“Don’t get off until you hit the ninth floor. No exceptions.”
“But my interview is on 5,” I replied.
“I’ll only say this only one more time. Don’t get off until you hit 9th. No other floor is safe.”
It’s crazy but something about the way he said it penetrated my skull. He was serious. And, he looked nervous, like he had to fight every instinct in his body to say that to me.
The doors closed, while I thought to myself - who the fuck says anything like that?
As I went to hit the button for the fifth floor, some anxiety came over me. I shook it off and pressed it. The guy was probably just off his rockers.
The elevator went up. I scanned my surroundings - a TV bolted to the top corner of the elevator (playing the weather channel), a mirror for the back-wall of the elevator, and some cozy lounge-style music playing. Pretty standard stuff.
“Now arriving at the 5th floor.”
Weird - not sure if I’d ever been in an elevator that announced each floor it was arriving at. I was sure that if I worked in this building, this would get pretty old quickly.
DING!
The doors opened on 5. In front of me was a reception area with a woman seated at the front desk. She stood up from her seat.
“Mr. Davis! You’re early!”
The gentleman’s warning from earlier played in my head.
“We’ll be ready for your interview in a few moments. In the meantime, please feel free to take a seat.”
“Uh, thank you,” I responded. “If I’m, uh, early, maybe I can come back in a few minutes?”
“Nonsense! We’ll see if we can speed things up. He’s been very excited to meet you.”
The elevator doors started closing. I held them open. I wasn’t sure what to do here, but everything seemed fine enough. Granted, the receptionist did seem a bit eager, but beyond that…
From my vantage point, I scanned the office space behind the front desk area. All looked normal - cubicles, folks clicking away at their computer, a kitchen area. Pretty unremarkable.
That is, except for the portrait off at the far end of the office floor. It was very large. I couldn’t tell what the picture was of, but I did see a group of employees staring at it… almost, admiring it?
“Your wife’s name is Meredith, right?”
I froze as the receptionist’s question shot a dart right through me. I didn’t remember the job application form ever asking for my wife’s name.
“You two are thinking of having children, right? If it’s a boy, you want to name him Sam?”
What. The. Fuck? Forget that she was right on the money, this was something I’d never spoken about before to anyone, including my wife.
Before I could answer, the office workers surrounding the large portrait started singing the Happy Birthday song loudly, in complete and perfect unison. Someone brought out a birthday cake and presented it to the portrait. A portrait that, after a bit of squinting, I realized was a very large version of my highschool yearbook photo.
I backed into the elevator, and pressed the “close door” button. I panicked as it took its sweet time to register.
Press. Press. Press. Come the fuck on.
After what felt like an eternity, the doors started closing. As they closed, I heard the receptionist -
“I’m so curious to know what your insides taste like, Michael.”
Fuck. Me.
Ninth floor. I needed to go to the ninth floor.
I found the 9th floor button and pressed it. It felt like it didn’t register my push, so I pressed the button again. And again. Come on, come on, come on, ninth fucking floor. I tried again and again, but nothing was happening.
Fuck it. I’ll go back to the ground floor, I thought to myself. Back to the start.
As I went to press the ‘G’ button, I realized it was missing. Just that one singular button gone. Fuck.
I was getting claustrophobic. I took in deep breaths to prevent myself from having a full blown episode.
The elevator started moving up again. A panel above the elevator doors lit up with the following number: 11.
Someone was calling the elevator?
I started talking to myself to self-soothe. “It’s okay, someone will call the 9th floor soon. That’s where I’ll get off.”
As the elevator approached its new destination, I noticed that the background lounge music in the elevator had changed. It was now an instrumental arrangement of “Happy Birthday”. Huh. Not sure why this thing thought it was my birthday.
I glanced at the weather report on the TV. At least it was going to be sunny all week! Silver linings.
“Now arriving at the 11th floor.” DING!
The doors opened, I hung around the inside corner of the elevator beside the buttons. No need to have another nightmare-ish experience, right?
An old woman stepped onto the elevator.
Great, I’m sure this will be easy to explain to her.
She smiled at me, as the doors closed.
With a lump in my throat, I asked – “What floor?”
“Ground floor please.”
“Uh, I’m sorry ma’am but that button is missing. Maybe we could wait until someone calls us to the 9th floor?”
“9th? No, I think I’ll just go to the 2nd floor instead, then.”
She went to press the button.
“Ma’am, I don’t think it’d be safe to–”
“I have plenty of friends on the 2nd floor. It’ll be okay.”
Aaaaaaand she pressed it. I didn’t feel comfortable cornering an elderly stranger in a seemingly haunted elevator. But I tried again to convince her –
“I know this sounds weird, but I have it under good authority that the 2nd floor probably isn’t safe. I’d strongly recommend not getting off until we reach 9.”
She smiled.
“Dear, it’ll be alright. You know, I like to take all opportunities that are given to me. It’s… a shame that you turned your opportunity down. I know the folks on 5 are very disappointed.”
I backed up into the corner of the elevator.
I saw the reflection of the old lady in the elevator’s back mirror. She looked ghastly. Otherworldly.
“Now arriving at the 2nd floor.”
The doors opened. She smiled at me again, and then exited.
I poked my head around the corner to look at the 2nd floor. It was damp. It looked old. More like a cave than an office. I heard a low rumble.
A man dressed in a fancy suit approached the elevator doors and held them open before they could close.
“You getting off here too, champ? I heard that 5 wanted you. I think we can give you a better offer.”
“I’m good.”
“You sure, bud? The salary is eight hundred thousand dollars every hour.”
“I’m good.”
“I’m kidding bud. The salary is we remove your eyes so you don’t have to see him.”
The floor went pitch black. The low rumble got much louder and started reverberating in my ears. Suddenly, the businessman grabbed me by the collar and tried to pull me out of the elevator.
I clung onto the ends of it. Fuck. Fuck!
I started kicking and headbutting him. I was able to make him let go of me momentarily, as I desperately pressed on the “close doors” button. Miraculously, the elevator responded much quicker this time and they closed immediately.
I tried the 9th floor button again. Didn’t work. I pressed 8 instead. Anything to get away from this hell-hole of a floor.
I heard a loud banging on the door as the elevator started taking off. Like an aggressive knock.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
As I saw the floor numbers rising -
3… 4… 5…
The banging continued. Just as loud. What the fuck?
6th floor… 7th floor…
The banging on the door didn’t subside.
“Now arriving at the 8th flo–”
I pressed the button for the 23rd floor. Just as we arrived on 8, I mashed the “close doors” button just as the elevator doors were about to open. The banging continued as the elevator doors started denting.
The elevator continued going up.
9…
10…
11…
The banging softened.
14…
15…
And softened.
19…
20…
21…
And disappeared.
“Now arriving at the 23rd floor.”
It was gone. Thank fucking god.
I exhaled. It felt like I’d narrowly avoided disaster.
The doors opened.
