Happy birthday quotes for son

Hey everyone,
I've had to do this whole post again (absolutely gutted) as the draft function let me down so sorry if I skip through a bit quicker...
Another day, another set of memes to look through. As always, you can catch my previous day round ups below:
13th May
14th May
15th May
To reiterate, the description of each tweet is to the best of my knowledge the references made to allow you to make your own view in context and the speculation is pure speculation on my part. If you just want to look at the descriptions and not the speculation then just ignore the speculation part.
This is just for fun and shouldn't be taken as any financial advice, make your own decisions, I just like the stock.
If you have anything to add feel free to in the comments.
Let's begin:
10am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791106334517010680
Description: First we have Jigsaw from Saw, "Hello, Do you want to play a game?", it then cuts to The Prestige with the quote "are you watching closely?" and then it cuts to Lucky Number Slevin talking about the Kansas city shuffle and finally it's Nas with Made you look.
Speculation: Jigsaw used to capture people who were not looking to live their life and play games with them to show them that they actually do care about their lives in the end. Maybe DFV is referring to shorts desperately trying to get out of their position and showing they will do whatever it takes to do it. The Prestige quote comes from the scene here and shows a magic trick of money appearing. The Kansas City Shuffle is "In order for a confidence game to be a "Kansas City Shuffle", the mark must be aware, or at least suspect that he is involved in a con, but also be wrong about how the con artist is planning to deceive him. The con artist will attempt to misdirect the mark in a way that leaves him with the impression that he has figured out the game and has the knowledge necessary to outsmart the con artist, but by attempting to retaliate, the mark unwittingly performs an action that helps the con artist to further the scheme" and the Made you Look songs full line is "They shootin', Aw made you look" maybe referring to what is happening to the stock right now.
10.15am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791110102797172804
Description: Here we have a scene from Kill Bill where the bride is about to take on the crazy 88 gang and the music Nobody but Me by The Human Beinz.
Speculation: On the theme of ultimate revenge, The Bride in Kill Bill was on a mission to well.. kill bill. Lots of to go through in order to get to the final boss and the song is maybe making a point that Nobody but DFV could have seen this coming or maybe he is saying RCEO can do it
10.30am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791113879684325383
Description: This is taken from Inside Man, i think it's the opening scene and has the music Chaiyya Chaiyya, also taken from the original clip. DFV has imposed a cat looking over and listening to the monologue which reads "Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself".
Speculation: Inside man is about an elaborate heist turned hostage movie on Wall Street. Don't think there is much more to say about that other than GME is most likely the hostage in this situation.
10.45am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791117652276195516
Description: The first part of this meme is taken from The Office and Michael pulls up in a car with Lady Gaga - Let's Dance playing and states "it's Britney Bitch". We then cut to Britney Spears in her music video Hit Me Baby One More Time and the part "give me a sign" has the movie logo for Signs on it (much more of that to come)
Speculation: First part is a joke from DFV keeping the just dance theme going but then we go to hit me baby one more time and most importantly a reference to a "Just give me a sign". There are signs coming that something big is going to happen.
11am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791121430836584789
Description: This is the intro to Goosebumps and follows a lot of the original clips theme, you can watch that here. Some key changes that have been made though, R.K Gill is on the briefcase, something has definitely been edited with the man's head holding the briefcase, the billboard shows a morph to Ryan Cohen, Ryan's dog is brought in and then it's "Bear Beware" and "Goosebumps, based on the memes by R.K Gill"
Speculation: This is a really fun meme, we see some more of RC and Roaring Kitty Gill all over this. Is there a partnership or does DFV just know that RCEO is about to do something big that will send goosebumps down the bears necks.
11.15am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791125203147428066
Description: Next we have Broad City and the song Best Friend by Sofi Tukker. The meme basically just has lots of scenes around new york with friends just doing a lot of dancing. Just a fun meme of dancing really and a lot of it centers around the two best friends the sitcom is about.
Speculation: DFV and RCEO are best pals and with everything that is going on with the stock they are just dancing and having a great time. Essentially owning New York which of course is where the finance bros hang out.
11.30am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791128976632459643
Description: The first scene is taken from Devil Wears Prada with the models hanging out in New York for a shoot and the song Crazy by Seal plays with the lyrics "we're never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy" it cuts to the official music video then back to Devil wears Prada where they say "oh i get it, the piece is called urban jungle right?", "yes the modern investor unleashes the animal within to take on the big city" Roarrr
Speculation: Another meme from New York with predominantly girls hanging out. DFV maybe noting that we all unleash a little roaring kitty by taking on his thesis with Gamestop, dunno about you but I just like the stock. Things might get a little crazy, at least to people on the outside when they are asking you why you aren't selling.
11.45am - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791132751976120778
Description: This scene is taken from the movie Signs and the Rev Graham here is woken and staring at something on the roof that spooks him.
Speculation: There will be many more references to this movie, in this case the Rev Graham (who weirdly looks like Ken G) is getting spooked at something he thought he saw. Scary stuff if you are short on GME.
12.00pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791136527801807077
Description: This is also taken from the movie Signs and it's a quote, "See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?"
Speculation: Something big is coming, what kind of person are you? Is it possible there are no Cohencidences?
12.15pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791140301895352325
Description: Again from Signs, this shows the scene where the kid takes out his baby monitor and claims he can hear the aliens talking to each other. There's two of them talking he states and again we see the sign logo flash up. We then see an overlay of alien writing that isn't in the original clip so that's been dubbed on purposely.
Speculation: Things starting to get real interesting now. This looks to be a sign that something is happening behind the scenes. A baby monitor, what's RCEO got stored up? Maybe he is pregnant? Maybe GME is pregnant? Is there a merger happening? A split of some sort?
12.30pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791144075963298165
Description: This is the scene in Signs where they go to the crop fields and there are alien crop circles everywhere, only in this meme DFV has replaced those circles with GME logos. Many GME logos some with long running lines.
Speculation: Really looking like something big is on the horizon and DFV thinks he has seen the signs. This meme would suggest maybe its a merger with multiple gamestop logos but that's just my opinion. One thing for sure is that Gamestop has something on the horizon.
12.45pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791147851466047673
Description: This is the scene in Signs where the news start reporting sightings of aliens and they show a load of kids in a different country looking down an alley way only for an alien bearing Roaring Kitty as a face to walk by, scary stuff!
Speculation: This was actually the first scene from this film that made me realize i had seen the film before and a younger me was pretty freaked out by that scene. It could imply that they have landed, they are here and or DFV is at least. Certainly a they are coming sort of message.
1.00pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791151631259574559
Description: This is taken from the animated film Luca, where one kid says "what does it mean, the thing you just said?" and the other kid goes "Come on Ill show you more stuff"
Speculation: I think this is aimed at me writing this right now and whoever is reading this right now. Ultimately i have no idea what DFV is saying i can only speculate and DFV knows that, he can't outright say what he thinks but he can show us more and more cool memes.
1.15pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791155401091596494
Description: This is taken from 500 days of summer and DFV has changed a lot of the words here but essentially he is asked what he does and he says he makes Gamestop memes, the woman says he could be a really great investor if he wanted to be, he is asked why he went from being a great investor to making gamestop memes and he says "why make something disposable, like an investment thesis, when you can make something that lasts forever like a Gamestop meme"
Speculation: DFV having more meme lols here but really why would he need to do anymore investing, he already has his favourite company shares and the thesis is done, he knows what's going on and he is happy to stick with what he has. That doens't mean his thesis on Gamestop doesn't evolve, I just think he is done looking for other deep value plays.
1.30pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791159177785770273
Description: This is taken from The Shining and the song dubbed on is Matter of Time by Vandelux. The main protagonist and author in the movie, Jack is sat writing and it seems it is DFV and he is writing memes.
Speculation: Anyone that has seen The Shining knows that Jack goes to a secluded house with no distractions to write his book. Turns out it actually just makes him go completely mental and he ends up killing his family. I think DFV is just having some fun showcasing the time he has spent focusing on making Gamestop memes.
1.45pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791162950373527857
Description: We have Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See by Busta Rhymes and his music video. The lyrics he has chosen for this clip are emphasized and they are:
Flipmode Busta Bus (Uh, what?) Nine-seven (Come on, what?) Hot shit (Ha-hah) Check it out
Hit you with no delayin' so what you sayin', yo? (Uhh) Silly with my nine milli, what the deally, yo? (What?)
Do you really wanna party with me? Let me see (Uh) just what you got for me (Come on) Put all your hands where my eyes can see (Put 'em up, yo) Straight buckwildin' in the place to be (Wildin', nice, ha)
It then ends with If you really wanna party with Roaring Kitty
Speculation: More fun and dancing. Some interesting lyrics, Flipmode (reverse uno card anyone), Silly with my nine milli (could relate to shares, does RCEO have that much?) Could just be a fun meme without much else to it.
2:00pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791166726891061749
Description: This is taken from Sicario and it starts with the quote "so you wanna be a Sicario" and then shows the blonde reddit icon from the other sub tied up and then a guy looking pretty pissed off.
Speculation: The Sicarios were hitmen, that's basically what it means when it asks if you want to be a Sicario, do you want to be a hitman or assassin. The blonde icon from other sub tied up is in the place of a kid who was tied up in the film and certainly WAS NOT a friend of the Sicarios. Take from that what you will but I can't comment to much as it's about another sub.
2.15pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791170783277949042
Description: First we have a scene from No Country for Old Men with the quote "you can't stop what's comin" then we cut to a train tearing it up in Chicago and also taking out a double deck chair with a Chicago Bears logo on it then finally we go to a WWE smackdown with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Speculation: No Country for Old Men has cropped up a few times before but it's about a killer who is pretty much unstoppable mowing these people down. The train wrecking Chicago and the Chicago Bears (as a Packers fan i liked that), well option contract writers are in Chicago I believe but also it's the original home of Citadel. The chair maybe is an answer to a Cramer tweet and the smackdown i'm not sure other than it being just a fun thing to watch.
2.30pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791174276604699013
Description: This is the music video for Punkrocker by Teddybears. It basically follows a man who is being chased by the police, the cops are coming but the guy seems pretty chill about it. He listens to the music with no fear and you can too. The words are in Gamestop white and red.
Speculation: I think that this could indicate that Gamestop isn't doing anything wrong with what's going to happen, they have warned again and again in their financial postings that the stock is being manipulated and is subject to squeezes. It could also indicate a GME investor has nothing to worry about legally either, just like the stock.
2.45pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791178049939182048
Description: This is taken from The School of Rock where Jack Black is trying to ask what it takes to rock out. If you wanna rock its not about scoring chicks, it's not about getting wasted, its about sticking it to the man, and you can't just say it man you gotta FEEL it it in your blood and guts.
Speculation: Only you can decide what sticking it to man means yourself in relation to having GME stock during a big squeeze event but for me personally it's been a long 3 and a half years of having crap tossed at me just for owning this stock and i certainly pissed with the amount of corruption and cheating that has and continues to go on. If shorts never closed and still have that position, that's their mess not mine.
3.00pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791181824754106742
Description: The main scene in this meme is taken from the film Stand By Me. You have two cars on both sides of the road. The good guy in this is driving on the wrong side of the road and the other gang are on the right side, it's a game of chicken with a truck coming towards the good guy as they both drive side by side. It then cuts to Bojack Horseman trying to do some comedy and being asked to get off stage, he states "I'm not done hold on" - it cuts back to the scene and the truck bails last second. The good guy just keeps on driving and goes in front of the other car having a victory sip.
Speculation: If you take DFV to be the good guy in this car scene then he just carries on with what he believes which is in GME regardless of trying to be chickened out of it in the face of adversity. You could also say he is Bojack and wanting to continue with his memes, he ain't done telling his memeroirs yet.
3.15pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791185600453783688
Description: This is taken from Everything Everywhere All At Once and shows a woman showcasing her awards, DFV has imposed some cat photos on her desk and also 3 awards that read

