Thanks for the added context and providing a link for folks! It's a decent commencement speech overall and I appreciate the attention he draws to the importance (and difficulty) of perspective in it. If anyone understood the "great and terrible truth" of the adage, it would be him.
"The mind is an excellent servant, but a terrible master." David Foster Wallace
As a former ESL professor, I both learnt and taught: learnt, dreamt, was, became, began, taught, blew, meant, brought, thought, caught, drew, felt, fought, lit, grew etc. as part of the (very long) list of irregular English verbs in the past and participle forms.
I'm assuming your insistence is born (not borned) out of embarrassment over your initial mistake. It's ok to not know something, admitting a mistake is a far better look.
Agreed. I think it was a shame to leave that section out as it illustrates Odysseus' cleverness and hubris, the attributes that both help and hinder his journey. It also demonstrates the complicated nature of heroism investigated in the epic.
Odysseus shows great intelligence in introducing himself as Nobody and again in saving the surviving men. He also can't resist shouting back his name and taking credit once he's out of immediate danger. Had he not shouted his name back, Polyphemus would have been unable to call down a curse upon him, and by extension, all his men.
Y'all, I actually organized the craft room over the weekend! Now I'm thinking of attacking the pantry...
I try to do at least two of the following every day: journaling, walking, art, yoga, meditation, therapy, breath work, gratitude practice.
Recently, I've been working on being my own witness and that being enough. When my nervous system starts to react, I try to pause, take a breath, thank whatever protection program is trying its best to serve me, remind myself that I am safe and that I see myself, and then try and respond rather than react. It takes patience, curiosity, and a ton of self-compassion. The more I turn inward, the easier it is for me to turn outward.
I love Merlin. I turn it on when I go for my daily walk and see what birds it picks up. I'm building a fun "Life List" of birds and it's cool to see which ones are full time neighbors and who is around for just a visit!
So, fun to know I'm not alone. I work in local government for a small Southern town in the US and our city manager orders these by the case and spends her lunch hour leaving them around town, sigh.
Sorry for your loss, cancer fucking sucks...
I'm just excited for all the "historically accurate" cyclops, witches, demi gods, and magic objects that the conservatives are going to have in their AI remakes!
/s (just in case)
Weaponzing therapy speak, so hot right now.
Snuggle time
Persephone taking a snooze.
EDIT: this in an incredible community! Deep appreciation to everyone below who commented and responded, to LadyButterfly for being instrumental in creating this space, and to everyone who contributes to its safety and support. I'm very touched by the space a group of strangers held for me, thank you all so much, my cup runneth over💞
I understand I could just be going through it, life has been hectic, but I have a small friend group in my immediate area that I've known for about 4 years and recently, I've become increasingly uncomfortable around them.
Two of them are vicious gossips, they love to shit talk everyone in their lives, including each other, without compunction or remorse. They also occasionally engage in shady behavior. Both of them steal from Air BnBs (they'll take a vase or a bottle of room spray etc. nothing of real value, but still...) or try and cheat at things. I never tell them anything personal anymore, I've learned.
The other is making choices in her personal life, which is absolutely her prerogative, however, those choices are having an effect on her two young children. A lot of bringing new partners and people into their lives suddenly and then they disappear again, all on the heels of a recent divorce.
I am not a parent myself, so I feel like I shouldn't really have an opinion, and maybe I'm just being judgemental. For the record, I have zero issue with her having however many partners she wants to have, and under whatever circumstances, provided all parties are consenting. It just bothers me that folks she met online are coming to her house with the girls being there after only 3 or 4 dates....and there's some drinking and smoking weed involved as well.
Again, zero issue with folks who indulge, I'm sober now but I've definitely had my fun in the past and I'm no innocent. I just never got wasted around kids...
The thing is, I feel like an asshole, even just writing it out above. Who the hell am I to judge them? I'm no better than anyone else. But still, I don't trust two of them, and feel like I can't respond to the other one's questions and texts of tinder profiles etc. honestly without deeply offending her.
On the other hand, I can literally feel my pulse race and anxiety tick up when any of them reach out recently. I have a crazy impulse to just focus on my job and partner and break up with all of them. I have other long term friends that I'm very close to, but we live far away from each other. Those friendships are all comfortable and I trust them completely and can always be myself with them. We stay in touch via tech and see each other when we can, maybe once a year.
Am I being crazy? My mother is ill and I've had some grief and loss this year, so there's been some stress. At the same time, I'm eating healthy, sleeping well, exercising, and getting along well with my partner. Also keeping up with hobbies and self-care and climbing the ladder at work so I don't think it's depression.
Am I insufferable? Lay it on me, ladies.
