I just wanted to pop on here and post something positive and hopeful. Long story short I’m not sure what caused my hair breakage and loss. Insurance issues have blocked me from getting the proper bloodwork. I started minoxidil back in feb and lost half of the little hair I had left bc of the dread shed. I spent hours on Reddit reading other women’s stories and looking for hope and just feeling devastated.
Stay the course. The dread shed will end. And the worse the shed, the better the results. I have baby hairs growing en masse all over my head. And today for the first time in the shower, my ponytail felt thicker.
My hair is still completely devastated by whatever screwed it up to begin with. I’m still at least a year away from looking like anything close to what I used to look like. But I have progress.
Best piece of advice I can give is don’t stop the minoxidil. And GO GET A GOOD TOPPER OR WIG OR CLIP INS. The clip ins I bought from Amazon saved my life and sanity. I look normal when I leave the house and I’ve stopped thinking about the hair loss 24/7 and I think that’s allowed me to actually see the progress that’s been happening.
It gets better ❤️

This is going to be a long one so I suggest sitting down and eating a snack lol. This honestly starts back from kindergarten when I first met my boy best friend (21M) who I'll call Joey to keep things private. Joey and I grew up together, we've lived across the street from each other for the past 15 years. I would say our friendship didn't start to pick up till the 4th grade. It was me, Joey, My brother (18M), Tom ( 21M), Diana (21F), and Joey's little brother (18M). Diana was my best friend the girl I hung out with everyday and spent all my time with, shared secrets with. Tom was that type of person to joey. Joey and I have always had some form of mutual crush towards each other and I honestly I believe it started in the 4th grade. Growing up our parents were best friends and to this day still are. So Joey and I spent a lot of time together, we would watch movies, go to the park, go on trips together, go to the the local community street and just hang out we spent all of our time together. The first time I told Joey I liked him was in 5th grade, I've always known I loved him, He was my first love, my first kiss, the first boy I cried about, the first boy who made me jealous although we never dated, there was a lot of first between us. Joey use to be really mean to me, would always make fun of me, constantly chase me, and just in general say mean things and always shut me down whenever I confessed my love to him. Everyone knew I liked him, I would never stop talking about it. Our friends would have us kiss during truth or dare or have us confess our love for each other. Thats just how it was growing up. In middle school is when things started to change and I started to get involved with other guys. It was nothing more than the middle school relationship, just people I liked. I can't remember exactly what summer it was but I believe it was 8th grade summer going into 9th grade when things between really started to pick up. During that summer our family went on 2 week long camping trip and joey and I got really close and he confessed his love for me, but nothing came from it and when we got back from that trip we shared our first kiss together during a scary movie we were watching at my house. After that there was nothing. I started high school and we really drifted apart. I remained with Diana and some other close friend while Joey made new friends and kept his distance. It was like that all of high school. But a lot happened during that time. I dated my first boyfriend who i broke up with within a year and I dated my second boyfriend who I broke up with 3 years ago. My second boyfriend is honestly the root cause to things getting messy. I started dating my second boyfriend at the end of 10th grade, and that summer I went on a trip and Joey and his family and some of my cousins. That trip joey and I flirted a lot, spent all our time together and just got really close. But when it was over it was if nothing had ever happened and I went on to continue dating my boyfriend. Without getting into too much details about my ex lets just say he was a horrible person who physically and mentally abused and manipulated me and basically turned me into the person I am today. He ruined a lot for me and he tore apart my friend group. Joey, Diana, and Tom all saw how much my ex was hurting me and they tried multiple times to get me out of the relationship but It just never really happened and things got messy. Joey continued to distance himself from me and Tom started to fill joey's mind with horrible thoughts about me which honestly really turned joey against me. The summer of 2021 is when I was finally able to escape my ex but the way it panned out wasn't good. My friends first tried to force me and joey to date even if It was as rebound, they used our history as an excuse to get me out of the relationship and well that didn't work. And a month later I tried to kill myself, I ended up in the hospital with 11 stitches in my wrist and lots of therapy. I ended up going back to my ex a few days later. Thats when I saw joey and tom distancing themselves and honestly they said some hurtful things to me. My now boyfriend is the reason I was able to leave the relationship. 3 days after I broke up with my ex, my best friend Diana got with him and yeah thats another story for another time. But basically to keep it simple after that happened they all left me and I was just left alone in pain with my now boyfriend picking up the pieces. Everything went well since then. I grew up and I really matured and got my life in order. But last week something unexpected happened. Joey entered my life again. I was at the bar with my parents when he arrived with his parents, I would be lying if I said I wasn't already drunk, But I was way drunk. And I got wasted even more after joey arrived. But we talked for hours that night and I found myself confessing my love for him all over again. And he started confessing his love and basically he had to carry me home cause I was wasted. I waited 10 years for this boy to tell me he loved me and now I don't know what to do. He went on to apologize for all the things that happened and how he was never there for me and he basically was just sorry. I kept asking him why he never dated me or why he never took the chance when I gave him chance after chance. And he told me he was jealous and mad at me for all the times I went out with other guys and he thought that I didn't genuinely care for him. I basically told him I felt like you constantly played with my feelings. Now I am in a relationship. A very loving relationship fully committed one too. We live together already. But after hearing joey's words and the things I said when I was drunk I feel so conflicted and have no idea where to go from there. Joey told me he would wait for me as long as he is still in love with me. He told me he's been in love with me for that past 14 years and that there's never been anyone else for him. He's never dated anyone the closest he's ever came to was me. My boyfriend knows some of the story he knows basically all the childhood drama and everything that happened, and he knows Joey is back in my life as a friend. I don't know if the love I had always had for joey is the same or if i'm acting based off old emotions. I don't want to hurt anyone but I know someone is gonna get hurt. And for more reference tom joined the marines and isn't really in anyones life atm and diana is getting her veterinarian license. Joey just graduated from college and is joining the army in 3 months. I am just focused on my career and planning out my future with my boyfriend. What should I do. Joey and I have talked a lot about just rebuilding our friendship and getting to know each other again because the last we talked like this was 6 years ago so we definitely have grown and matured since. I love my boyfriend but I worry I still love joey.
TL;DR! - To sum everything up my first love confessed he's still in love with my and is willing to wait for me as long as he loves me. I confessed I still loved him when I was drunk. But I am planning out my future with my boyfriend.

I’m a step parent of a 15 year old son with a duel diagnosis. I have filled the role of primary father figure for the past 10 years, and it’s been a LONGGGGG ten years. I have questions that I’m hoping you can all help with:

1. What is the trick to triggering their self pride? My son is extremely childish, and despite our many hours of conversation, presented at every maturity level possible, he openly refuses to move past a 8 year old mentality. He has even embarrassed himself a number of times around his peers, yet it doesn’t phase him. If we embarrass him, that really bothers him, but he could care less if he embarrasses himself.
   