• DeepFuckingValue, Degen of the Month
  
• Roaring Kitty, 1st Cat in Congress
  
• Keith Gill, Best Ethics from the CFA institute (lol)
  

"The quote is Do you see these? You don't get one of these unless you've seen a lot of bullshit. Excuse my French. Now you may only see a pile of boring forms and numbers, but I see a story."
Speculation: DFV is a fucking dude, the guy has a meme trophy cabinet. To us or others we just don't quite see it like he does. If DFV thinks something big is going to happen you have the choice to believe it too or not, that's completely up to you. The awards are lol.
3.30pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791189376195854606
Description: The first scene is taken from Garden State, he asks her "what are you listening to", she goes "you gotta hear this one song" and you then hear Dont Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult and the opening lyric "all our times have come"
Speculation: Don't fear the reaper, if you hold GME you don't have to as it's not going bust. The company is not going to die. There are certainly some shorts that should be fearing the reaper though.
3.45pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791193149408223306
Description: This is a hilarious meme and i'm not sure where this is taken from but i'll try my best to describe it (really you should just watch it though). Two men are in a rich guys house, the host writes a note and then has to leave tearing the note off and taking it with him, the other sneaks up to the notepad, labelled Cohen, and tries to sketch the next page to work out what he wrote. What is revealed is a cartoon man with a huge dick.
Speculation: RCEO has a big slong, what else is there to say? Ok I think that he is going to do something big and it's an exciting thing to think about. Does make you think of the tweet of Steve Smith he posted with the erect penis too.
4.00pm - https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791196925619789864
Description: A more recently made meme shows Jay Clayton talking about Roaring Kitty showing his first meme and saying "is this something that we should be tolerating in our markets, whether it's legal lalallull" then it goes to a clip of a guy saying "i mean what did he say fuck me for"
Speculation: DFV basically saying as we would say in the UK, "whatever mate". The guy is talking a load of bullshit and to bring up legality after all the stuff he has let slide as former SEC chairman, i mean bitch please!
Hope you enjoyed, still pissed i had to write this twice, my original had a lot more links to original clips and each Superstonk post as well! I'm off to bed, i'll update with the 8pm tweet tomorrow.
Love ya DFV x

"You guys may not know Ziln, so I'll lay a rundown on who he is."
The camera moves to face a full-blooded Zonai, around 5'2" in height. He looks to be 20. He's snoring on a couch, a cat on his head.
"This is Ziln. We found him after he fell out of a tear in space-time during the beach party. He's 1,733 years old today. And we're hosting a birthday party for him. He wrote the ancient texts that made us know about the Lanternbearer in the first place, and he seems to be some sort of timeline hopper, and unable to age. He was the former sage of Clairvoyance. He's also apparently related to James by blood. Everyone is invited to the party!"
A party-popper goes off, and Ziln is startled awake.
Ziln: "H-Huh!? What's happening?!"
Raine: "Happy birthday, Ziln!"
Ziln: "O-oh! Yippie!"