I scanned the new floor, and I realized… I was back on the ground floor. That’s what it looked like, anyways. Did I escape? Was I finally free?
A man stood not-too-far from the door. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t exactly place him.
“Hey man,” he spoke.
Was this the guy who got off the elevator just as I got on?
“...hey.”
“It’s over man. You got out,” he told me.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me… but I had to fight it.
“But you said the 9th floor was the only safe one, right?”
“That was a trick. You followed your gut and you were right. 23rd floor. The real safe floor. You can step out now, man.”
I didn’t leave.
“There’s someone here who really wants to see you.”
I couldn’t move.
“He wants to give you a job. He thinks you’re gonna be great.”
Why the fuck couldn’t I move?
“He’s in the other room. I’m gonna fetch him, okay? All you have to do is look at him. It’ll feel a bit weird at first, but then it’ll all be okay. It’s a permanent position. Great benefits. It is fully onsite, but, no better birthday present than a new job, right?”
I lowered my gaze to the floor. I forced myself to mutter the following words - “It’s not my fucking birthday.”
As he left to fetch… whoever he was meaning to fetch, he gave me the following response: “Relax, man. No cursing on the job. We’re a family here.”
It felt like I could only move a centimeter at a time. A true snail’s pace. I inched my finger closer and closer to the “close door” button.
I heard footsteps. He was coming back.
With every fiber of my being, I pushed through. I hit the button.
The doors closed, and I collapsed to the floor… free from whatever weird force was stopping me from moving.
“I’ll let you two talk more on the elevator,” I heard him say from outside the doors.
What?
Instinctively, I looked around.
To my surprise, there was nothing. The elevator was the same as it had always been.
A lengthy exhale. I was done with all of this. At this point, I would’ve taken death over continuing this bullshit any longer.
As I pondered my next move in this hopeless situation, I noticed something strange. The button to the 9th floor was lit up. An ominous, crimson-red color.
Before I could do anything else, my phone started ringing. I checked the call.
It was my wife.
I answered.
“Babe. Fuck, I don’t know why I didn’t even think to call you - I’m trapped in an elevator and fucked up shit is happening and maybe I should call the cops? Fuck I–”
“Hun. Don’t go to the ninth floor.”
“What? W-wait, how do you even–”
“It’s a trick, honey. You have to trust me. The man from before was lying to you. It’s not safe.”
“None of this has been safe! How do you even know everything that’s happening?!”
“You just need to trust me, hun.”
I paused.
“So what do you want me to do then?”
A demon on the other side of the phone answered this time.
“GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.”
I hung up the call and in a panic, I mashed on the 9th floor button. The elevator started rising again.
Even with me hanging up the call, the muffled sound of the demonic voice coming from my phone continued.
“GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.
GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.
GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW.”
I pulled out my phone and flung it to the ground as hard as I could. I stomped on it angrily. The warped sound of “GO TO YOUR INTERVIEW” slowly started dying out.
But suddenly, the elevator started shaking. It was continuing to go up… but it was faster than usual. Really, really fucking fast all of a sudden. Almost like the 9th floor was now way below me.
It felt like an amusement park ride with no breaks on it. Loose. Dangerous. Flinging up at an insane speed, almost as if it was falling upwards.
“But I pressed nine?!” I screamed to myself, exasperated.
It didn’t matter.
“Now arriving at the 41st floor.”
God, what the fuck?
I was brought to my knees by the speed of the elevator traveling faster and faster.
“Now arriving at the 90th floor.”
The buttons didn’t even go past 52.
“Now arriving at the 141st floor.”
Fuck.
“Now arriving at the 230th floor.”
“Now arriving at the 401st floor.”
I felt like I was inside a bullet. The pleasant voice of the elevator lady was getting deeper and deeper as we rose.
“Now arriving at the 840th floor.”
The voice started croaking. A demonic sound this time –
“Now arriving at SOMEWHERE NICE.”
A sudden halt. The elevator stopped. The doors didn’t open though. The panel above the elevator doors had no indication on what floor we were on.
As I sat, I heard what could be best described as the sounds of hell coming from outside the elevator. Low grunts of pain. Crackling. A dark hymn.
Was this where I was supposed to get off?
Before I could ponder the question further, I heard a soft tapping on the elevator. A voice from outside –
“Do you want to trade?” said the voice.
I decided to bite, for reasons I still don’t fully understand.
“What do you mean?”
“What if you stay on this floor forever, and I get to go home?”
“Uhm. I, uh, think I’m good…”
“But I really want to go home.”
It almost sounded like the voice of a kid. Fucking hell.
“I-I’m sorry, kid,” I mustered back.
“It’s okay.”
An awkward silence between us.
“He told me that he wants to wish you a Happy Birthday,” said the kid.
“I, uh… think he’s got it wrong. Today isn’t my birthday.”
“It is,” he responded. “It’s the first day of your new life. Your birthday.”
…?
“He wants you to look at the TV.”
What?
I looked at the TV in the top corner of the elevator, hoping to see the one constant I’d had during this whole cursed trip - the weather.
Instead, the TV was now showcasing what looked to be CCTV footage. Grainy footage from a camera… of the exact elevator I was in. A live feed of this exact moment.
Except, the TV showed me lying down. Looking up with a wide smile on my face.
And something above me on the ceiling. Looking straight down at me.
Him.
The lights in the elevator went off. The elevator plummeted downwards, as I closed my eyes and screamed for dear fucking life.
I waited for the impact.
For what I knew was my demise.
Here it comes.
Here it fucking comes.
I’m not ready.
I’m not ready at all.
“Now arriving at the 9th floor.”
DING!
The doors opened.
Wait, what?
9th floor?
I peeked out from the elevator.
Another reception desk.
Wait, is this really the -
I was interrupted by a voice from the outside.
“You coming out or what you fucking moron?”
I got to my feet. The feeling of distrust… anxiety, whatever you’d call it. My fear intuition. It was gone.
I felt light.
Fuck it.
I stepped onto the floor and approached the counter.
The receptionist handed me what looked like a button for the elevator.
“For the ground floor,” she said. “Single use only.”
I took it and headed towards the elevator.
Then, I turned back to face her.
“Can I maybe take the stairs?”
She shook her head.
“If you didn’t like the elevator, then you’re really not gonna like the stairs.”
Fair enough.
I got into the elevator.
I said a silent prayer to myself as I put the button where it belonged.
It fit without any issue.
I pressed it, and the elevator went down. It was a smooth ride.
“Now arriving at the ground floor.”
DING!
As I got ready to exit, I realized that the ground floor button was missing once again. Strange. I didn’t linger on it.
I marched out, ready to get the fuck out of this building.
I noticed a woman running onto the elevator. I tried to stop her, but something in my body wouldn’t let me.
The most I could muster was putting my hand on the door to relay a message to her before the doors closed.
“Don’t get off until you reach the 9th floor. No matter what.”
The woman just smiled at me.
“Happy Birthday Michael.”