2. He has never had a legitimate friend that wanted to spend time with him outside of school, or church, or around town. His own family avoids one on one time with him due to the aggravation of his childish ways and topics that he is obsessed with, like superheroes. I get that we all have our favorite hobbies or fantasies that we like to day dream about, but maturity teaches us that we will fail in life if that is all we want to think about.
   
3. He doesn’t hesitate to look you right in the face and lie. Even when you tell him that you already know the truth, he will still insult you with an attempted lie.
   
4. He can’t remember what 9+8 equals, but yet he can name almost every superhero, even ones that I have forgotten about. He can describe them, and he can even name the town that they are linked to, yet he can’t remember the name of either neighboring town to where we live, or even the name of the local streets that he rights down when he walks the dog.
   
5. He gets written up at least once a month or more for things like being rude to teachers, ignoring teachers, walking away from teachers while receiving instructions or rebuke, telling teachers that they are ugly, etc. We have tried talking to him about it, we have punished him over these incidents, the teachers have talked to him, etc. He will swear that he hears us and understands, but then within a week repeat the offense. Even when we have a fun family game night, cheer for him when he wins, keep it all positive, he will go into school the next day and get in trouble.
   

We have heard for years that wait for high school, it gets better once they reach high school. Well here we all 8 months through his freshmen year and I am seeing little to no progress. As a step parent it’s hard to put up with his behavior. I don’t buy that he can’t control himself in school, or that he doesn’t understand. I firmly believe that he can and does. He’s not low functioning. He just refuses to grow up and make better choices.

(sorry for any weird formatting im on mobile) My boyfriend has a 3a/3b curl type, and has mentioned wanting to start actually taking care of his curls/develop a routine to maintain them. his hair is usually super frizzy, he doesnt use any products on it besides old spice shampoo and conditioner. I want to get him some nice products and make a little gift basket for this fathers day coming up (its his first fathers day!) and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for his curl type? his hair tends to get very dry and he has a dry scalp if that means anything lol. thank you!!

(Verse1)
Yo, I'm the adjunct instructor, teaching communication, At the local college, spreading knowledge across the nation. Got a master's degree, but ain't rolling in dough, Teaching classes all day, hustling to make it grow.
Got my syllabus tight, lectures on point, Talking rhetoric, persuasion, and how to articulate a joint. My students come from everywhere, diverse backgrounds indeed, But they all want that diploma, chasing their academic creed.
(Chorus) I'm the OG of this community college scene, Teaching students to express themselves, fulfilling their dream. From public speaking to interpersonal skills, I'm the adjunct instructor, paying my bills.
(Verse 2) In the classroom, I'm the boss, commanding respect, But outside, I blend in, just another intellect. Grading papers all night, sipping on my coffee, Striving for excellence, that's the life of an adjunct, bossy.
No fancy office or tenure track for me, Just a desk in the corner, where I grade papers with glee. But I'm making a difference, molding minds every day, In this academic hustle, I'm here to stay.
(Chorus) I'm the OG of this community college scene, Teaching students to express themselves, fulfilling their dream. From public speaking to interpersonal skills, I'm the adjunct instructor, paying my bills.
(Bridge) Some say I'm underrated, overlooked in the game, But I'm here for the students, not the fortune or fame. With passion and dedication, I'll continue to strive, In this world of academia, where I truly thrive.
(Chorus) I'm the OG of this community college scene, Teaching students to express themselves, fulfilling their dream. From public speaking to interpersonal skills, I'm the adjunct instructor, paying my bills.
(Outro) So here's to all the adjuncts, hustling day by day, In the world of education, making our own way. Teaching, inspiring, and making an impact, That's the life of an adjunct, that's a fact.

I just devoured Fourth Wing & Iron Flame in less than 3 days, suffice to say I was reading non stop with very less sleep and I have the WORST book hangover ever. I literally cannot stop thinking about the FW universe I love everyone in it so much.
Below are my opinions on some of the characters:
Xaden & Violet: my precious babies <3 but I think IF would have been half the size if not for their "ask me questions" vs "tell me everything" back and forth 192023 times. I think their arguments were silly, but it comes from a place where Violet had all her truths turned upside down, and Xaden was trusting someone fully for the first time, so I kinda get it? Also, I think RY included it to breakup the back to back plot points too hahaha
Tairn & Andarna: Black cat & golden retriever vibes af. i love andarna so so so so much. for all their power, Tairn seemed useless/ignorant at times but dragons will be dragons i guess.
Dain: they could never make me hate you. I admit I felt betrayed that Dain revealed the Athebyne memory from Violet, but he was also someone just trying to do the right thing with incomplete information. he's always just wanted the best for violet, but had to take some time to realise she needed to grow on her own.
Cat: SO ANNOYING PLEASE STFU. I do kind of ship her with Imogen.
Ridoc: ISTG RY PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM
Liam: I will never get over his death. his little carving of Andarna broke me.
Jack Barlowe: Literally why couldnt you have stayed dead. Also, I didn't really understand why he saved Violet from dying, but I think it's because the general of the venin wants her alive? regardless. I HATE HIM. i wish him a slow painful death in the next books, hopefully on like page 1 of onyx storm please.
Naolin: I HATE THIS GUY SO MUCH. UR A MENDER UR SUPPOSED TO MEND PEOPLE NOT CAUSE THEIR BREAKAGE.
I hope Sloane is able to siphon the venin-ness out of xaden or something please 😭