I'm only 20. I've dealt with depression, anxiety, sensory issues, and other adjacent stuff for over a decade, if not more.
I'm in therapy, on medication, I have friends and hobbies... But I have no future. All of the things I'm interested in don't pay well. I've got work experience, but none in the fields I'm interested in or good at (writing/typing). I'm writing a book and it needs to be edited but I'm almost finished and that scares me. The publishing industry is a nightmare from what I've seen, and a lot of it seems like right-place right-time. I'm terrified that once I'm done if it'll even get published. And if it does, I'm terrified if it won't make me happy, let alone bring in income enough to survive.
I live in a small town, and would love to move someday-- but I'm terrified. My social anxiety is horrendous. I can function enough, but if I had a choice I'd stay inside consistently. I'm making income right now from Live2D commissions, but it's not a feasible job for the future. I live with my parents, and I love them both dearly. I've lost 3 family members one after the other, my grandfather's dementia is getting worse by the day, and I'm so tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop all the time. I was born later, so my parents are grandparent-aged comparatively to others my age. There's been some recent health scares.
I love my cat more than anything. But I know she's getting older, too. I think when I lose her, I might go with her.
Realistically speaking, I don't have a future set up for me besides one filled with unemployment and grief. I'm so tired of being sad all the time. The clock only keeps ticking. 21, 22, 23...
I know I'm young. God, I think 30 is still young. But expectations from the outside creep in, and the more birthdays that past the more worried I get. I don't have any goals for the future. I don't have anything I desperately want to do, I don't care about having a s/o (possibly ace? I don't know), I just want to be able to live. I know I need my independence, but my parents are only getting older and I'm an only-child. I don't know what I'll do if they die. I don't want to be a burden on them. I don't want to be 40 and stuck at home because I'm a terrified failure with no motivation or hope for anything.
My parents are fine with me staying at home, so for right now I'm stable. I don't know what to do. I didn't think I'd make it past 18. I feel like I'm too soft for this world. I don't think I'm meant to stay here. I don't want to be a burden on anyone, especially not my family. Every day that passes I grow more scared. I think if I can't make writing work out I'm genuinely thinking about OD'ing. At least then I'll know my future.
I'm the happiest I've ever been, and I'm still considering suicide as a choice for me. I'm so tired of being sad all the time. I'm so tired of this anxiousness that never goes away. I don't know what to do anymore. What do I even do? How can I feel that everyone has a right to just exist, but feel that if I'm not useful I should be killed off? My parents wanted me so badly, and that hurts even more. The pain of being alive and wanted but being a disappointment or burden seems less preferable than ending things soon and making it easier on them in the long run.
I don't know what to do but wait until some pills in the cabinet look like a good option.

i don't even know what i expect from posting this here, but maybe writing it down will help.
in december of last year i matched with a guy on tinder. we had great conversations from the start and he was super sweet. back then, i was struggling a lot with my mental and physical health, since i suffer from 'generalized anxiety disorder' and dealt with dizziness for 3 months straight. after a few days of texting i opened up to him and complained about my symptoms. he asked a lot of questions about the things i was dealing with, told me how impressed he was by my self awareness and made it seem like he really cared.
after he told me he wasn't doing so well himself i offered to listen if he wanted to talk and he shared his story with me. a few months prior he had an accident while playing soccer. he broke his skull, had internal bleeding in his head and had been dealing with epileptic seizures ever since. i felt horrible after hearing his story, because obviously, he was going through a lot more than me, but i was the one complaining.
we texted for a few more days, talked about meeting up for drinks, but then stopped talking and just responded to eachothers IG stories here and there. 3 months later (march), we started chatting again..
he told me how happy he was, how much better he was doing and apologized for not reaching out. he also told me that he would still love to get to know me and i agreed on meeting up with him. even though he still had a lot going on, he wanted to know how i was doing and listened to my struggles all over again. we had another great conversation and both shared a lot with eachother.
somehow, the conversation stopped. a week later i wished him a happy birthday and a few days after that he responded "pretty girl" to my IG story but that was it. i didn't hear from him for 5 weeks.. i was a little disappointed and wondered why he never reached out, but just told myself that he's probably busy.
fast forward to 2 days ago.. i was about to go to bed and was scrolling through facebook when i saw a weird post of an "anti covid vaccine" profile. it was an article about a young soccer player who recently passed away from cardiac arrest and the description said "i"m not surprised so many young people pass away these days, because of the vaccine". i shook my head and was about to scroll past it, when i realized the guy looked familiar. (it was a picture of him in motion, while playing soccer so it was hard to tell)
after looking at the picture for a few seconds i realized who it was and immediately choked up. my first thought was 'omg i need to tell him that they used his picture for a nonsense article.' but then i started wondering if the article was real. i went to check the IG page of his soccer team but couldn't find anything, so i had hope the article was just a horrible joke. but just to make sure, i googled his name and there they were..
20-30 news paper articles, talking about the young soccer player who died out of nowhere at the beginning of april. he was already gone for 35 days by the time i found out.
i was staring at the ceiling, crying and just couldn't grasp it. 3 weeks before his death we were talking about meeting up and 13 days before, he responded to my IG story one last time.
i never got to meet him but my heart is still broken. i didn't have to talk to him in person to know what a great person he was. i was sure about that the day we started talking..
you may think i'm exaggerating by saying that i'm heart broken by his death, but he's the first person who passed away whom i talked to shortly before that. and the fact that it took me so long to realize he was gone just makes me even more sad. i even remember my dad telling me about a soccer player passing away back in april, but his name was never mentioned so i had no idea.
and now, i just have to live with the fact that he's gone. i don't want to complain too much, because if i'm heart broken by this, i can't even imagine how his family and friends are feeling, but it still hurts.
i guess the moral of this story is: live life to the fullest; reach out to the person you like; go on dates; tell the people around you how much they mean to me and just make the most out of everyday. at least that's what i will do from now on..