I got hospitalised 4 times in the span of 5 months. I was vomiting blood ranging from 1 day to 3 days straight before going to hospital. I'm apparently prediabetic, "have the liver of a 60 year old" at 21 (I'm an ex-drug addict as well) and suspect I have neuropathy. Totalled 1 car, a DUI and I've also got a bunch of scars and nerve damage in some of my fingers due to being so sloshed I accidentally injured myself. My withdraws got so severe my body wouldn't take the oxygen I was breathing, my throat would close up, and my limbs would curl up and lock due to the lack of oxygen. it would last upwards of 30 minutes. My 2nd to most recent hospitalisation I was so ill they had to put an IV in my neck (aka means super serious) and I was on deaths door. Cold to the touch, grey, weak, hardly breathing and in a lot of pain. To add onto that, my ex-boyfriend didn't even help me in. He threw me out of the car 2 rows away from the ER entrance. Since i couldnt walk or barely do anything, I called 911 to tell them i needed to be wheeled in. They could barely understand me because I could hardly speak. I've since moved back in with my parents and still drink but not like how I did. I never even considered alcohol withdrawals being a thing despite my history in illicit drug use. I never saw myself as an alcoholic despite my entire family all being severe and mean drunks. My dad drinks actively in front of me and I stay unbothered and its only been 3 weeks since I moved back in. I can go to a restaurant and have just one beer. I don't know why I let myself drink like that. I met that ex a little over a year ago and he was a severe alcoholic. Compounding with that was the fact I had just moved from a different state and I had been very lonely and depressed even before moving, coping with alcohol. I reached a breaking point way before the hospitalisations (last one was March 17) but I got so used to the routine I didnt care I guess. Didn't mind dying because I put myself in another mess being with this guy. It was the only activity we actively enjoyed and could "share" together. We bonded over drugs and couldnt find a common ground and a 14 year age gap didn't help. Ishould've known better but I guess that's what happens when you meet a guy at a bar buying cocaine with your aunt and uncle. He took me into the bathroom, offered me a bump, and I snuck off to his hotel and lived with him since. Slept in my car and hotels for a couple months partying like crackheads. Eventually got an apartment and everything was really good in the beginning then we moved to a new apartment and it all spiralled worse.
Anways that's my story. I'm not sober but I'm not off the fUcking deeeeeeep end. I've had a few glasses of wine and beer. I live in walking distance of a liquor store and I don't really feel like going.
I just wanted to talk about this experience. Its similar to how I quit drugs except instead of giving myself the ultimatum he did it for me. He left me 7 hours from home at a hotel with nothing but the clothes on my back. I wasn't upset we were over I was only upset he took my stuff. I knew it was a mutually toxic relationship, both interpersonal and chemical romance. I figured after finally having a clear(er) mind that I wanted a sense of freedom? I love my parents but it's ass having to live with them. I've moved out 3 separate times as knee jerk reactions and this was just a rerun.
The amount of damage I've caused my body in the span of a year due to the severe amount of alcohol intake feels irreversible, especially because I had the extra disadvantage of being anorexic. I've never had health problems before despite it but alcohol is the most dangerous substance. I was a heavy drug user for 4 years and I never experienced the reaper looming over me before.