My best friend and I, up until this point, have had a beautiful relationship. Let’s call her Rose. We understand each other as women in a way no one else ever could, and truly I love her to death. We lived in the same city for a year before both moving to slower lifestyles, eventually moving back to the city we love, but together this time! We moved into a shitty apartment with my boyfriend, made do with that for six months, and on May 1 of this year we all moved in to a beautiful home.
Now, I feel like it’s important to mention that my best friend and I both grew up with fathers who are extremely confrontational, even abusive at times. Neither of us respond well to confrontational triggers, but every time we’ve had a disagreement in the past, she’s just left and then we talk about whenever she decides she’s ready.
If you can’t tell already, she’s anxious avoidant, and I’m anxious attachment.
Well, I got invited to a graduation party for one of my friends that my best friend just met for the first time. The graduate friend, we’ll call her Eva, and I have been friends for yeeeeaaars. Longer than me and my best friend have been friends, we just aren’t as close. So this party meant a huge deal to me, since she wasn’t inviting a lot of people and she had things planned for the moment we got there until the moment we left. I asked Eva if I could bring my best friend and my partner, and she said yes! We were all very excited, and I was grateful she was letting me bring extra friends!
Come the day of the party, which we’ve known about for a week now, I ask my best friend if she’s wearing a bathing suit. She says she doesn’t know, so I offer her a couple of my own. Even now, she doesn’t seem very engaged or excited, which is fine, she just got off of work, but I was trying to lift her spirits. She went back and forth with herself on whether she would shower, whether she would wear a bathing suit, whether she would even change. So I let her be in the living room for a while to decide for herself while I went to take a shower.
I got out of the shower probably 15 minutes later and said “Rose, the showers open!” She said “okay!” Got up, went to her room to do what I assumed to be grab a change of clothes or get ready in whatever manner she decided, and then she went back to sit down on the couch. While I’m getting ready, I had to leave my room a couple times to go to the bathroom for things, and each time I left she was just sitting on the couch. Keep in mind, the party starts at 4. It is 3:30 at this point. With an hour drive.
I’m starting to get a little anxious about time, so I asked from the bathroom “Hey are you ready Rose?” And the thing is /I genuinely did not know if she was ready or not/. She had just told me she didn’t know what she would wear, so I didn’t feel uncomfortable asking if she was going to wear what she had on.
She snapped back at me “No?” And something else along the lines of “obviously not” and I started getting more anxious because I wasn’t trying to be rude, I just hate being late. Really bad. And she knows this. I started feeling distressed and I was like “Rose I wasn’t asking to be rude, I just didn’t know.” I then left the bathroom and went to my own room.
She knocks on my door and asks if she can come in. I thought she’d just be getting her purse, but she opened the door and said “Sorry for snapping, but you had an attitude when you asked if I was ready.” I feel confused, because I genuinely didn’t. I was asking because /I didn’t know if she was ready./ I tell her this, and she just starts saying “Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.” WHILE IM TALKING. This drives me insane. My parents used to do it, so I just shut down. The last thing she pointedly says is, “Try considering me.” I have been!!!! I didn’t say this, and not to be harsh, but try considering that you are a guest of a guest, and we’re already late! And you are making no effort to change that.
I sent her a text about how I appreciate the apology but it hurt my feelings that I wasn’t allowed to share my own thoughts in my own room without getting spoken over, and she responded back with:
“Oh girl. No.. I went in there to speak to you. You never grant me an ear when I want to come to you about a boundary and didn’t even let me get to my point before cutting me off. So I wouldn’t let you get the stage after you didn’t want to hear me? But either way I’m not discussing this through text.” This hurt my feelings for one, because the opening line felt demeaning. The part about “getting the stage” was distilling my frustration into something much more performative than what it was, and when I asked her about what boundary she was setting, she said “I’ve just said I won’t discuss this through text and I’m heated and I don’t wanna talk either.”
This is where things start getting explosive. At this point, Rose, who is meant to be coming with us in one car, is not only not ready, but is refusing to engage with either of us. We don’t know if she’s ready, or at this point if she’s coming, and we are already late.
I’ll admit, this next part was on me. She was in her room with her door closed, and through my frustration I started loudly saying “We’re already late!! I hate being late. It’s disrespectful!!”
And then she was like “Then just fucking leave without me!” Fine. I went to her door and said “Are you coming at all?” She says something I can’t understand behind the door, so I said “Rose?!” And she said, with the most anger I’ve ever heard from her, “BITCH. WHAT?”
Absolutely not. I will not be spoken to like that, especially not as an adult. I say this, and she just starts literally targeting me saying “YOU NEVER FUCKING LOOK IN A MIRROR. YOUVE NEVER EVER ACTUALLY FUCKING LOOK AT YOURSELF.” This is so hurtful, because up until this exact point in time, she has never, EVER, made constructive criticism about the things she was saying. If she truly thought that, I wouldn’t have minded her bringing it up to me. But screaming things like that at me in a moment of anger? Absolutely not okay. And then she kept saying things like “I THOUGHT YOU WERE FUCKING LEAVING? WHY DONT YOU JUST FUCKING LEAVE?” Got at least one “FUCK YOU” in there, and other things I can’t even remember because they were so hurtful. However, I don’t think I will ever forget the majority of what she said. It was more than triggering, it hurt.
At 21 years old I haven’t had someone speak to me like that since I lived with my parents.
Yall, it wrecked me bad. I‘ve been so anxious I’ve been hospitalized three times. I’ve thrown up probably over 30 times, and last night I even threw up blood. I doubt she even knows because even though she lives with us, she either goes to her brothers house or she goes in her room and stays there all night. I don’t know how she eats, drinks water, or lets her dog out that she keeps caged up all day just so even HER DOG can’t interact with us. She doesn’t look at my social media, OR our friends social media. She has effectively excommunicated our whole friend group over her own personal issues, that she refuses to communicate.
I debated making this post for so long. I even debated telling our mutuals for days because I didn’t want her not to have her own opportunity to reach out to them. But after four days, she never did. And our closest friend said “no Reddit post will tell you who’s in the wrong. There is no excuse for stonewalling someone for seven entire days.” Which is true. I’m not even religious, and creation according to biblical genesis had already been done by now. This timeline is reaching finality.
I guess my question is, what should I do? I can’t reach out to her saying I want to talk because she’s made it explicitly clear I am not to contact her until SHE is ready, but she has made absolutely no effort to do that. I also don’t know if even want to talk again, because at this point I’m so resentful and I’m not sure what edge could possibly do to rectify that.
Dictionary definition of stonewalling: delay or block (a request, process, or person) by refusing to answer questions or by giving evasive replies. Complete disengagement.
It’s one of the four horsemen of the relationship apocalypse, another being broadly targeted criticisms like “you always,” and “you never,” which she also did.
I’m mostly sad. She is, slowly becoming was, my best friend. Every day she pretends that me or my friends don’t exist I grow more resentment. I haven’t lived a life without her in three years, and now we live together and she’s hurt me beyond repair. Please help with some advice.
TLDR: My best friend irrevocably dented our relationship because of an emotional outburst, followed by cutting me and all my friends off for seven days. We live together. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I want to be friends, every time I see her I want to throw up from anxiety.