Hi everyone, I’ve got a bit of an odd situation and I’m just not sure the best/most social norm way to go about it is.
I (26 f) have recently had a birthday. Obviously not a big one or mile marker, but a birthday none the less. Im not really one for big celebrations and it’s often just spent at home with my partner, responding to a few happy wishes via text and calling to thank others for cards.
Typically, I always receive a card from my step grandparents for Xmas and my birthday (they entered my life when I was 17) and they’ve always made it a point to tell my parents and I that I would be treated as any other grandkid blood or not. Beyond being invited to family events this has usually extended into gifts as well.
Before anything else I want to state that yes, in regards to birthday the ‘gift’ is most typically some money in a card - but my concern admittedly isn’t about whether or not I’m going to get the money or not. Yes the money is nice, but I’m more concerned over the /why/ rather than if I’m getting some cash or not.
This side of my family is admittedly known for being a bit drama filled. Given I married through parents into it, I am typically a fly on the wall in most gatherings, dont get me wrong everyone has been very welcoming and kind to me but maybe that in part is due to me being an ‘outsider’ in a way and therefor all the easier for them to just unload on me when the wine is flowing. A common thought that goes through my head is ‘oh god why are you telling me this i feel like i shouldn’t know this jfc the person youre complaining about is one room over’ if that helps put it in context.
Ive seen standoffs, petty comments on fb posts, passive aggressive remarks in a christmas toast battle (it was every bit as awkward as you imagine) and feel i know way too much about some people i see at most once a year.
It is because of this that I am hung up on wondering if I did something to upset my grandparents and just dont know it. Purposely holding back a card until an apology is received or some ‘lesson’ is taught is something that i wouldnt be surprised by. This has led to me rethinking our past few meet ups and analyzing for something i could’ve said/did/didnt do and can’t really think of anything? I was unable to attend a party last summer but everything seemed fine at Xmas and I made sure to thank them for everything they had given me at the holidays.
At the same time I could see that they genuinely forgot (didn’t get a text or call from either of them on the day) or could even be busy and haven’t gotten around to it or maybe im too old now and have aged out?
Im just not sure what to do or how to go about it. I would be fine with just basically letting it go but Im anxious theres some crime ive committed and am unaware of - and if that is the case I don’t want to let it stew up until the next family gathering and potentially be blindsided with being the hot gossip of the night.
TLDR: My step-grandparents didn’t get me a birthday card and Im not sure how to ask (if i should at all) if its because I upset them or if they forgot

Content warning: suicide & addiction
"Good afternoon everyone were going to start are meeting with a reading of the twelve traditions"
I sat quietly, expressionless, I let the sound of there voice wash over me. Anything to break up the monotony of the static constantly droning on in my mind. I had never got a sponsor or really ever considered it. I had only ever completed the first step which is admitting I am an addict, but I've come to realize that were all addicts every human from the moment of birth is dependent on something other than our selves to sustain are existence. I felt no reason to quit using my substance of choice because as the big book said 'our liquor is but a symptom'.
They opened up the floor to discussion. A woman raised her hand and began to speak.
"Hello my name is Wanda and I'm an alcoholic"
"Hello Wanda" the room retorted.
She continued "So lately I've really been struggling to keep myself..." she paused as if she were searching carefully for her next words. "At peace. Three years ago my son JJ was hit by a car and killed. I had struggled with alcohol for years but after that I just lost it. I was drinking myself sloppy every day after work. I would show up to work drunk reeking of alcohol to the point my supervisor pulled me aside and said 'if you dont get your self some help were going to have to fire you'. I checked myself into rehab and god willing I'll be 6 months sober next Sunday."
The room applauded.
She began to weep "I just wish my son could be here to see me get better. His whole life he watched me struggle to take care of him and his sisters. I tried to be the best mother I could but..." she paused "I'm sorry. Thank you for listening to what I had to say."
The room responded "Thank you for sharing"
The speaker looked around the room and said "any body else want to share?"
I raised my hand.
"Go ahead" the speaker ushered.
"Hello my name is Jesse and I'm an alcoholic" I spoke.
"Hello Jesse"
"I've been in and out of the rooms for the past few months. I recently have come to realize even though I had never touched alcohol til the age of 25. I've been an alcoholic from the day I stepped foot on this earth. There's been a pit in my heart only alcohol could seem to fill. My whole childhood I wished I would one day find happiness. I would fantasize about the girl I might meet who would show me love. I grew and waited but I never could find myself able to trust. I would have rather lived my life as a worm than the life I've lived." I pulled out a 357 magnum and put to my chin and pulled the trigger. I died.
People began screaming.
"OH my God. OH my God." The woman sitting behind me screamed. Covered in my blood and brain matter. Traumatized, shock setting in.
"Stop panicking we're going to call 911" the speaker said trying his best to remain calm while remembering how close he was to meeting the same fate as I.