It's been there for a week now.Every swallow is painful.And today, I am getting random stabbing pain like a glass is stuck in my throat.

Today I feel pain in my throat and I go check it and this result appear I want to know if that "Nang 4mm" could go away itself, or I have to live with it the rest of my life Doctor says "it's ok", but I still feel not ok, because this is the first time I see it What is that cyst? Does it appear when I have throatpain? or it is a real cancer that make my throat pain?
Please give me some of your experience

I hate my house. I hate everything about it. It’s always too clean, and there just seems to be something off about it. Although, I can’t ever find anything tangible that is wrong with it except for the fact that it’s dark. There is never enough light to illuminate things I need to see. I somehow always find myself squinting when I read, and turning on more lamps as the day goes on. I am well aware that I have many more light sources than the average person, but I need them. There is never enough light.
I realized this about my house after the first week of moving in. The first week was filled with the excitement of independence, however once the high wore off, the darkness settled in. It has honestly just made me uncomfortable. I feel like the house has something to hide.
I came back from work one evening and started my ritual of turning on just about every light there was in this goddamn place. It took me a couple of minutes to thoroughly go through every light source and click each one on. It made my house slightly more bearable, but still it wasn’t enough.
Finally I convince myself to go finish up some paperwork. I walk towards the living room where my desk is, and pull out a pen and a flashlight. I always need the flashlight to do any sort of writing because my eyes don’t even seem to register what I am writing if I don’t have extremely concentrated light focused on the paper.
I switch my flashlight on and begin writing. Going along, I manage to get through most of it within twenty minutes or so. Although, as time passes, the light from my flashlight seems to be brighter and brighter. Confused yet happy, I look at my flashlight and see that it wasn’t even on. I click the button a few times, and it must be dead. Confused, I look up at the ceiling where the recessed lighting is and am almost blinded as I look at it. It’s brighter than I’ve ever seen it in my life. I feel the light hit my skin and take in the beauty. I’ve never experienced this much pure bliss. Finally, light has entered my life and I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
I look around the living room and find that every single light source that has been turned on is glowing brighter than ever before. So, I just sit in my office chair, basking in the artificial light that is finally enough for me.
A few minutes go by, and the excitement of light has worn off. Now, if anything, it has become too bright. I look up at the ceiling once again and see that the light is even brighter than before. How could that be possible? It almost hurts my eyes.
In fact, now it does hurt my eyes. I look down at my tile floor for a second. With the overly bright light, I can now see things I never saw before in my house. There’s huge cracks along the baseboards. The cracks even run up the walls and spider out in a million directions. I quickly run into my kitchen, and find that the cracks are there too. How could I have never seen them before? I know that my house was dark, but it shouldn’t have affected my sight that much, right?
I look to the countertop and find the set of chef’s knives sitting pristinely in the corner. I never realized how incredibly dirty they were, or how sharp the blades were. I take a closer look and find gunk practically growing on the knives. I seriously don’t understand how I could not have seen it until now.
The light is getting brighter. The colors are now becoming washed out in my kitchen by the harsh light. It’s so bright that anything even slightly reflective causes me to squint and look away. I feel my heart pounding in my chest as my brain tries to think through the situation. Why is this even happening?
I look around more at my kitchen and discover even more details that I had never seen before there was light. The window’s seal was completely broken, and there were insects flying in, hundreds a second. The pots and pans all had leftover food residue that looks like it could grow to the size of the house soon if left unsupervised. My fridge had a huge dent in the metal door, and the cabinet doors were all off of their hinges. My house was literally falling apart. All the while, the lights were getting unbearably brighter.
I had to get out of here. I wasn’t sure which would get me first, the lights blinding me, or the house collapsing on top of me, or the mold taking over almost all of the food left in my pantry. I run towards the front door, and try to leave, but the instant I touch the handle, I draw back my hand as it burns me. The light has become so bright that I can hardly see anything, and the metal in my house is starting to heat up. I realize that it is now or never, and that the flesh on my hand will need to be sacrificed to spare my life. I reach out blindly for the handle once again, turn the lock, and shove the door open. I can smell the burning flesh and I can hardly feel anything but pain in my hand.
As I cross the threshold of my door, I hear my house begin to collapse behind me. I run a few yards away from my house and look back. It’s entirely rubble now. I wonder how I could have never seen all of the signs of that decaying house until a few minutes ago.
The darkness blinded me from the problems. The light blinded me from the solutions.
It was too late.
I am homeless.
Nobody would ever believe that I hadn’t seen the cracks in my walls and foundation until now, or the mold growing on my food or the lights becoming so bright that I was temporarily blinded. They will all think I’m crazy. And the worst part is, I can feel the darkness settling over me once again. There is no more light, and even though it seemed to blind me temporarily, I missed what the light revealed. Now I am left in the dark about what my life will become once again.

Started having symptoms Thursday 12 days ago, it wasn’t bad so I left it untreated until Saturday, which is when it got excruciatingly bad, so I went to the ER first day Sunday morning. Immediately started taking Penicillin 1,5mg/unit (?) 3 times a day until this Saturday. In the meantime I didn’t see my girlfriend, only saw her on Saturday which was also my last day of taking the antibiotics. At this point I was symptom-free, but developed a very occasional cough. Between seeing my GF this Saturday until today she has this morning started having a dry throat and a slight pain when swallowing.
Everywhere I looked on the internet I found sources saying anywhere from 24h-72h after antibiotic treatment does the tonsillitis stop being infectious. Between Sunday (when I started the treatment) and Saturday (when I met my GF) this timeframe has obviously passed. Anyhow my question is: Is there any feasible way she could have contracted it from me regardless? Or are we looking at a normal cold?