Hello,
First time Reddit poster. Started watching in 1998 and wound down in 2011.
I read/hear a lot about how Shawn Michaels/HHH pulled a last minute swerve for Shawn to win the European Championship over The British Bulldog at the 1997 One Night Only PPV. The detractors say that although Shawn's excuse was that he was doing it for "heat" and to make the title mean something, he didn't really do much with it and treated it as an afterthought joke. The D-X vs Hart Foundation feud happened a little bit before I started tuning in, but over the last 10-15 years, especially with more "shoot" interviews available, books/articles published, etc. it's possible the narrative of what happened at One Night Only is a mischaracterization of Shawn Michaels.
What We Know: In 1997, The British Bulldog aka Davey Boy Smith -- a member of the heel stable, The Hart Foundation -- is the European Champion and is always expected to "go over" whenever the WWE travels to Europe. 9/20/97 is the One Night Only PPV, in Birmingham, England.
What has been said by a few sources: Up till the day of the show, Davey was under the assumption that he was not going to lose the title to Shawn Michaels, since England is obviously within Europe. What made this event extra special is that there had been a plan for him to be escorted to the ring by his sister who was sadly stricken with a terminal illness. There would've then been cheers all around for this valiant hero and the 11,000 fans would then be sent home happy with a feel-good story.
Here is where things get murky: The same sources state that Shawn and HHH decided to pull a fast one on Vince McMahon an hour or so before it was show time. The two demanded that Shawn beat Davey for the European Championship. Has Shawn or HHH ever independantly admitted that it was in that short of a turnaround and that the two went behind Davey's back? Even Jim Ross says that Davey was with Shawn and HHH when the idea to change the finish was pitched and blames Davey for not "protecting himself." That means Davey agreed and was not forced. As mentioned earlier, the excuse that has been used is that Shawn felt that it would be a great way to draw "heat" since there was very much a pro-Davey crowd watching and so the return match in the Spring of 1998 (when they headed back to not just the UK, but this time in Manchester which was The Bulldog's billed hometown) would have a massive redemption arc which would be that much greater for the fans. In the meantime, Shawn would have good matches and elevate the European Championship, something, quite frankly, he was better at than Davey. It ties into the reasoning that has been given in that Shawn (arguably being at the peak of his ability), would be able to make that title mean something (like what he did for the Intercontinental Championship).
However, because of the backstage Kliq stories which continue to come out, the manner in which Shawn later dropped the European Championship, and the fact that there really was no return match for Shawn vs. Davey since both were out of the WWE by then, many fans have pointed to this PPV as an "obvious" example of the weight Shawn and HHH carried backstage. In recent shoot interviews, Bret Hart (who would leave the WWF six weeks later in spectacular fashion) has said this match was simply a way to make Davey and the rest of the Harts look foolish.
What you can't deny is the heat in the arena, after the match, was white-hot.
Okay with that background established, let's look to see why I feel that what happened at the One Night Only PPV is a mischaracterization of Shawn Michaels:

• The Hart narrative.
  • It's hard to put a lot of stock into "he said, she said," but in case you want to take it as gospel...in Page 256 of Shawn's book (yeah, yeah, I know) Heartbreak & Triumph, he details that Davey was on board with the plans -- with no mentions of if it was pitched an hour before or days earlier. If fans are ready to believe Bret, why can't they leave wiggle room for Shawn?
    • While Shawn certainly has excuses (and apologized) for his sophomoric hijinx and makes himself sound like a creative genius, Bret has consistently come off as two things: 1) Making himself look heroic 2) Making himself look like he's had a perpetual gloomy cloud over him at every stage of life. His book, My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, briefly mentions this match and some nonsense of how he "saw the light die in Davey's eyes that day, darkness seeping into a heart that was giving out."
  • Bret points to how Davey told everyone he expected to win, promised everyone that he was going to win the match for his English fans and especially his sister...as proof that Shawn swerved plans at the last minute just to needle the Harts ("It was designed to make us all look stupid." -- Inside The Ropes ).
    • What? There's literally thousands of instances where wrestlers lose in their hometown and use real life to push stories. And finishes change all the time. The new storyline made long term sense and Vince/Creative agreed. It could have been great, but no one expected Bulldog to quit six weeks later because of the Screwjob. No one expected Shawn's back injury to happen a couple months after that.
  • Diana Hart Smith (Davey's wife and Bret/Owen's sister) in 2012 said, regarding the changed finish, you "have to do what you're told." However, she is not credible, by Bret's own words, stemming from his reaction to a largely fictional biography on the Hart Family, written by Diana (Under the Mat).
• Davey was still booked to look strong, despite losing.
  • The RAW before the event, Davey had his knee "injured" from chair shots by HBK/HHH. And yet Davey still didn't "quit" when locked into the Figure Four at the PPV (even with HBK getting help from all the members of D-X). The match was stopped, akin to Stone Cold vs Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. Diana Hart Smith even got involved in the post match antics with Chyna.
  • I don't believe, for a moment, the Hart family -- especially Bret -- didn't fully agree to how it all precisely happened especially when you're getting non-wrestlers involved inside the ring. If they wanted to change it, they could've.
    • There's been no mention from Bret about going to bat for Davey and them getting rejected.
• Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation still had a lot of backstage influence.
  • This wasn't Savio Vega or Dean Douglas eating an unnecessary pin. There is an established history of the Harts wanting to do things their way. Bret was World Champion and by far the highest paid wrestler on the roster so although Shawn had stroke, Bret certainly did too. And Davey had been with the company and had success far longer than Shawn (though in interrupted stages). DQ/Countout results are a common occurrence for situations where two powerful wrestlers/factions don't want to "job" to one another. In fact, the 10/6/97 RAW had Bret changing a finish where he was supposed to eat a pin from HHH (via HBK interference) into a Countout.
  • Yes, certainly, maturity was something Shawn and HHH lacked but you have to remember that unlike the Harts, they were not nepo-babies raised in the industry. And they were much younger (Shawn is 8 years younger than Bret whereas HHH is 12 years younger). Even Davey could be considered a nepo-baby since Dynamite Kid was his first cousin and he debuted in the WWF largely because Stu Hart cut a deal to include his son-in-law.
• Bret's possible thought process
  • My opinion (yes, speculation) is that Bret knew he was out the door and so he didn't care too much about what happened to Davey's European Championship since he had his own issues he was dealing with, regarding WCW contracts, Wrestling with Shadows, and dropping the World Championship. He mentioned how stressful all that was. What is fact though is that Davey wasn't someone Bret held in high regard. From talking about him not being able to construct matches, to being under the influence, to personal life issues, to even forcing Davey to cut his long braided hair because according to Davey's family, Bret said it was starting to look too much like his (even though it wasn't the same type nor color).
  • I also feel that with everything that happened between that period, and to Brian Pillman, Owen, and Davey dying very young, it understandably left an awful taste in their mouths. It all gets magnified a bit. Then add that Bret's time with WCW wasn't really anything extraordinary (for his standard), and his constant reminding us of how Goldberg ended his career makes me believe that there still is a grudge with HBK/HHH which will never truly go away. And unlike Shawn who seemingly has moved on, Bret hasn't. Which is why he keeps establishing the narrative that the Hart Foundation was always in the right and the D-X was always in the wrong.
• Finances
  • 1997, the WWF was in peril. House shows and merchandise were selling, but PPVs were not. Having a swerve on a PPV makes the next one "must see TV" (again, this was a world before streaming). In this instance, the next time they came to England. Nitro was still beating RAW.
• Storyline
  • Shawn had only recently turned heel (after SummerSlam, a month earlier). The plan was established from back then to have a heel Shawn face Austin at WrestleMania XIV. This was an era where there really was only one major show per week (and some on tape delay) and most fans did not have internet access at home, so establishing quick, obvious heat was important. What better way than to "screw" Davey in front of his fans and family? Beating Davey in the USA wasn't going to do it because, remember, Davey was a heel in the USA. 9/29/97 (two days later) Davey faced Vader in New York. Vader was about to beat him clean and then the Harts stormed in and used weapons on Vader, resulting in a DQ.
    • If not beat Davey, a former Intercontinental Champion, then who? The talent roster was quite thin and a memorable Undertaker program was upcoming. Also, Shawn had not had a singles belt since Feb 1997. Nevertheless, the ratings jumped towards the end of 1997.
• Defending the European Championship
  • How many of you remember Davey ever defending the European Championship on RAW or a PPV? From the moment he won it on 2/26/97, over the next seven months, he defended it only four times on non-house shows. Even if you include house shows, the vast majority of the defenses were in the USA so it was hardly a Europe-only belt. All the four RAW or PPV matches ended in DQ/Countout type finishes. I'll be honest, I haven't watched every single one of those matches but I do see that he beat HHH via pinfall, as one of his first defenses on 2/28/97. Davey regained the belt on 10/26/99 after he came back, but lost it six weeks later on 12/12/99 as he started spiraling, defending it only a handful of times on TV.
  • Shawn, unlike Davey, really could make that belt mean something so I do believe the Manchester return match in the Spring of 1998, after he dropped the World title to Austin, would've been big (not unlike Hart vs Bulldog at SummerSlam 1992). Even his most ardent haters will admit to HBK's talent. Yes, he dropped it to HHH in a comedic fashion on 12/11/97 but what was the alternative? With Bret leaving/gone and Shawn in a program with The Undertaker (who didn't need the European Championship since he was about to face Kane), as a World Champion (earlier than he thought he was going to be -- Screwjob plans were hatched later than Sept) him randomly losing the European title would've made him look bad even if it was lost in an underhanded fashion. Losing it to Owen could've been a possibility but Owen would win the Intercontinental Championship on 10/5/97 so that wouldn't really make sense neither. That said, the two of them faced one another on 10/20/97 in a title for title clash (No Contest). Owen later beat HHH for the European title on 2/26/98 (and then lost it back) and the two later had a WrestleMania XIV match for it. So dropping it to HHH made sense. Look at the roster back then and tell me who an alternative could have been?
  • Shawn gets a lot of heat for not defending the European title as often as some feel he should have. But as of 9/20/97, the WWE didn't know what Bret was going to do. Shawn infamously won the World Championship on 11/9/97. I'm not going to rehash the backstage Montreal play-by-play but I firmly believe that if Bret stayed with the WWE for a bit longer, Shawn would have had more time to have matches for the European title. The problem is everything happened so quickly. Unlike Davey, it's not like Shawn spent seven months as European Champion and defended it only four times on TV. Shawn did defend it three times on TV but in 2 1/2 months including an epic with Shamrock on RAW on 11/3/97, before he won the World title from Bret. Between a program with The Undertaker, leading D-X, and becoming World Champion sooner than he expected, there was no time (or really justification) to defend the European title even more often, when he had a program with Austin coming (in arguably the biggest title change in history).