Chapter 3
Location: Somewhere outside of Tiste lands the northernmost Jaghut keep
POV: Korya Delath
Korya Delath is hostage to Haut, a Jaghut. Korya is of the lesser house Delack in the tiste settlement Abara. From the aerie in the keep she can see the contested lands, which have nothing to contest about them. Haut keeps her isolated and forbids her from leaving the keep. He does not quite understand the idea of hostages and took it upon himself to educate Korya. He is harsh. Korya spent a lot of time in the Aerie pretending to be a goddess to her dolls. Now those dolls are kept in boxes.
She is alarmed by a group of Jheleck approaching the keep defying the prohibitions for crossing into Jaghut territory, even though they no longer claim any territory. The Jheleck are said to be kin to the Jheck of the far south, but much larger. They were the size of warhorses and possessed a sorcery she knew only as Soletaken. Although she doesn't know what that means. She sees Haut open the gate in his full armor. She had no idea he had any martial proclivities. The Jheleck blur and in their place stand several warriors. Haut yells up at her that they have guests.
Haut has no one in his household but him and Korya. He is capable of conjuring food and drink through sorcery, but prefers not to. Korya learned how to make food, chop wood, and mend clothes in the absence of servants. She thinks that he dislikes the company of people and that is why they are alone. Although she does not understand why he agreed to take her as hostage if that is the case. Jaghut used to live in cities until they came upon the realization that civilization is "economic suicide". Resources are not infinite, but a civilization can try to be. "There was nothing so deadly as success."- Haut. The Lord of Hate is the one who exposed this truth to the Jaghut and because of it they live solitary lives and no longer try to build up their civilization.
The Jheleck brought freshly killed meat with them and in Haut's main hall ate it raw. Haut joins in. Korya is put off balance by this, but studies the scene to attempt to make sense of the gathering. The Jheleck speak the Jaghut language, as does Korya. They call Haut Captain and Haut warns them not to anger Korya. He has never seen her angry, but continues to try to bring it out of her by being harsh. After several jokes about her, Korya asks to be excused and is surprised to hear that it's not possible as the Jheleck are here for her. Korya is very confused.
The Jheleck call Haut Captain, but hostages aren't given to soldiers only noble families. The Jheleck bring up that Haut has no army or houseblades. This is somewhat of a threat. Haut responds by saying that he needs no armies. The Jaghut just destroy their enemies. When Jheleck would raid Jaghut lands, the Jaghut would kill some of them and drive them off, however if they came in greater numbers then the Jaghut would then stop playing nice. They want to return Korya to her home. In their defeat the Jheleck signed a treaty that demands hostages from the Jheleck to the Tiste. They are trying to return Korya to fulfill that treaty. Haut says it does not work that way. Sagral gets angry and demands that Korya leave with them. She doesn't want to and says, "Does this one need a leash?" The joke diffuses the situation.
The tiste have asked for 50 Jheleck hostages. The Jheleck are worried due to the rumors of civil war. Haut tells them that hostages are sacrosanct in war. The Jheleck sense that Korya is empty and is not a child of Mother Dark. Haut confirms this and says he has fashioned a mahybe. "A vessel. Protected, sealed and, as you say, empty. What remains to be done? Why, its filling, of course" Haut dismisses the Jheleck and says if they don't leave he may just kill them all. They, shaken by this and depart.
Location: House of Delack
POV: Lady Nerys Drukorlat
Lady Nerys Drukorlat looks upon her grandson Orfantal as he plays in the dirt. She wishes to end his childhood as soon as possible so he can learn to be the heir of the failing house of Delack and return it to glory. Orfantal is a bastard. Lady Nerys knows that isn't his fault. She recalls a quote from Gallan's latest work, "The wounded will wound / and every hurt is remembered." She looks at his work as revealing unpleasant truths about the Tiste. Others do not. When Orfantal plays at being in war, his play always ends with an unseen betrayer killing him from behind. She blames soldiers returning from war. "Veterans returned home with all illusions scoured from their eyes, their minds. They looked out from a different place, but there was nothing healthy in that, nothing worthy." Lady Nerys's husband was one such soldier. Who upon a heroic return confessed the above to his wife before killing himself and leaving his house in shame.
Another soldier who lost his arm from a horse bite had found Sandalath Drukorlat, Lady Nerys's daughter, and seduced her resulting in the birth of Orfantal. Once Lady Nerys had discovered this, she paid him to never see his son or Sandalath ever again. He accepted. Sandalath though older and having already been a hostage, is now to be a hostage again to her dismay. Her mother will not allow her to say goodbye to her son. Her first stint as a hostage was with House Purake, this time it will be with House Dracons. Orfantal is to go to Kharkanas and be in the retinue of the House of Purake. Not a hostage. Ivis has arrived at House Delack to retrieve Sandalath. She enters the carriage and they depart.
POV: Orfantal
Orfantal watched his mother's carriage leave. He doesn't like to see people cry and tries to prevent it from happening. He understands that, "There were wars and that’s all there was, and every day he died, taken by that knife that followed him across the whole world, just as it had done to his grandfather."
POV: Sandalath
Sandalath thought she saw Orfantal by the stables as her carriage moved away, but she is not confident in what her mind sees so is uncertain. It's very hot in the carriage, but because her mother has instilled in her the virtue of not causing a scene she does not ask the driver to open a window. She fondly recalls her time as hostage in the citadel with the Purake brothers. Always feeling safe with them and loving them each in turn. Well maybe not Silchas. The war took the brothers and their father away and when the father returned broken she began to fear that the brothers would die. House Drukorlas had been devastated by the war and was now in poverty.
Galdan was the one-armed soldier who spoke of a romantic and adventurous war and Sandalath had relayed these stories to her son. Lady Nerys had told her daughter that she had exiled Galdan to Jaghut lands and he had died. Sandalath told her son that Galdan died from a betrayal while he defended his wounded lord. As the carriage trundled through the village, Sandalath thought she saw Galdan, but attributed it to the heat in the carriage. She passed out from the heat and the carriage stopped.
POV: Ivis
Ivis enters the carriage and pulls an unconscious Sandalath out. If Sandalath dies in House Dracons care, other families would use it as an excuse to gain advantage over Draconus. Ivis pays the carriage driver to take off and threatens him with death if this story gets out. Ivis's men get Sandalath's strongbox open. Not sure why maybe to see if she has lighter clothes, but discover that it is filled with jars of river stones from the Dorssan Ryl. It was a way to avow love for another person. Give them a stone from the Dorssan Ryl.
Sandalath wakes up and notices that many layers of her clothing have been removed and that Ivis has the key to her strongbox that is usually around her neck. Ivis lies and says it was constricting her neck and that no one looked in the strongbox although it is very heavy. He says he has a daughter and that he knows young women have a lot of toiletries.
POV: Galdan
"Proper men had two arms for good reason. One to reach for things, the other to keep things away. Galdan had lost the arm that kept things away" This applied to the drink and to Sandalath. After she had been taken away from him he began leaving stones for her in their secret places. He assumed she threw them away.
Location: Outskirts of Hust Forge
POV: Galar Baras
Galar Baras contemplating the Forulkan reveals that their priests were called Assail. "Peace did not serve order; order served peace" The Forulkan worshipped order and confused it for peace and justice. Order became a prison and those who sought freedom became the enemy. The south borderswords were the first to fight the Forulkan and they became the Hust legion. Hust swords had a fearful heartline that was reinforced by the forgemasters. This heartline gives the blades their voice. Galar Baras is obsessed with Hust swords and believes they are an expression of a unique sorcery. After the borderswords had defended the Hust forge from a Forulkan assault, Hust Henarald had rewarded them with Hust blades.
Galar Baras is riding with the commander of the Purake houseblades, Kellaras. When Nimander returned from war and Mother Dark had blessed him and his house for its service, House Purake turned over it's lands to Mother dark and became her vassals. They now took the name Andii, Children of Night. Anomander and house Purake were the first to relieve the borderswords in the battle of the forge and Anomander bestowed great honor upon them by going to their commander Toras Redone and clasping her forearm. From that day the borderswords consider themselves Andiian, sons and daughters of night. This sent a fracture between Urusander's legion and the Hust legion.
In a drunken comment Toras Redone had told Galar Baras that "Peace had become a disaster". Galar is unable to drink alcohol. That night they became lovers. The next day they were not brave enough to continue. Soon after she had sent Galar to Kharkanas to be the Hust legion's representative in the city. Toras is married to Calat Hustain, the man who had given Galar his hust sword. Calat had accepted the command of the wardens and was now far away from his wife. After a miserably lengthy time within the citadel, Galar was now returning to Hust forge both anticipating and dreading seeing the woman he loved.
POV: Kellaras
Kellaras and Galar Baras do not talk much and Kellaras has been told by the members of Urusander's legion in the citadel that Hust swords poison their owners. He's starting to believe it. Galar Baras was not liked in the Citadel. He did not mix with others and remained a mystery to most of them. Kellaras had been given a message to take to Hust Henarald by Anomander. Galar Baras insisted on escorting him to the Hust Legion. Kellaras took this as an insult. He required no escort. Out of the blue Galar Baras asks him a question about the urgency of the message. Kellaras takes it as an opportunity to ask why he insisted on the escort. Galar Baras confides in him that he just wanted to get out of the citadel and felt crushed by it. Kellaras takes this to heart and orders him to continue to escort him so he will not have to return to the citadel. Kellaras now confides in Galar Baras that Anomander intends to commission a sword from Henarald Hust.