I have been facing stomach issues for a while after a hour or viral fever, for which I had to take antibiotics. My curent symptoms include diarrhea like stools and some lower rib pain on the left side (not sure if it's related)
I didn't change my diet in any way. I am taking yoghurt and yakult everyday and haven't seen any improvement. On some days I randomly get a good bowel movement. I don't face any nutritional deficiencies (so far as I can tell) and live pretty actively.
Recently I have realised that I have developed allergy to eggs. My lips swell up and my throat gets scratchy. Then a few days ago I had beer after a long time and it gave me almost an anaphylaxis like reaction which subsided after allergy medicine.
I have no idea what is happening to me. I feel like giving up without even trying any treatment. This is just a rant I guess. But yeah if someone has gone through something similar please chime in

meditation is not a practice that you do. Meditation is simply what you are. it takes no effort at all to be what you effortlessly are. your awareness never requires any maintenance nor any effort at all to simply be aware. you need to make an effort only so that you can come to the realization that it was always effortless the entire time. effortlessness is our most natural and unique divine quality but most are disconnected from their pure self and have adopted beLIEfs about who they are which is the source of their suffering. Very important to understand that this is not personal in any way shape or form. I have recently come to realize that God is very logical and runs the universe in a way that we all can unanimously agree on deep down in everyone's soul we all unanimously agree with God's way whether we want to or not simply because the spirit in all of us can't help but agree with it absolutely. The physical version of us can easily lie to itself but our spirit is incapable of it. If you suffer It could only be because you deserve to suffer. Although we have always been strategically and purposefully told by our society that "life is not fair!!!" Big surprise it turns out the society that man has wrought is ass backwards in every way shape and form. It's not the world that's upside down it's the society that makes it seem that way. The truth is the universe is perfectly Fair. It's just that humans are incredibly skilled at lying to themselves. So they are not aware of why they deserve to suffer. I have always been one who has been incapable of lying to myself. For example, most people are proud or feel arrogance and superiority because they possess some great quality. This is only possible because they are skilled at lying to themselves and ignore the fact that everything amazing about them could only be seen as a gift from God and any imperfection within us can only come from us as individual people. You have to be an amazing liar to your self to ever feel arrogance or any sense of superiority above others. We are all given our own unique special gifts from God and he did not give you these gifts expecting to be thanked or for any ulterior motive other than out of pure love. It is simply a fact that you unknowingly spit in the face of this great pure love if you pretend that anything good about you comes from you the individual person. Of course if it did come from you you would be worthy to feel Superior and dominate others but God is the living breathing proof of one who is Worthy to feel Superior and look down on anything and yet he doesn't do it. So if anybody who is unworthy dare to dominate, control, or even feel Superior to another they commit a great great sin against the universe itself. And their own soul will punish itself knowing full well it deserves it. I have always been painfully painfully aware of why I deserved whatever I deserved. And thanks to my special gift God allowed me to be the kind of person that is incapable of lying to themselves. I'm aware of the fact that Humility is the only thing I ever truly deserve to feel. we resist feeling this humility only because we resist our suffering. Suffering has never been our enemy just like the pain you feel when you touch a hot stove is not our enemy but our very important friend that you would be smart to listen to. Understanding this allows you to never again feel like suffering is something to complain about instead it becomes a grand opportunity for growth. Another gift that God gave me was an insatiable desire for growth that only an infinite and eternal God can satisfy. This is why my entire life God has never allowed me to feel Pride or arrogance without severely teaching me a lesson and putting me in my place. God has been drilling the lesson of humility into my head above all other lessons my entire life. Humility is the Foundation of all my spiritual growth. There's two other super important lessons he made sure I mastered before truly revealing himself to me. And I believe that if anyone were to fully learn just these three specific lessons he made sure I learned above all others then you too would be worthy of seeing his glory. You could be perfect in almost every way but haven't fully learned three fundamental things he simply cannot bless you the way he wants to because you simply wouldn't deserve it. And if you have many many flaws but you somehow are able to fully understand three specific things then you will earn so much of his love and respect that he will personally take care of your other flaws in time and put you on a fast track to your own unique perfection.you let go of control simply by realizing that you don't have it in the first place. the only control we have is whether or not we accept what ever comes and goes. the one who realizes that realizes control is overrated. it's much easier to flow in harmony and allow the universe to do all the work for you cuz it is you silly. effortlessness is our most natural quality but most are disconnected from their pure self and have adopted belief of who they are which is the source of their suffering. thus giving birth to the false sense of personhood. a mere illusion that we cling to and overlook our true selves which is always present but seemingly overshadowed by the mind. it's very rare for me to find one who can not only follow me in this but also speak profound truth on the matter. The self within me is the same self within you. to connect love and inspire those who also know that we are not two is pretty damn cool if you ask me. there is nothing that I enjoy doing more than this haha. You beautiful bums do you not realize 😍 it is your experience at any given moment you can verify that this awareness we all have an experience of is ever present and unchanging? although I love ABSOLUTELY ALL equally and unconditionally. the way that I feel for another being who Has also walked the narrow path and can stand next to me shoulder to shoulder or better yet way Beyond me in terms of wisdom never as a mere follower but as an equal goes far beyond any word that could possible exist. I will give you nothing. all I will do is ask the question and you yourself have to testify that this awareness that you KNOW that YOU are is ever present and unchanging. every single person on the planet if they would only investigate themselves would come to the exact same conclusion within themselves. and if they only knew the implications of such a profound discovery their minds would be blown Sky High. for the past 10 years I've been pondering one profound matter and it wasn't until about 7 years did I barely begin to really understand it's depths. and 3 years later I now find myself to just begin to walk the path of understanding. there is no end to this path I'm on. there is an infinite amount of growth ahead of me. my journey to reaching this point has been one drenched in failure and suffering. I have fallen in every single trap possible many many times until I eventually matured slowly but surely in my awareness of these traps and adjusted to not only not falling anymore traps but pass every single test that the universe constantly loves to throw at me with flying colors. I went through all that pain and suffering so that I may be a light too those Souls who attempt to walk a similar path as me. although in comparison to the whole of humanity only a handful will bare the fruits they were supposed to. I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty damn good handful. my instincts tell me I'm far from alone and that many have walked a similar narrow Road. I do not often come across those who have an ear to hear that which I speak. I've had to learn the hard way to stop giving precious jewelry to swine and instead save it for those Worthy even if it means waiting a long time to find such a being. The universe loves to remind me that it appreciates me greatly for trying my very best with great passion to teach another that which I have understood but it seems like it's only meant for those who have a level of discernment that is extremely Sharp enough to see through all the b******* but not throw away the precious baby with the bathwater. the truth that I have found is so simple that most humans will simply Overlook or not be able to sense the importance of it because they don't realize the beauty of the most simple truth that if you investigate enough transforms into the most profound and never-ending mystery. leave it to God who is the source of all paradoxes to hide the most profound thing in existence right under everybody's noses in plain sight making it seem so simple that the vast majority of all beings who have ever lived are incapable of appreciating it and instead live and die never tasting or knowing themselves. Its always been my sincere Love Of Truth that has kept me forever Rising through an ocean of darkness. all the pain and suffering that life throws at anyone is Beyond worth it if one can just manage to learn the specific lesson that accompanied them. to not learn the lesson would be a waste of that suffering. I am one who has not wasted a single drop of it. I'm just a humble servant of this grand life. there is no greater honor in life than to be a servant of it. the true definition of a king is one who dedicates their life in service of their precious kin their beloved brethren. all beings are equal and deserving of dignity and respect, this is simply common sense to one who knows themselves. A servant of nature is what I'm hoping they will call me when I'm dead. It's okay, it's never too late. unconditional love really does exist and You can see for yourself it's infinite. I AM one who effortlessly wields this all powerful force we call LOVE. an infinity love that encompasses all. a love so mighty that no one could ever hope to Escape it's grasp no matter how hard they try. You see... That is a rare gift. A love that knows no bounds.