TL:DR Even if (big, if) the finish was changed an hour before showtime, Davey agreed to the finish (with what I believe is with the Hart family on board -- but seeing how it all played out over the next few months and years left a bad taste and narrative change). Shawn winning the European Championship was what was best for business. Therefore Shawn flexing his backstage power "just because" or "only to hate on the Harts" makes zero sense.

I’m 39 and my hair has thinned a bunch in the last few month presumably due to surgical menopause plus AIs. It’s been growing out for around a year and a half following chemo, but recently I noticed I can see a bunch of my scalp again. Has anyone tried minoxidil to deal with thinning hair? If you use topical, did you have to wash your hair everyday? Seems like that would make even more hair fall out. If anyone took the pills, was it hard to get your oncologist to prescribe it? Do you have symptoms from it?
My hair was just starting to look close to normal again so I’m sad.

Okay, for background, my best friend and I have been friends since we were in 4th grade, we like a lot of the same thing. A few years later, after we became friends, I soon met her aunt and cousins. They were great people when I first met them, so every time I see them, they're nice, but the more I see them they can be a bit rude mostly her aunt towards her sister ( best friend's mom). My best friend used to have a good relationship with her aunt and cousins,My best friend doesn't like it when people are rude to her mom or her sister. Every time her aunt is rude, she grows more distance from her aunt but only tolerates her aunt just so she can be with her cousins. Her aunt is a liar, and her cousins aren't better than their mom. I talk to my best friend rarely but always make sure she's doing okay. The last time I talked to her was when I was checking on her. She soon tells me that her aunt and cousins always make excuses so she could never be with them but never make excuses for my best friend's sister (15f) and that been happening a lot of times. Even if I don't see her aunt and cousins often but I do see what my best friend sees. My best friend then told me that she wants to cut off all contacts from her aunt and cousins. I support her decision, but I am worried that I might be the jerk for agreeing with her. So should I tell her not to cut off all contacts from her aunt and cousins, or should I let her do what she wants.

I wanna grow my hair to hip length but I can never get past the mid back length. I have thick hair and it grows, no problem with that but my head begins to feel heavy as my length reaches the mid back.
Is there a way to get rid of the heaviness and headache caused by it?

We often feel grateful for the progress of our world, but is what we see today truly advanced after all?