I'm completely heartbroken and I need some perspective because I don't know if I'm overreacting or if I have a right to be this upset.
I’m a 17 year old guy, and two years ago, my parents got me Henry for my birthday, and it was like a dream come true. Henry was the most beautiful cat—he had soft gray fur, sparkling green eyes, and the sweetest personality. From the moment I held him, I knew he was the love of my life. I would do anything to make sure he was happy and healthy.
I brushed Henry's fur multiple times a day, sometimes for over an hour, to keep it silky and smooth. I used special brushes designed for sensitive cats and had a collection of grooming products to keep him looking perfect. I'd also give him weekly sponge baths with premium cat shampoo, massaging his fur to help him relax. Afterward, I'd blow-dry him on a low setting, making sure he stayed warm and fluffy. I even bought a heated towel to wrap him in after the bath to keep him cozy.
I set up a special corner in my room just for Henry, complete with a massive cat bed, plush cushions, and soft blankets. It was like his own little paradise. I put up fairy lights around the area to give it a magical feel and added a humidifier to keep the air moist. Henry had every kind of toy you could imagine, from feather wands to squeaky mice. I even got him a custom-built cat tree with multiple levels, tunnels, and a hammock. I wanted him to have the best of everything.
I'd give Henry massages every night after his sponge bath. I even bought a book on cat massage therapy to learn the best techniques for my handsome baby. I'd gently rub his shoulders, back, and legs, paying attention to his reactions to make sure he was comfortable. Sometimes I'd kiss him on the head, and yes, even on the lips because he was just so adorable. I'd whisper to him that he was the love of my life and my best friend.
Henry was more than just a pet to me—he was family. I spent more time with him than with my friends because he made me feel safe and loved. He had this way of looking at me that made everything okay. I called him "my sweet prince" because he deserved to be treated like royalty.
Then one day, I came home from school, and Henry was gone. I searched every inch of the house, called his name, and checked outside, but he wasn't there. My dad then told me that he rehomed Henry to a family friend because he thought I was too obsessed with the cat and it wasn't healthy. I was shocked and devastated. How could he do this without even talking to me first? I felt like a part of my heart had been ripped out.
My mom said maybe my dad went too far, but now it's too late. I cried for hours, and I can't even look at my dad without feeling betrayed. He says I can visit Henry, but it's not the same. It's like I've lost the love of my life, and I don't know how to move on.

I just want to say,
I am truly blessed to have been able to know you and spend time with you. Even though at the time I thought we had forever, I know that not all things are meant to last in this life.
From the first time I met you I remember truly being infatuated in a way no one else had made me feel before. And when it didn’t work, I thought maybe we were destined to be star crossed lovers in some tragic romantic way. But when you came back into my life 10 years later, I thought I would be ready to get it right this time. Maybe we were just waiting for the stars to align.
Unfortunately, I guess we weren’t ever meant to be. Maybe if I started working harder and finding a purpose earlier in life. Or maybe if you didn’t have a child to raise now, who knows? But in this life, it wasn’t part of the plan.
You said that being around me made you feel like you had to dull yourself. I’m sorry that instead of making you shine, my personality somehow made you dim your light. I guess you needed someone more exciting, someone more outgoing. You needed a golden retriever, when I’ve always been a black cat. I’m sorry that I made you feel like you had to dilute yourself and suppress your personality when with me.
Some of my favorite memories are the simple ones. Like every time you tried to interact with the stray cat who decided to choose my front yard as his new home. 90% of the time he’d give you no reciprocation, and you’d do that eye roll you always do when you’re annoyed. That was my favorite expression of yours. It’s the same one you’d do when I told a stupid joke, or said something dumb, or I was purposely being a dick.
I’d see your eyes light up when I made you a card or gave you a gift, to show you how special I thought you were. You told me your love language was gifts and acts of service, maybe I should have done more of that.
Unfortunately I had a late start in life, and I’m still trying to figure it out. I’m not able to get you all the things you want or take you on trips. The consequences of a failure to launch. It’s no one’s fault but my own. I dont talk about my struggles, my financials, or anything I'm going through. We all know men dont like to show weakness. But I was doing all I could, tried to plan accordingly, I just didnt have the financials to give you anything more.
I wish that i knew when it was you decided I wasn’t the one for you, maybe I would have tried harder or cherished our time together more. I threw out all the photos and letters, deleted all the pics. How were you unhappy when in all the letters and messages you were singing my praises? You looked happy to me. Yet you were apparently looking for an exit the whole time, thats hard to grasp.
There will probably always be a part of me that still loves you, and one of my biggest regrets in life will be that I somehow fumbled you and was not able to keep you in my life. I’ve accepted the fact that just because I love someone, doesn’t mean they are obligated to love me back. And just because from my perspective I was doing everything right and everything I could, I know that you didn’t have to see it that way. I know that you dont have to wait for me to figure my life out. And you arent obligated to teach me how to love better. I just thought thats something you WOULD do.
I hope one day I can look back at this and see the good times without feeling like there’s a knife in my chest. I pray that you find whatever it is you’re looking for. Maybe one day you’ll look back and see I tried my best too, and appreciate all the ways I tried to show you I cared in my own way. A product of my environment I suppose, I didnt grow up with a lot of love being shown. No birthdays, no hugs, no kisses, no feelings. I didnt understand how to do that.
I heard you might be seeing someone else already. Its only been a month. I was supposedly your best friend, you supposedly loved me, I guess that was all talk. You tossed me aside without even a conversation. Thats pretty shitty to me, but I dont want to think about it anymore. You said you'd be happier without me, so it is what it is.
I know we’ll never see each other or speak to each other again, but hopefully putting these thoughts into the universe will somehow get to you on a spiritual level, and that’s good enough for me.
I’ll see you in another life, when we’re both cats.

Hello beautiful people of Reddit! this is my first post here; this is a long story to buckle up!
So this all starts in 2018, my (24 female) brother (28 male) are very close, he met a woman at his job at the time, let's call her Jamie (Female 28) at the time. In the beginning, she seemed very sweet, she had a dog that was her everything, she took care of the dog like a baby, so everything seems to be going well, now enter 2019, Jamie announces that she was pregnant, something that she had claimed was impossible due to her PCOS, (I too have PCOS and it is rare for it to render you 100% infertile) so 9 months later, Jamie gives birth to a baby boy whom we will call Jackson, right after this, Jamie gets very sick, she can barely get out of bed and is miserable. At the time of Jackson's birth, they lived in a trailer while my brother saved for moving out of state. Now Jamie decided that it was mold causing her symptoms, so she had my brother build her an ADU where she locked herself and their son up almost 24/7 because she didn't want him to get dirty.
After about a year, the three of them move up to Washington, during that time, Jamie becomes a hypochondriac, she starts neglecting her dog and getting very anxious about her partner's whereabouts. After almost one and a half years, my brother finds a home that he can afford, but Jamie's first words about it were " But it's not a nice brand-new house" the home was built in the 1960's and perfectly fine.
Now during all of this time, Jamie has become a helicopteiPad parent, especially after Jackson has been unofficially diagnosed with Autism, in its early stages she said " I am so happy he has autism, because it gives me a purpose again" Over the next three years, Jamie insults me, my parents, my brother, all while spending his money like water, she would spend around $1,500 on every birthday party, if Jackson bullied another kid, she didn't correct him, she never encouraged him to say any words,, no manners, she would always say " He is so smart, he will start doing fill in the blank when he wants to" . She would belittle, insult and control my brother all the time, if he wanted to take a few hours to himself, she would blow a fuse, and or come up with something she needed help with like opening a jar.
So after years, I decided to distance myself from her for my own sanity, I call my brother on the weekends and catch up, but I cannot stand to be around her and their dumpster fire of a son, I love my brother so I do my best not to rock the boat and make things hard for him, but I have to pull away from her for my own sake.
So Reddit, Would I Be The Ahole?