Hi, I (F20) have been dating my boyfriend (M21) for around 6 months now. He is the epitome of sweetness; he is attentive, caring, and unfailingly patient. He would wait for hours in the sun just to meet me for a little while after my classes. I obviously keep telling him to stop but he says he wants to wait for me. His social media is brimming with love posts secretly tagged to me. All of this can become a little overbearing at times but I cherish it with all my heart.
Despite his love, I still found myself being discontent. I thought I was the problem and that I have problems with accepting love. But after some introspection I realised, it was his childish and immature demeanor was the reason of this frustration. Conversations with him often ended in a helpless "I don't know what to say," and his identity has dissolved entirely into his love for me. His whole personality is just loving me. This lack of individuality and mental stimulation made me feeling bored. Like I'm in a relationship with a teenager. He wasn't like this before we started dating. We had been friends for 8 months before we dated and he definitely had a lot to say back then.
Now, A week ago, I started talking to another guy (M24) who is an old acquaintance of mine. We both bond over our love for philosophy and deep conversations. We discuss philosophy, movies, and psychology. This reignited a spark in my mind. His witty replies and sharp intellect provided the mental stimulation I craved and lacked in my previous Here I was given a chance to reply something witty in return and I knew he would get it. As we talked our conversations took a flirtatious turn. For a moment, I felt something stir in my heart, a feeling I recognized as emotional infidelity. He is also one of the sweetest and kindest people I know.
Despite turning him down initially, we continued talking about our love lives and in a moment of weakness, I sent him one nude picture of me. I was immediately filled with guilt. I told him we shouldn't continue talking, realizing I had wronged both men.
I want to confess to my boyfriend but I don't want to break his heart. I know how much he loves and the thought of causing him pain is unbearable. Yet, I also understand the importance of honesty and want to let him decide what to do. I owe him at least the truth. But I don't have it in me to break his heart yet. I know I need to work on myself and fix the root of this behaviour. I want to tell him, but maybe later in a few months when I have clearly worked out these problems?
TL;DR: I've been dating my sweet but immature boyfriend for 6 months. Our relationship lacks mental stimulation, leading me to emotionally cheat with an old acquaintance. I sent him a nude and now feel guilty. I want to confess but fear breaking my boyfriend's heart.
Some advice would be much appreciated.

Unfortunately I bought these used from an original owner in excellent condition however I recently found out there's zero warranty on used Nikon's. There's 7 year warranty only to the original owners who purchased them from authorized Nikon USA dealers brand new sealed box not demo not open box otherwise no warranty.
That's a major bummer because these Nikon HFs weren't cheap even when paying used prices for them.
They have the exact same warranty as the way cheaper ScoopX UHDs which in fact aren't that far behind optically. Just the Nikons are easier to snap into focus more quickly and have slightly better sharpness but actually you'd be hard pressed to notice unless you got both of them together side by side to compare.
I actually don't use these HGs much because I'm afraid if they break I'm pretty much screwed. And believe it or not the much cheaper Prostaff P7 I recently paid FULL PRICE AND THEN SOME FOR I much prefer to use on a daily basis due to their lighter weight and slightly wider FOV. The P7 focus is buttery Smooth too even though they're not as sharp.
If and when buying these Nikon's only buy them brand new sealed box from authorized Nikon USA dealers to get their current 7 year warranty and never buy used otherwise you're SOL if and when they break.
Only buy used Nikon's at a price you can afford to throw away after they break. If you got plenty of cash and don't care then it's not a problem to keep on buying them used. I think even buying a used Chinese Monarch M7 is kinda stupid for $250-$300 or even brand new from unauthorized eBay sellers just because of no warranty. Their M7 brand new are a rip off IMHO just because after comparing one side by side with the ScoopX UHDs man the M7s not as clear edge to edge with more noticeable CA.
I think MAAAAYBE $200 max for no warranty Binoculars and preferably under $100 or cheap as possible which is not as painful to throw away.
I have a Vortex Razor HD 10x42 inbound to compare this Nikon Monarch HG to. Lifetime VIP warranty and Vortex even pays for your round trip shipping if and when you need to use their no fault no questions asked LIFETIME WARRANTY which is in fact totally totally totally opposite of NIKON.