I bring this topic up because we must consider all the worst-case scenarios that may unfold. What would happen if the power goes out? What would occur if there were major blocks in our food supply chain? Can we survive without modern technology and the grocery stores? Unfortunately, I don't think most of us could at the moment. These scenarios are not meant to evoke fear, but rather to inspire a deeper and more comprehensive examination of our current circumstances. Danger is an undeniable reality that we must face and, as men, take measures to mitigate them. While public institutions may offer assistance during challenging times, we must be aware that this help often comes at a significant cost to our autonomy and happiness (study history and watch what occurs to personal freedom in exchange for help, i.e. increased taxes, restricting policies, and inflation). My hope is that these worst-case scenarios will encourage us to implement holistic solutions and become true kings. In order to begin taking corrective measures, we must objectively look at where we are at and question the metrics we use to gauge progress. How can we accurately and objectively measure advancement?
I suggest that we look at the resiliency of a society through a multi-layered perspective in order to get that information. This prompts the question, what exactly is resiliency and why is it important to consider? To define resiliency, we must look at the quality of skills, internal resourcefulness, and tools that support a society’s ability to survive and thrive from a holistic standpoint. By gauging resiliency, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses of a society and gain insight into its ability to handle current and future challenges. In today’s world, we often see innovation in ways that have nothing to do with building true resiliency and progress, but to solely benefit a consumptive paradigm that revolves around entertainment, fast food, and false comfort. We even “innovate” to the detriment of nature and ourselves. How is this an advanced society and how did we get fooled into accepting the dire reality we’re experiencing today? It’s because the way we measure our standing or “success” in our daily lives has nothing to do with cultivating resiliency, but with superficial status games and how much access we have to means of instant gratification.
Furthermore, it's clear that many of our societal advances have been driven by the pursuit of increasing profit, power plays, and keeping people distracted from what truly matters. This is why we are primarily concerned with all things money. When academics make status reports, they often focus on GDP growth as the primary metric of success. Similarly, when people assess their personal lives, they tend to look at their bank account balances and the number of new gadgets they possess. Consequently, when we see increases in economic growth and personal wealth, we may fall further into the illusion of advancement. Technological innovation also contributes to this illusion of progress. While digital technology has undoubtedly advanced our society in many ways, it has also create a false sense of security and comfort because we think we have all the answers at our fingertips, instant access to entertainment, naked women, and food. In reality, our growing dependence and addiction to technology has disconnected us from essential survival skills and self-regulating practices that are crucial for our physical and mental well-being. The convenience and instant gratification provided by technology have resulted in an unhealthy imbalance in our relationship with nature, our community, and our own bodies. We have lost touch with the importance of self-care, self-awareness, and leading a balanced life. As a society, we must be conscious of this imbalance and make a concerted effort to regain the knowledge and skills necessary for a healthy and fulfilling existence. If we don't, then we will be caught off guard and be forced to accept help from sources that do not care about our best interest and our self actualization as men.
This raises the question: Are money and technology the best metrics for gauging our advancement as a society and as individuals? I think a lot of us are starting to realize that money isn't the end-all, be-all. People are starting to focus more on personal well-being and happiness. We're seeing people talking about how we need to stop looking at GDP and start looking at how happy people are. Instead of just checking our bank accounts, we should be asking ourselves, "Am I happy at the end of the day?, how healthy am I?, am I living in my true purpose?"So, how can we build towards becoming a truly resilient society? A society where people can have fulfilling lives, even if the electricity goes out. The answer lies in cooperation and self-empowerment. Coming together as a collective and sharing information, supporting each other in various areas of resiliency, such as food, water, housing, and happiness. People should feel fulfilled and satisfied with their lives, not just financially, but emotionally and mentally as well. We need to reconsider what it means to be an advanced society and create environments where people can live their best lives, pursue their passions, and find meaning in their daily lives.

As men, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to lead the way in building a resilient society. By exploring and actualizing our ultimate masculine potential, we can become true kings - leaders who inspire, guide, and empower ourselves and others.

This involves cultivating essential skills, such as self-reliance, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and the ability to foster strong, supportive communities. By embodying these qualities and leading by example, we can create a ripple effect that encourages others to embrace resilience and work towards a more sustainable, fulfilling future. As we navigate the challenges and uncertainties of our ever-changing reality, it is crucial that we, as men, step up and become true kings who take action in shaping a society that prioritizes the well-being and growth of all its members. By understanding and improving resilience, both within ourselves and our communities, we can better prepare for and respond to the obstacles that inevitably arise.

TL;DR : (M18) turning 19 in August and (F20) This is our 3rd time breaking up along with our 2nd cancelled engagement with plenty of separations and rekindling throughout our entire 4+ years knowing eachother. We’ve done a lot of growing up together as well as apart and over the years we’ve both done eachother wrong but we’ve also done so so so much for eachother as well. However, it was always me who was less mature and messing up more. I recently messed up once again and in a state of high emotion on both sides, she was fed up and said We were never getting back together. Will I ever get one last chance with her?
Please, I miss her so much and I’m willing to do anything just for one final chance. I love her and I’m IN love with her with all my heart and soul bro. I am extremely attached, connected, and emotionally invested in this girl and we have been through so much together. I desire(more than anything else in the world) a future with her.
For more context:
Our first time breaking up, I had just turned 15 and she was 16. Her and I barely even dated for a couple months before I had indirectly and immaturely broken up with her by leaving it “upto her” because of me wanting to talk to other girls, but her and I still ended up talking and being flirtatious anyway. But then we had separated because of me getting my phone taken away for months. She had started talking to someone else who was MUCH MUCH older than her and was grooming hevery toxic to her but out of strange obligation, she stayed with him anyway although she really just wanted to be with me. Her and I still remained as close as ever although she had to turn me down twice when I wanted to rekindle things. Later on, I had got my phone back and as we entered into the next school year( she turned 17 and I turned 16) we grew closer and closer and feelings developed stronger and stronger meanwhile her relationship with him was getting worse and worse and they were having multiple breakups as well. She even at one point expressed to me that she was on the verge of breaking up with him and very bluntly hinted at as well as indirectly told me she wanted to leave him for me. But ultimately after she knew that my hopes were all up and everything she ended up just choosing him over me anyway and leaving me hanging. a couple months afterwards she posting vulgar things on social media with the caption “I’ll suck my man d#%k fr” or something along those lines. That’s when I fully moved on and went on to get in multiple relationships/“situationships” over the course of that year. Until fast forward to November 2023, she comes back and we very very quickly rekindle/get back together. over the course of that year, because of my porn and masturbation addiction we’ve separated as well as had many issues interfering with my attraction of her because of my skewed image of women and interfering with us having proper sex or intimacy without my fetishes being involved. Fast forward to August, I ended up falling into watching porn for almost my entire birthday week behind her back while she was working so hard to eventually bring me gifts on that day which I later confessed to the following month. We separated for 3 days and this is when I finally started taking my walk with the lord seriously.(she began months ahead of me and she was the one that even introduced me to Christianity in the first place)(her entirely family is Christian) 2 months pass and a couple days after I propose to her for the first time and posting about it? a girl I used to talk to had replied to my iG story congratulating me and as we talked and catched up, I fell to temptation once again and ended up saying more than I should have/inappropriate things but by the time I realized what I was doing and ended it. It was too late and I confessed to her immediately. after a couple of days, she took me home from work and broke up with me. We talked about it over text an hour or so later and agreed we would be going no contact for a month, but over that period we constantly broke it(I even indirectly tried killing myself with alcohol and drunk texted her to which she was very sympathetic to and when I ended up blacking out she was terrified and prayed all night over me and even reached out to friends of mine to make sure I was okay.) fast forward, she ends it early and we rekindle. Fast forward to either late March or April 2024, I fall into looking at iG couples art and ecchi aesthetic art aka softcore porn and I confess to her afterwards. She’s initially upset but she stays with me.
Later on down the line I begin to question my faith entirely and my foundation crumbles after following the teachings of fallible men/cult leaders and mainly doing it for her and because I loved hewanted to bond with her and not actually seeking the truth for myself(although I had my moments of genuinely being curious and wanting to discover it for myself.) However, she was still just as firmly rooted in her faith as ever and maturing even more. On the contrary, I grow weak and undisciplined in my flesh, I fall back into bad habits, I stop reading the word, praying, fasting, I isolate myself from fellowship. And as it gets harder and harder to resist my sexual urges and with her unwavering on her boundaries of no sex before marriage and etc. I fell back into masturbation but eventually back into porn as well(softcore stuff again mainly but I slipped into some fetish stuff too) and it was over the course of a couple days again with me feeling very guilty and being afraid to tell heI just wanted to repent of it and be done but she ended up getting dream a about it and asked me about it the very next day to which I was honest with her and confessed. Then after however many minutes go by and her breaking up with me a third time with her saying “We are done.” and “We will see” “Love you, Bye” instead of taking the advice everyone was giving me and giving her time and space from jump. I pressed her, begged/pleaded, and blew up her messages making it worse and aggravating her until she followed up with the next day with telling me “Sure I’ll let you know where we stand”We are never getting back together.”
I panicked and went into a high emotional state myself and went to her house late at night(1 or 2 am), and pressed her even more begging and pleading. But this made it worse as well and she had said “what us? there is no us” “go home” “you did what you did”and etc while pushing me out and slamming the door in my face. She originally only talked to her mother about it but because of my stupid decisions while being emotional I unintentionally involved everyone else in it. Her older sister’s husband went through a very similar situation with the older sister and had offered to talk to me about it along with everyone else. But when I followed up later on that day it created a misunderstanding and I ended up getting blocked by him and her older sister after she texts me on her older sister’s phone saying the same exact hurtful and cold/seemingly detached things and after begging and pleading to call, we did but it only made it that much worse. I tried to explain my side of things the best I could while being highly emotional but she didn’t want to hear any of it and proceeded to say even more hurtful, cold, seemingly, detached things, cussed me out, then hung up in my face and blocked me. This whole breakup was very messy and happened over the course of barely 3 days.
I’m still in contact with her mom and I recently contacted her dad as well(parents are divorced) and he had told me she never even mentioned anything to him about it which goes to show I made things worse/unnecessarily involved other people in it that otherwise might not have been involved.
Now I’m giving her proper time and space but I’m still extremely anxious/uncertain about where things will go from here.
(I ask that you be honest but also open minded/considerate in responses please, this all happened over the span of a couple of days and I’m still very fresh in the grieving process)
What do you all think about this situation? (I especially want to hear from a female perspective)

