care and makes better then minimum wage.
Finally before we start ill put this here just because it might be helpful for some. when we first met S was as smoker and she used to regularly go to the pub and drink. for me these are major no no's for me as i have always hated smoking and to be honest i don't see the point in drinking I understand that's my opinion and I'm happy with it. however also because it was a FWB situation i didn't raise any concerns, however S also knew i didn't like smoking and so never did it around me.
so i guess i should start that after S said she would like to see where we could go in terms of a relationship. one of the first things i said was i wouldn't date someone who drinks or smokes just because they are things i disagree with and i don't want to be around them in my life. she said she would drop smoking but drinking was a bit of a different story there were still times she would come back late from the pub with friends and i could smell the alcohol coming off her. during these times i would become quite cold and distant as she knew i didn't like it but did it anyway and to be honest i just thought it was careless and disrespectful to what i had asked of her because of what she wanted with me.
After numerous arguments over time she finally decided she would no longer drink anymore which then led to my biggest issue with her and i had also spoken to her regarding this issue when i bought up no smoking and no drinking. And that was, her weight. in terms of relationships she is the only person i have been with who is overweight, and i don't mean obese just overweight by like 20-25lbs that's all. I had said to her that in order for this to become a relationship like she wanted i wanted her to loose weight, during these talks i also made sure to ask her if there was anything about me within my control that she would change to make us better or her happier with me like my body and/or personality, she did say she would like me to gain a little weight as i was quite skinny back then around 140lbs and i agreed. I should also mention the whole reason we initially starting seeing each other was because she said she wanted to loose some weight and she knew i was doing a home based workout program that she said she would like to get involved with.
so with all the above said the smoking stopped and the drinking stopped however when it came to loosing the weight it just didn't seem to be happening, within about 3 months of me going to the gym i had already gained a good amount of muscle and was getting stronger and healthier. i had taken S to the gym with me even though i knew we had different weight goals i always encouraged her to push her limits on the exercises she was doing especially cardio because i knew that was important for weight loss. however the thing i kept noticing was that she would give up the second it started to get difficult. which for me just said that the desire and determination wasn't there.
it wasn't long before she said she didn't like going to the gym with me as she said i was too intense and that it took the enjoyment away from going to the gym. i said to her that during the time of her journey she isn't there to enjoy it, she is there to achieve a goal, being stuck in a caloric deficit and working to push past limits to loose weight is going to be difficult and a struggle but that's where pushing through and being determined comes into play
Despite this she was adamant that she didn't want to go to the gym with me and that she would find another way to achieve the goal. Enter the PT so she decided to look into getting a PT to help her loose weight and that seemed to last about 2 months her PT gave her a workout program to stick to and a diet plan which she should follow. all of this seemed to perk her up a lot and she did seem more determined to work with it.
however despite all of the help she had received the results spoke for themselves which was basically nothing. this is where i am starting to get frustrated and i guess disappointed. when it comes to exercise and working out i have always understood that no matter your goal you have to push yourself past the limits of comfort to achieve good results.
the whole weight loss journey has been going on for over 18months now and i have said to her that i am not willing to wait forever, the way i see it is that it is an issue with effort and determination and nothing else. i have said that if she cannot achieve a noticeable change by the end of this year i will walk out.
i know that sounds horrible and i can see why people would think that of me, however she is constantly asking me to be more attentive and more affectionate however i have never found larger girls attractive and im just struggling to show her the affection she wants whilst she is overweight.
i would like to get other peoples thoughts on this so as i can get a broader perspective. please if people would like more information or a deeper dive into the overall story please let me know.

For some context:
I’m 18 years old and I’m gay. I have no attraction to women, especially my friends. My friend, let’s call her “Alex,” is bi but leans more towards women.
Alex lives in a dorm near my apartment. I live in the apartment with my brother and his girlfriend. We both have our own separate rooms. For the past 1-2 months, Alex has been coming over to stay/hang out with me, and we often have sleepovers together. I let her sleep on my bed with me because I see no problems with this. We both do not feel any romantic or sexual attraction toward each other at all. Alex stays in my room only, brings her own water and even her own food. All she does is stay in my room and hang out with me—playing video games, gossiping, and the normal bestie stuff. Having her over is fun since I’m always third-wheeling my brother and his girlfriend and hearing them argue all the time.
Today, my brother confronted me about having her stay over, saying it looks bad that a boy and a girl are sharing a bed together when they’re not dating, despite knowing full well that I’m gay. He said there’s always a possibility of me getting her pregnant, despite him having his girlfriend living with him without her parents even knowing. Isn’t that a bigger risk of getting HIS girlfriend pregnant than me, a gay man getting my best friend pregnant? He also said having us stay over together will ruin our future relationships. This really hurt me as he doesn’t believe in me and my sexuality. Would he say the same thing to me if that friend was a dude?
Alex thinks she’s at fault and that she got me in trouble despite her not doing anything wrong at all and just existing.
So what should I do? Do I listen to my brother and not have my best friend over in my own house anymore?

u/harpoon2k, u/xRVAx, u/druidry
Ezekiel prophesied in 11:

19a I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them.

This new spirit refers to the Paraclete in the NT. He will unify the believers.
NIV, 2 Corinthians 3:

18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

As we grow spiritually, we become more and more like God. The glory here refers to the Paraclete Indwelling Holy Spirit.
Berean Literal Bible:

And we all having been unveiled in face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Our human spirit is receiving more and more portions of the Paraclete as part of our sanctification process.
Elsewhere, "glory" or "glorify" appears nine times! in John 17, e.g.,

22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.

This glory/Paraclete is used to define unity. Paul described the Body of Christ as the true church in the spiritual realm, united by the one Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

In terms of spiritual mechanics, believers who are born of the Paraclete are all spiritually linked together through the central hub of the Paraclete/Holy Spirit.
Peace is one sign of this unity, Colossians 3:

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. 16a Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Love is another sign, John 13:

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We can glorify God by being one in Christ. Glorify the Body of Christ with peace and love and the Paraclete. Then, unbelievers will know that Jesus is the Lord. Then, they will know that we are united as one in Christ. Vertically, this is unity in the Paraclete. Horizontally, I propose a Disciplined Probabilistic Approach to Biblical Hermeneutics.

Here's the list of links to the Social Story Videos:

1. Taking Turns
   
2. Expressing Anger
   
3. I choose how I act!
   
4. Stranger Danger
   
5. Personal Space
   
6. Sharing Friends
   
7. Leaving Recess
   
8. Potty Training
   
9. Germs
   
10. Compromise
    
11. Staying with the Group
    
12. Doing Hard Things!
    

NOTE: I got through about 11 out of the 16 requests I got. I intend to get through the rest later!
Social Stories App
If you're interested in more Social Stories like this, I put together a free interactive app in my free time that lets students choose what to do in the stories. It's meant to be a fun class activity to improve social skills!
Here's the website if you'd like to give it a go. It's called Emoquest!
Thank y'all for such great story ideas. I hope these can be useful!