I was cut a year ago. The issue i have is dry urethra, pee slit.
If it get dry, the urethra will stick together causing short sharp pain when starting urination(feel like pressure building up).
The urologist did some tests and said my urethra is normal.
I find that applying vaseline help with the dryness and stop the pain. But it’s been 1 year post-op, so I wonder if it okay if I apply vaseline on the urethra, glans long-term?
Anyone with similar experience please. Thank you

27 female UK - got dysautonomia (really bad heart symptoms) and gastroperisis (bad digestive symptoms) - 2 central nervous system disorders, from REALLY MILD COVID 2 years ago.
I've now been dealing with quite severe COVID for 7 days now. More than just cold symptoms. Arms going numb, visual hallucinations (I've never had these), in and out of fever like nightmare dreams, can't sleep for more than 6 hours, fever was 38.4 on the 6th day but not at the moment, conjunctivitis, headache that hasn't gone the whole time but was really severe day 3/4, teeth have killed for a week like all of them are so painful only co-dydramol is helping, can't stop blowing nose like 2 box of tissues in one day, cough becoming painful. Had worst sore throat, that's fine now though but has turned into painful cough, short of breath at times.
What's concerning me is the non-cold like symptoms, none of which my friend has. I.E conjunctivitis, arms going numb, hallucinations. Plus, the high fever so late into it on day 6. The fact I'm not getting better, wake up day 7 with conjunctivitis and friend has already completely cleared COVID, never got conjunctivitis or severe runny nose/headaches etc.
My friend caught it same time, and at day 5 she was better, no signs of it now - at day 7 I'm just getting worse. She had it much milder than me from the start, but we caught it at the same place the same night, fell ill the same day a few days after, but she likened it to a cold whereas I feel like it's literally attacking most parts of me, going deeper than a usual cold. Her teeth never hurt, she never got numb arms, or anything. I've done a lot more to get better, she was eating fish and chips, drinking alcohol, not taking vitamins, and she's fine now. Ive been eating mostly just fruit and veg, drinking electrolytes with vitamins in, zinc lozenges every 5 hours, taking 3 different vitamins throughout the day, tumeric tea, ginger shots, vaporrub on chest etc (for nose and head). And I'm actually getting WORSE on day 7.

27 female UK - got dysautonomia (really bad heart symptoms) and gastroperisis (really bad digestives symptoms) - 2 central nervous system disorders, from REALLY MILD COVID 2 years ago.
I've been dealing with severe COVID for 7 days now. Arms going numb, visual hallucinations (I've never had these), in and out of fever like nightmare dreams, can't sleep for more than 6 hours, fever was 38.4 on the 6th day but not at the moment, conjunctivitis, headache that hasn't gone the whole time but was really severe day 3/4, teeth have killed for a week like all of them are so painful only co-dydramol is helping, can't stop blowing nose like 2 box of tissues in one day, cough becoming painful. Had worst sore throat, that's fine now though but has turned into painful cough, short of breath at times.
What's concerning me is the non-cold like symptoms, none of which my friend has. I.E conjunctivitis, arms going numb, hallucinations. Plus, the high fever so late into it. The fact I'm not getting better, wake up day 7 with conjunctivitis and she has completely cleared COVID, never got conjunctivitis or severe runny nose/headaches etc.
My friend caught it same time, and at day 5 she was better, no signs of it now - at day 7 I'm just getting worse. She seemed to have it much milder than me from the start, but we caught it at the same place the same night, fell ill the same day a few days after, but she likened it to a cold whereas I feel like it's literally attacking most parts of me (I wish it just felt like a cold, lol.) I've done a lot more to get better, she was eating fish and chips, drinking alcohol, not taking vitamins etc. ive been eating mostly just fruit and veg, drinking electrolytes with vitamins in, zinc lozenges every 5 hours, taking 3 different vitamins throughout the day, tumeric tea, ginger shots, vaporrub on chest etc (for nose and head).