My friend's birthday is happening in a month and I am thinking of getting them a Haikyuu-themed present. She already has several items of Haikyuu-themed clothing, a few volumes of manga and a calendar made by a Haikyuu fanartist - she really enjoys a good piece of fanart. She also loves Asahi and Nekoma in its entirety.
What would be your advice? What kind of items could I get her? Where can I look for this kind of stuff? Or perhaps, what kind of Haikyuu-related things you got that you're really happy with and would recommend to others?
Thank you in advance!

Hey reddit,long time lurker. First post on a throwaway account you get the gist. Normally wouldn’t resort to the internet for advice cause it can be a lawless place but I need an opinion that’s not from people in our circle and hopefully (very slim hope) unbiased while tying 3 feet from my gf.
I (24M) and my gf(24F) have been together for 3 and a half years. I love her so much she is unlike anyone I’ve ever dated, she kind, sweet,caring smart and has a smile so bright she lights my way home in her arms.I just love being around her .Not to mention so pretty that her shine makes the stars jealous and a beauty so captivating if I would tell the winds they would follow her direction and if I told the sun it would come out every day just to gaze at her like the love I have for her isn’t till death we part,I would find her in whatever place and in whatever form and I’d ask her out again tho in this life I plan to make an honest women out of her (old phase I know) and marry her , that is why I work so hard. She is my Motivation, Inspiration and Muse
Tho it is marriage that my problems arose , after us having a good day(tho she was working this day) we came home to her cutely and bubbly talking to me about trees, after which I took a shower in preparation to cook us dinner to me seeing her looking at a book on different plant life and looking so happy , what I thought would come would be her regaling me on another informative fact on a tree she saw or explain to me mutation in roses she stop to ask me if I would change my name if we got married.
This topic has come up multiple times on multiple occasions as I would like to think my self a pretty open man, I believe in an equal partnership, I don’t think my partner has to take my name and I think in a situation where we want kids (both half and half tho I’m leaning no )since she is the women birthing the kids she would have authority over the names unless she tells me otherwise . I do not nor will I ever indorse toxic masculinity or toxic patriarchy , that being said I try and practice what I believe is masculinity one not dictated by the media or society in ways that I do not oppress others .
It will become relevant soon , i told my gf no and that I would keep my names tho I’m willing to hyphenate or have a new last name like a additional name but I will keep my names , she was not happy about this and said that hyphenating is not the same and not getting rid of the names that carry generational karma ,she asked why and I cited my relationship with my father.
Quick backstory raised by Mother barely saw my father they went to court over my custody saw him every once in a while though my mother interfered . I have no ill will towards both my parents but due to this I didn’t develop a strong connection to my father until my 20s.He is an educated and smart man but contrary to his demeanour and how he conducts himself he is old school African and as he is the patriot of his family as his eldest son, I am to inherit his name.
Now why I want to keep his name is not because of some tradition I didn’t grow up with , it is because we’ve gotten so close and these couple of years and I understand his reason such as the son is supposed to inherit the name but for me the name is my tie with him. If I had a shitty relationship with him , would be a different story but as I have a good relationship, I don’t want to get rid of his name.
These reasons I stated above is why I wouldn’t get rid of the names , she didn’t like that and gave me the reasons that it’s perpetuating shitty patriarchal standards and asked me if it’s the same with a woman/ daughter? As I can understand her response and reasoning I told her she is valid in her viewing of the situation however I don’t want to keep it. These reasons I want to keep it so I can feel close to him.
She asked if we had children would I expect them to have my name and I said not really as she is and would be the mother who will gothrough labour to have these kids. She would have ultimate Vito power in regards to the children’s first second and last name . And as for myself, I will keep my name .
She wanted all of us to have the same name and that I ruined her fantasy,then wouldn’t continue the conversation. She is normally is a person willing to have communicate and compromise, but for the first time she wouldn’t talk to me and went to bed sad(tho we did cuddle before she slept) and now I’m typing this while she sleeps so all I need to know is Aita? Feel shitty don’t know what to do .

He is a police officer who also enjoys detective fiction in his spare time. I(20m) got him a copy of my personal favorite as a birthday present. Basically an old guy gets killed and his sons and daughters are the suspects, before it is revealed that the superintendent investigating the case was the guy’s illegitimate son and killed him as revenge for abandonment. That twist ending is the reason I love the book so much.
My uncle was upset when he finished the book, saying it’s an insult to his profession, especially with the way many people these days hate the police. I had no idea that he would take it personally like this. My dad also said it was a stupid idea on my part.

The first time we stopped talking was her decision. I (43M) grew up living a very cushy life in the suburbs of Chicago. I had certain expectations I was expected to fulfill, and they didn't include me moving to New Jersey when I was 19. During a family trip to Alpine, I found myself in the less affluent areas thanks to access to a car and an intense desire to dive into the music scene there. My world kind of shifted on its axis that summer, and I knew I couldn't leave. They didn't mind me initially sticking around - I already had a gap year planned, so this didn't derail my plans too much. It was later when I told them I had decided to go to university in Jersey instead of Chicago that our relationship really broke down.
I was very abruptly on my own in the financial department for the first time, but it was probably the best thing for me. I developed an actual work ethic and began living a life that wasn't being funded and planned out by someone else. It was freeing. Our later reconciliation was mostly due to my son, Brooklyn (15M) being born.
There's a lot about my early years in Jersey that my mom doesn't approve of. Some of it is justified since I was 19 and I made some misguided decisions. Some of it... not so much. For necessary context: The first person I ever befriended here is someone we'll call Matt (40M). We met at a concert during one of my first nights out. He was 16, technically too young to even be in the venue. We dated for two years, and I got exceptionally close with his entire family. I crashed in their basement when my parents cut me off. It was a very pivotal romantic relationship in my life, but also a familial one. All of them - Matt himself, his parents, and his brother - were lifelines for me, and Brooklyn adores them. Matt and his brother are still some of my best friends today, and his parents are second parents to me.
This all brings us to the current conflict: Brooklyn's birthday was last week. My mom flew in for it. There's always tension whenever my parents are around Matt or his family, but it was ramped up to an 11 this time. She continually made passive-aggressive comments all afternoon, but one in particular pushed me over the edge. She remarked something about Brooklyn almost being the same age as Matt was when we met, and how she hopes I would never be a bad enough parent to let him be involved with someone older.
I took her outside and told her she was embarrassing herself. She replied that she was just trying to protect Brooklyn and not let him lead the same "lifestyle" I did. That could mean a lot of things and they're all pretty offensive, but the use of that word made it feel like she was attacking me for being bisexual since it has connotations against the LGBT community. I immediately went on the defense and told her that we had gone years without talking before, and I could easily do it again.
I'm second guessing myself now. Looking back, I feel like I reacted too harshly. I'm certainly not letting my kid date anyone 18+, so she has a point. I don't know.
AITAH?