Hello my fellow Childfree people! I am a 31 year old Black woman (I know I have a baby face but I promise I’m 31), looking for a life-long dance partner! I was born in SoCal, raised in Atlanta, GA (I’m the sweetest peach you’ll ever meet), and currently reside in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. I am 5’ 3” and weigh between 125 and 130 lbs. I am sterilized and had a bilateral-salpingectomy in September 2022! I would describe my body as curvy or “slim-thick” (as the TikTokers say these days). Personality wise, I would say, initially, I come off as more reserved and shy, and would definitely say I am mostly introverted.
However, once I’ve gotten to know a person, and developed more trust, I come out of my shell, am more vibrant and can be pretty goofy. I do struggle with social anxiety, but I have been working hard with my therapist to push myself to engage in activities where I would meet new people. Additionally, I would describe myself as loyal, witty, a good (but also morbid) sense of humor, thoughtful, romantic, kind, reliable, a great listener, playful, and a bit of a perfectionist. I would say my love language(s) are: 1) Quality time, 2) Physical Touch 3) Receiving Gifts 4) Acts of Service 5) Words of Affirmation. Obviously, I identify as childfree, but am also agnostic, queer, left-leaning/progressive politically and a kinkster. My hobbies include: dancing (this is my biggest one currently), traveling, kayaking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, reading (my current book is Bad Vibes: And Other Things I Bring To The Table by Nora McInerny), journaling, listening to podcasts, attending live music shows, concerts, comedy shows and Broadway musicals!
What I am looking for in a partner is someone aged 29-36. Someone with a great sense of humor and makes me laugh. Someone who is intelligent and loves having deep, thought-provoking conversations. Someone who is honest, consistent and communicates their needs and wants clearly. Someone who is kind, thoughtful, supportive and will take accountability when they mess up. Someone who is consistent and steadfast. I also want a partner who is confident (but not arrogant) and is more introverted, but it still willing to go out occasionally. Physically, I prefer to have a Black or Latino partner, but my preference is not exclusionary. For men, I prefer between 5’ 10” to 6’ 3”. Physique-wise, toned to slightly overweight/dad bod. I want a partner who is active and moves their body in some way, shape or form. They are an active participant and proactive about their health. I don’t mind facial hair, as long as it’s close shaven. Also, having a vasectomy is a plus. For women, 5’ 5” to 5’ 10”. I prefer curvier women and toned women. I prefer darker hair and darker eyes, but I do have a soft spot for gingers. Tattoos are a plus (I am a sucker for sleeves). We can all recognize that finding a childfree partner is not easy feat; therefore, I am open to long-distance and possibly relocating, if things progress to serious commitment. I work as a RN in a cardiac cath lab and, thankfully, I am able to travel in this position. Whew! Well, if you’ve read this far, thank you! I'm sure I've forgotten something 😅. If anything about has piqued your interest and you’d like to know more, please reach out. Best of luck to everyone on their search for happy, fulfilling childfree love!

I am asking for advice not hate. I have no family left- all died recently. I met this man one day at work who walked into the store and even tho I was in another relation at the time, he caused this energy in my body the moment he walked in those doors and he felt the same ( told me without me telling him).
I didnt know his age- thought maybe 40 and he thought maybe I was 35. We found out after 3 dates our age gap was much bigger… but yet I still was attracted.
I heard stories folks being happy and prefering short love than never experiencing it etc. He could be healthier and live longer than me etc.
Now the only problem I have here is that I am used to men providing for me and on dates making effort make me feel like worthwhile….. I am not “ entitled” in the sense of being materialistic…. But a nice home cooked meal dinner would be nice….
We spoke of the future. He has his own landscaping company that he told me I can take over 50%…. But at the moment I am working for him for 20$/h …. He charges 75$/h. I struggle financially as I lost over 400k to a scam so all savings gone. I am trying rebuild my life also after financial loss in my recent relation.
I feel vulnerable but this man had similar hardship life as me and i felt understood for once and respected. He doesnt sleep with me. Wants to be old school and take slow ( 4 months knowing him so far we kissed only). He is a 2 time widower to his long term gf who both died suddenly. He has not been with anyone in 6 years. He has been a rape victim as a child. He has two hybrid wolf dogs that are his babies and need his attention always.
So these are my concerns and need advice how to bring it up or to help me reflect: 1) I always go to him since my living situation is meh. He never offers gas $ . I live 20 min uphill drive to him. He cooked for me meals when i slept over but otherwise no meal. He told me we werre having lunch after golf he would make us burgers and when i got to golf he asked me if i brought my lunch and saw he had one burger packed for himself? I felt too shy to mention that i thought he was cooking for us both?so i just brushed it off and said i feel nauseous and just didnt eat for the whole date.
2) when i work for him i feel cheap getting my pay from him. He tells me to move with him etc but I worry he wants 50/50 and I am not a gold digger but I still like to be cared for by a man… especially who is somewhat better off financially than me. I always would put all my money if i had it to help my ex make it work and not expect paycback as I want to commit and be a team.
I am hard working, ready build life but i know finances are cause of divorce etc. I worry if i move in i am going to be working to save for a home again and paying rent and food while he has savings in the bank for a home and can travel etc…. I feel it would grow resent?
I want to grow and be a team. Am i wrong to wish financial help from him more if we talk of building a life together? Am i clueless & naive or greedy for wanting that? Is he clueless maybe because didnt daye for a long time?