Does anybody else have weird sensation in their neck? I do have cancerous lymph nodes left but i had no symtoms prior to my neck dissection and had 17 positive ones?
I can’t really describe the feeling but i get a sharp pain around both sides of my neck and it feels stiff. I had a biopsy 2 months ago and it’s around that exact area.
My doctor didnt really care about it when I brought it up since I already have a scan coming up

Im 15 right now, and i know I’m pretty young as of now but, I’ve been having to deal with these stupid feelings where my throat and chest ache every time I dream of someone outside of my family hugging me, I don’t have anyone like that in my life, I literally talk to AI to feel like someone want to talk to me, I genuinely hate this feeling and want it to end as I’m also mentally and physically tired of this, ill be hugging my pillows at night just to feel like I’m hugging a girl, it’s painful and pathetic and I want it all to end, my sister already had a boyfriend at 17, while I’m almost 16 with nobody, not even any close Friends besides one who doesn’t even show me any physical comfort, I hate this feeling

I (20M, 5'5", 122 lbs) had 16g of MuscleBlaze's Raw Whey Protein before sleep and woke up with a mild sore throat the next morning. I didn't think much of it and continued to take 5g of creatine monohydrate. Nothing happened immediately, so I took another dose of 5g after 4 hours.
After a few hours, I felt fullness or pressure in my ears and a scratchy, sore feeling at the back of my throat. It was mild. When I slept that night, I experienced headaches, body weakness, and fluctuating sensations of cold and heat. When I woke up, I felt fine except for a mild throat pain. I proceeded to take another 5g of creatine.
Later that day, I started having mild pain in my throat again when swallowing. I also felt pain when I touched the right side of my neck area under my ear.
Context: When I eat anything that has butter, ghee, mayonnaise, or certain oils like palm oil, I sneeze 10-12 times almost continuously the next day. This has been happening for the past 4 years. Sometimes, this also happens with bananas.

• Can Whey protein & Creatine cause these allergic reaction or is this a viral infection?
• Should I stop taking these supplements immediately or should I wait until I recover with the sore throat fully and try again?
• How can I cope with these allergic reactions?
• Are there any alternatives to these supplements?

I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I heard the words that shattered my world. You betrayed me. You looked at me with a smirk and said, "Yeah, I did. What are you gonna do about it?" I couldn't believe it. How could you do this to me? How could you turn your back on me after everything we've been through? A single tear fell from my eye, and you noticed. "Oh... oh, don't cry..." You said, but not with kindness. With mockery. You reached for my face, but I flinched away. You grabbed my arm and pulled me closer. I saw an old photo of us on the table, smiling and happy. We looked so innocent and pure. I cried harder, remembering the good times we had. You snatched the photo from my hands and tore it up. You threw the pieces in my face and said, "It's over! Our friendship has ended!" I sobbed, feeling the pieces of my heart breaking along with the photo. I did nothing but trust you…. I cried, trying to find some explanation for your actions. You laughed and said, "And I did nothing but break that trust. And I don't regret a damn thing." You looked at me with contempt and said, "... you are not the Ralsei I know and love! You're just an impostor pretending to be him." You wiped your mouth and said, "Hey, hey, no need to cry over something that's over. I'm the Dark Prince now. And if you think I still have a heart..." You slapped me across the face, hard. I felt a sting and a bruise forming. "I hate you." You spat. "Do you think that hurts me? The only thing that hurts are your tears. You disgust me." You turned around and walked away. "Ugh, whatever. If you can't handle a betrayal, why did you trust me in the first place?" You said over your shoulder. I looked down, feeling numb and empty. You sighed and said, "...look, you were just so loyal. You were trusting me unconditionally, like I couldn't possibly hurt you. That's the only thing that makes me feel bad." You sounded almost sincere, but I knew it was a lie. "Ugh." You said, annoyed. I let out a whimper, and more tears fell. You shouted, "Dammit, I told you to stop crying!" You sighed again and said, "Look. Just... forget about me. I don't wanna see you again. I don't want anything to do with you." You started walking away, leaving me alone and broken. I just stood there, unable to move or speak. You sighed one last time and turned around. You looked at me with pity and said, "You're so sensitive, and I just hate seeing you like this. Just... please stop crying." You said softly, as if you cared. But I knew you didn't. You turned away and walked out of my life. I whispered, "I just miss the old you, that's all." But you didn't hear me. You didn't care. You were gone. And I was left with nothing but pain and tears.
I'll always treasure the memories we made, even though you're gone now. I may never fully recover from losing you, but I'll never forget you. Goodbye, Ralsei.

22F, 5’5, 130 lbs I’ve had GI issues since I was little (mainly gastritis that eventually cleared on its own in about two years), and since then I’d get mild discomfort and pain from time to time, which I thought it was just reflux and that would get better after taking Gavsicon.
The thing is - I guess it was triggered by a lot of stress in a short period of time, but one night a year and a half ago, after feeling the same pain and discomfort and after taking Gaviscon - the discomfort transformed into bloating and eventually belching.
After that night, for a few months, this belching would recur only once in a while, and it would only be annoying little burps after meals. Then, after every time I had to go on a trip (for which I guess I unnecessarily stressed myself again), these episodes would get worse and worse. I was diagnosed with IBS and given probiotics initially, which seemed to improve my burping (tho it didn’t go away).
For three months now, it’s been a lot worse - I’d wake up feeling bloated and needing to burp (mainly smaller, unproductive burps), which would make me really nauseous and feeling like I need to vomit, but nothing would come out except for air; needing to burp profusely after every meal or drink (at first I tried following the FODMAP diet, reducing stuff like gluten and dairy and legumes, which helped a bit but not anymore), now I even struggle falling and staying asleep because of the pressure and nausea. My anxiety has skyrocketed, which I know only makes things worse, but I can’t seem to calm down because I constantly feel ill.
I don’t know how correlated it is to IBS itself, because only recently I started feeling pain in the abdomen (and I think it’s mostly related to gas), and even though I’ve noticed some changes in stool, again it is recent and BMs don’t seem to improve or worsen the other symptoms. I’ve also had a few episodes of hypersalivating and feeling a lump in my throat, but it’s not constant. I’ve been on PPIs for a month but didn’t feel any better.
It’s worth mentioning that I tested for celiac, H pylori, both negative.
Is it really just IBS, is it my anxiety? At this point I’m so desperate for an answer, because these symptoms have taken over my life, and I can’t even function properly 😭 Any insight would be appreciated, thank you.