I(38M) was held in County Jail for 18 months (I couldn't afford bail) until I was proven innocent all on Hearsay back in 2013-14. I've spent years of therapy to cope and still have a hard time. Obviously a throw away. Back story, I got a divorce in 2010 and was awarded Primary Custody of My Son. Fast forward a year later and my ex wife stopped showing up for her weekend visitation for about 6 months, it devastated my son, she missed holidays, birthday. So at this time its 2012 and I file for sole custody because she still does not want to be in my sons life.
Once I was awarded sole custody, my ex wife made accusations about me to the police that I was in possession of numerous servers (described as racks and racks of servers worth) of the type of porn you don't want to be accused of having. A little pretext, in my state, Hearsay is admissible by law. You see, my ex wife promised the local police department a gold mine so massive that child services would have no choice to take my son away and return him to his mother. I was arrested at my place of work, and was booked into my local County Jail. The police tore my townhouse apart, took all my electronics (still have not gotten them back) and found nothing. By than, my ex wife was gone, she took a flight from the local international airport and went to El Salvador, where her lives, with my son. (My Ex wife is from the states). They held me for 30 days on "Fugitive of justice" charges while they tried to figure out what to do with me, and the case. I went to a bail hearing, and the judge set the bail based on the complaint of a treasure trove of very bad stuff, so bail was set at $200,000.
So I sat, and waited, and waited. 31 days in and the DA decided there going to go away and press charges and did not think it was odd they could not get ahold of my ex wife to go over her story again(my Public Defender told me this). First thing they did was tell me I was facing 250 years or I could sign a plea deal for 20 years. They asked me if I would take a polygraph after I declined there offer. Of course I accepted the offer to take a polygraph, I had nothing to hide. for the next year, YES, YEAR, I did not see my public defender or a court room. Than one day 18 months in, my public defender comes to see me and tells me they want me to take a polygraph right now, because a new DA reviewed my file. They took me to the basement of the jail, I took a polygraph, and the next day I was released at 3am with the clothes I came in with. AMA as its become therapeutic to talk about it now.

Mark 1:3 and the prophecy from Isaiah
The very beginning of Mark already shows how Jesus is God, by applying a prophecy about Yahweh to Jesus. This passage is talking about John the Baptist preaching in the desert and preparing the way for Jesus, and in the verse 3 it reads: "The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!", this verse is a quote from Isaiah 40:3, and in the original Isaiah verse instead of just saying Lord it actually read Yahweh, meaning that by applying this verse to John and Jesus Mark was identifying Jesus as Yahweh.
Mark 2:28 and the Lord of the Sabbath
The Sabbath is God's day (Exodus 20:10), and when the Pharisees saw the disciples picking grain in the Sabbath and asked Jesus why was that, he said, among other things, that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath, which is a title reserved for God only (Mark 2:28).
Mark 3:11 and 5:6 and Jesus accepting worship
Worship is something that is only for God (Exodus 20:2-3, 34:14, Deuteronomy 6:13), and in Mark 5 it talks about a man with a demon who fell down before (Mark 5:6), something that is normally considered a sign of worship (Acts 10:25), meaning that he would be either God or a blasphemer, this is also described in Mark 3:11.
Mark 4 and 6 and Jesus' power over the sea
In Mark 6:45-52 Jesus walks on water and Peter cries out for help, similar to Psalm 77 which talks about crying out to God when you are troubled and also mentions God walking on the waters.
In Mark 4:35-40 Jesus also calms the storm just by commanding, something that only God does (Job 9:8).
Mark 7:18-19 and the Old Testament Law
Here it says that Jesus declared all foods clean, he himself, who else by himself can declare something in relation to the Law?, God only.
Mark 13:31 and Jesus' divine authority
Normally when Old Testament prophets spoke they said what they were saying were "the words of the Lord", but when Jesus spoke he normally said that those were his words, and also says that his words will never pass away, something true only to God (Mark 13:31, Isaiah 40:8).

I used to be phone-obsessed. I’m talking scrolling late into the night, scrolling in the bathroom, scrolling first thing in the morning. I’d instinctively check my pocket multiple times when out and about just in case it had gone missing. Like, not only did I rely on it for practical reasons, I’d probably feel some kind of anxiety separation if I didn’t have access to it.
Which is exactly how I realized it was time to get rid of it. I deleted Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat accounts, cleaned out my inbox and camera roll, backed up everything worth saving to my desktop Mac (which stays in my room at all times), powered the iPhone down, and stuck it in a drawer, where it’s remained untouched for a few months now.
It was difficult at first. I’m Gen Z so most of my life has been phone-ful. There was so much extra silence—without checking notifs every few minutes, it felt like my friends didn’t exist. My birthday came and went, and the only “happy birthday”s came from those with whom I directly interacted; of those people, only a handful remembered. I constantly lost track of time, so I bought a watch. I googled directions before traveling to a new place and wrote them down on scrap paper, which I’d keep safely tucked between the pages of a growing journal collection, but I’d still get lost constantly. Multitasking was no longer an option as I could only do work when at home, in my room, connected to WiFi from my one virtual source.
However, these tedious differences improved the quality of my life DRASTICALLY. It felt as though hours of my day had been cleared up. I finally had time to lose myself in literature, crossword puzzles, cooking, and other hobbies without the pressure of the screen and virtual world waiting for my return. At night, I fell asleep much faster, and slept for much longer. I even found conversations with friends and acquaintances more interesting as I could fully invest myself. I started noticing things, like fragrances in the air, unlikely sounds; my sense of direction and handwriting both improved. I started writing letters (I now have two pen pals). Everything felt lighter, and the anxiety of not documenting everything—as I’ve grown to do over the years of the smartphone era—gradually abated.
I acknowledge that I am privileged to have access to a phone and the internet in the first place, and even more privileged to be able to give it up. Many need constant access to these things for their career or simply for survival. (I should mention that I am a college student, and my work this semester was completed from the computer, which obviously can’t travel with me). But I would strongly urge anyone on the fence about their phone addiction to give this a shot, even for a week or a month. Since working on myself, I’ve become aware of how energies shift in the presence of a phone; my friends walk and talk more slowly as their minds are split between real life and the social internet; my parents grow less present when they receive an alert. Yes, it’s cool that I found more contentment by becoming a Luddite, but in this day and age it’s ultimately impossible to remain this way forever. I feel sad knowing that this invention can’t be undone and that I never got to experience a world where nobody had access to their phones and instead made the most of real, tangible materials.
Btw, I’m not arguing that phones are bad or should be abandoned. They’ve done so much for us in terms of efficiency, employment, and communication. This has just been my (lucky) experience and I’m disappointed that this is the farthest I’ll get from the virtual world.