so to start off i’m severely autistic. it does effect the way i talk to people and make friends cuz i act a lot younger than i am/struggle to understand things people my age normally would
my names karletta but everyone calls me kk. i’m 5’1 slightly chubby and i have brown eyes and brown and blond hair. oh i wear glasses too. my mom is chinese and my dad is german, but we live in oklahoma.
i love cartoons like bluey and spongebob. i love listening to melanie martinez lana del rey sabrina carpenter and taylor swift!!!
i love coloring and doing crafts too!! i’m also homeschooled because of my autism
idk what else to say but i hope i can make some friends!!

I have androgenic alopecia so my hair is very thin and i suffer from a lot of hairloss. Does anyone have affordable recommendations for good shampoos that can help with hairloss? Also I specifically like shampoos that are moisturizing bc I hate when I use a shampoo and it makes my hair get super tangled bc I tend to lose more hair when brushing the knots out.

I miss owning mice. I did for a while because the husband and I own snakes and we don't want to support companies that keep mice in cramped/dirty conditions and breed them to death. We bred and raised our own and they were the sweetest things ever! I hear a lot of people say rats are better, but in my experience, the mice were so docile and much more open to handling. I think we spent more time/money with them and watching their babies grow than the snakes 🤣
Enrichment is super important to me for any animal I own. I would give them hay/treat stuffed toilet paper rolls and make mazes out of Amazon boxes. I plan on getting those big wooden cages on Amazon made for hamsters with all the ramps and huts. What else should I add that you guys have seen your mice really enjoy? I think feeders should enjoy the best life possible ❤

so to start off i’m severely autistic. it does effect the way i talk to people and make friends cuz i act a lot younger than i am/struggle to understand things people my age normally would
my names karletta but everyone calls me kk. i’m 5’1 slightly chubby and i have brown eyes and brown and blond hair. oh i wear glasses too. my mom is chinese and my dad is german, but we live in oklahoma.
i love cartoons like bluey and spongebob. i love listening to melanie martinez lana del rey sabrina carpenter and taylor swift!!!
i love coloring and doing crafts too!! i’m also homeschooled because of my autism
idk what else to say but i hope i can make some friends!!

So me in in my early thirties and having some money to spend, decided to start collecting Pokemon again and after realizing there are about 13k cards (and growing) nowadays, I'm completely overwhelmed.
I tried to look into the topic a bit for now, but I honestly don't know where to start. I read the advice to go for what you like, what set you want to complete etc.
Thinking about it, due to nostalgia I probably like the first 3 generations of Pokemon the most (and also) know them the most) and all evolutions from Eevee for example. So that would be a goal I guess. But now realizing that there are multiple cards and versions of many pokemons makes the easy thought quite difficult again. Let alone the 200+ Pickachu's I noticed.
Additionally to that, it seems there are more ways to aquire cards nowadays compared to my Pokemon" TCG children phase" in 199x-mid 2000s roughly estimated.

• Booster Packs/Displays
• Elite Trainer Boxes (which are new to me, but I kinda get how they work)
• Single Cards (I browsed through card market for a while these days)

I know I need to begin somewhere, but is there an good approach to it in your subjective opinion? Pulling packs is also part of the fun collecting, so I kinda dislike the thought of going for single cards right from the start.
In terms of money I loosely thought about 200-300€ as starter investment including an album probably and see from there on. But I'm really thinking on where to go for now.
If I had to guess, the most interesting in my limited research time seems to be the scarlet/violet elite trainer box for me. Any thoughts on that?
And this question was probably asked a lot already, so really sorry for that and thanks for every helpful answer!

Hello! So, I think I got an answer to this post: https://www.reddit.com/CentaurWorld/comments/1cr28t4/alternate_reasons_why_the_nowhere_king_can_be/ . I decided that the Nowhere King is called that way due to the lands he inhabites now (distant and turned barren by his otherworldly dark magic) being called "Nowhere Land/Lands". Thanks to the people here for sugggestions! Though, now, that I start to think of starting the fic more seriously, I came into another problem... The general overview of the fic is here: https://www.reddit.com/CentaurWorld/comments/18aqd0d/a_fanfiction_idea_has_sparked_in_my_mind/ (it's long and kinda chaotic, though), but, I can tell you that it would resolve around Rider, Horse, my yet unnmaed male human OC and Wammawink (either younger or older) - only her for sure, maybe also some other Herd memebers, sooner or later, trying to put an end to the war of Nowhere King. I think that, either, there would be two "seasons", like in the show (first in the Human Realm, the second in Centaurworld), or, three "seasons" (like before, but, with an additional part with Humans and Centaurs fighting together in both worlds). But, here comes a problem - how to establish the plot at first? For instance, the show's season 1 plot was about Horse finding the Key parts to reunite with Rider, and the second one about gathering an army to stop the NWK and his forces. And, in "Avatar: The Last Airbender", for example, about Aang and his friends flying on Appa over the world so he can learn all the elements and defeat the Fire Lord. It's all clear. But, what can be here? They definitely start in the Human Realm at war, but, they're just two humans, a talking horse, and one or slightly more Centaurs - they don't have a Chosen One, or even magical powers... I thought about some Key plot (someone suggested that the Artefact should give Horse speaking powers in the first place), but, the NWK needs it to make his army grow, and, even if he doesn't need it/there are more keys, having all its fragments in the Human Realm doesn't seem very good to me (since the CW is separated during the war by a magic barrier in my idea). And, even if it would be about completing it, what it would do, besides opening and closing doors? I just thought about using it either as some powerful weapon (or a key to it) that could beat the NWK, or, as an attempt to close the doors and trapping the Nowhere King in the void, since, even if that would pernamently separate the worlds, that could save them too...But, the plot doesn't necessarily must rely on the Key, I suppose, and it can be something else as well. Also, I'm sorry if that's too hard question, or if, as a writer, I shouldn't ask about that, and I can stop making more posts like that, if you would want to, but, I also hope it's somwhat fine. Also, since it's still a CW fic, I am asking it here, and not on some writing subreddit. So, if I can ask you, which structure of the fic would be better, for you, and, do you have any idea on how to establish the plot? For any answers, I'll be very thankful!