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| Real-life Rants; Vent here. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 9 2008, 03:44 PM (22,182 Views) | |
| ~The Boss~ | Jun 18 2016, 06:43 PM Post #721 |
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Native Son
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So I just stepped outside to sit out the balcony to have a beer, cause it's just too nice a day outside to stay cooped up inside all day (I did visit my apartment's fitness center this morning, so it's not like I've been a complete couch potato). of course, before I even opened the door, I remembered that there's a hornet's nest hanging on the back of one of my chairs, the one I usually sit in. So I go grab the bug spray, zap 'em, grab my Ruby Redbird (the beer), and go back outside. As soon as I step out on the balcony, I am immediately stung. Twice. One on the ear no less. Those fuckers were waiting for me. Turns out, there was an even bigger nest filled with even more hornets hanging right above the sliding door. Well, they got their revenge, I got mine. But, goddamn, that hurts. I haven't been stung by a bee/wasp/hornet since I was a kid. The other one got me on the shoulder, and that's not so bad. But... really, assholes? The ear? That one is really pissing me off. There's one lone survivor buzzing around out there. I'm gonna get him too. Then I'm gonna go drink my beer. And another one. Them little sonsabitches ain't gonna ruin my Saturday. |
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| ~Alkarii~ | Jun 18 2016, 08:27 PM Post #722 |
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Soul Eater
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Yeah, fuck that. The only way hornets could get any worse would be if they sprinkled glitter everywhere (in addition to the stinging), while playing kazoos. And something involving foul odors, but I can't think of anything right now. |
| Since my liver is larger than my heart, does that mean I'm designed to drink more and care less? | |
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| +Aiko+ | Jun 19 2016, 10:45 AM Post #723 |
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Roffel House!
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WD40 and a match works great, but will also burn your house down, lol. |
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| ~Deadly Aim~ | Jun 19 2016, 10:52 AM Post #724 |
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Deadeye '17, eager to move on from the slow-motion train wreck that was last year.
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When you sleep on the very edge of the bed and wake up with a killer back ache. |
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| ~beflexor~ | Jun 20 2016, 04:27 AM Post #725 |
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I just _____ in the _____.
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This is going to be a big rant you guys. A big, personal rant that’s about the last 18 years of my life. I’m ranting to you guys because you have absolutely no connection to anyone I know around here. I’ve always kind of wanted to you tell you about it, but I always changed my mind. It just wasn’t worth bothering you about, and I’m supposed to be the happy, cheery one. My job is to make sure everyone else feels better about the bad things in their lives. Even now I’m really struggling to say this with each and every word I type, but there are some huge changes coming up for me so this has been weighing very heavily on my mind. You guys have been my one and only bastion in this world. Just a quick disclaimer, I’m going to talk a lot about Mormonism. I know some of you might be Mormon, and might bristle if I talk negatively about it, but please hear me out fully before rising to its defense. I did really consider changing or hiding which religion it was exactly but I decided not to because I’m just so tired of it. We moved to the Rexburg/Idaho Falls area back when I was ten years old because my parents starting working at a different hospital. Let me start by saying Mormons are not bad people, they teach love and tolerance like any other religion. These Mormons, however, are what I refer to as Bubble Mormons. See, there’s this weirdly concentrated bubble around Rexburg and Idaho Falls with an even smaller, thicker bubble around Rexburg, where the concentration of Mormonism is 98% Mormon. Think about that for a moment. 98% Imagine being part of that 98%. Everyone is in agreement with everyone else. Everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be because 98% is as close to perfect as you can possibly get. It would be awesome if you lived with people who had all of the same ideals and beliefs as you do, right? Decades pass with 98% perfection, everyone in agreement. Don’t you think that would affect the way people think? There are no coffee shops in Rexburg. “That will give you stomach cancer,” they remark as they see you drinking an iced tea. Meanwhile they pop the top on their second diet coke of the hour. There are no liquor stores in Rexburg. There are literally none. A single liquor store sits at the edge of town, defiant. Yet they don’t understand why there aren’t restaurants nicer than McDonald’s clamoring to open here. An Applebee’s is here, but if you order a mixed drink you’re suddenly an alcoholic in their eyes. They are compliant with the Zion Curtain law of course. That law in Utah where bottles of alcohol have to be hidden behind frosted glass, lest someone lose their self control. Everything is perfect. The town belongs to that 98%. I’m not Mormon. It doesn’t matter what I am, really, I am defined by that one thing here. “Not Mormon.” That’s all that matters here. “I know a guy,” my dad would start to a pretty young girl, “He’s got a college degree, non-smoker, non-drinker, debt free, no student loans, owns his own house.” “Yeah?” she would say, her eyes lighting up. “Except for one thing, he’s not Mormon.” “Oh,” she’d say, crestfallen. “My mother would be so disappointed.” That’s all that matters here. You can be a chain-smoking, alcoholic, ex-con Mormon and have a better chance than my brother or I. I know, I’ve seen it. That’s all that matters here. You hide. You literally hide. You hide under the assumption that people think you’re Mormon. Here it’s not “Are you Mormon?” It’s “What ward are you in?” When, and it’s always when, people find out it’s an “Oh,” followed by a complete change of demeanor. They are cool toward you, or uncomfortable, or hasty. They never talk to you again, if they can help it. They’ll never say it to your face, but the message is clear: You are a lesser being. “It’s a good thing I became Mormon, or I would have kept smoking and drinking.” “I don’t understand you. If I weren’t Mormon I would be drinking like crazy.” These are actual quotes from people. When the college-age guys find out I’m not Mormon I get solicited for sex. Their way of thinking is that, since I’m not Mormon, I’m automatically promiscuous, and having sex with me “doesn’t count.” I’m their toy until they find what they’re really looking for. Children, who don’t understand, are still policed by their parents. Non-Mormon children are not allowed to be friends with the Mormon children. As soon as it’s discovered, it’s suddenly, “I’m not allowed over to your house anymore.” That’s just having a social and personal life. How about getting a job? Or a promotion? You have to be in the right ward. How about having access to your water rights? Sorry, your upstream neighbor is the Bishop, and you’re not Mormon. That’s all that matters here, and you are a lesser being. This is a place where Mormons from outside the area think to themselves “Holy crap these Mormons are weird.” They don’t belong, they are not the Bubble Mormons. I can tell the difference between a Bubble Mormon and an Outside Mormon in ten minutes or less. If the Outside Mormons are very lucky, they get accepted, if not, they are ostracized for reasons they don’t understand. It’s like they’re part of the pack but don’t “smell right” somehow. Now, imagine being outside of that 98%. That 98% bubble where even their own kind are ripped apart for not belonging hard enough. Now imagine being there for 18 years. To say I came to terms with dying alone is not something I say lightly. Then, three weeks ago, my mom said, “Do you want to move?” We broke. They win. We’re leaving. I’m terrified though. I’m more scared than when I had to get an MRI because I might have had a brain tumor (spoiler alert: I didn’t). It’s only about 800 miles away but this is the furthest I’ve ever moved before. We’ve moved several times in those 18 years but it has always been within the confines of the bubble. This is going to be an entirely different world to me. I have one week left in my job to go and I don’t have a new one lined up already. My family and I honestly thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives here and suddenly we’re leaving, fast. You guys are honestly the only thing that kept me sane sometimes. You have no idea the depth I feel for all of you, and this place, because of what my day to day life has always been like with people when I leave my house. I know I wasn’t around for a couple of years, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t think about you. Now, for the first time, I’m stepping outside of that bubble, into the unknown. I honestly have no idea what’s on the other side. I am not a strong or brave person. I’m scared, you guys. |
| Someone made the mistake of letting me publish a book, check Dusted Here! | |
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| ~Alkarii~ | Jun 20 2016, 04:48 AM Post #726 |
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Soul Eater
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Wow. Like, on a holy shit kind of level. I had no idea things were like that. However, it's good to hear that you're getting out of an ideological cesspool like that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-religion, but that's still messed up. Don't think of it as "they win," because you and your family didn't convert just to be accepted. As for getting a new job, yeah, that sucks. In my experience it's been a bit difficult, but mostly because I lack a college education. I don't know what you went to school for, but of you have a degree, I think that makes you a stronger candidate. In regards to moving that far, I remember my family doing so back in the summer of 1993. However, at that age, I didn't really have any friends. What you have is a fresh start, and you're still young enough that you could start a family. It's okay to he a bit scared, but think of this: All of those people who won't step outside that bubble of comfort? They aren't doing it, because they're too scared to do so. |
| Since my liver is larger than my heart, does that mean I'm designed to drink more and care less? | |
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| ~Deadly Aim~ | Jun 20 2016, 08:09 AM Post #727 |
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Deadeye '17, eager to move on from the slow-motion train wreck that was last year.
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B... I'm just going to hug you like a bear, and I will say this to you: No matter where you go out of that bubble, we are here for you. As Alk says, what you have here is a chance to see a world beyond the choking scope of the "bubblefolk"; these people were in a staring contest with you and yours, and THEY blinked, not you guys. My friend, what you have here is a venture into freedom. If you need anything, you need only ask. |
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| +Aiko+ | Jun 20 2016, 11:13 AM Post #728 |
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Roffel House!
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Hey B, I understand you completely. I'm also living in a hyper religious area. If you don't go to church here (meaning Baptist), you simply don't belong. It's hard sometimes, but I get my social fix through my job with my students, which definitely helps. As far as moving, big moves are scary, but they're also exciting. I've moved across the country 6 times now (more than 1200 miles each move). Instead of focusing on the scary unknowns, embrace them. Research your town. See what's there. Create a bucket list of things to see and do once you get there. Find organizations to join and volunteer with. There's always something to explore and do. If you'd like to chat, feel free to call me on skype. I'm temporaloutcast. |
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| +CEMP+ | Jun 20 2016, 11:13 AM Post #729 |
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Clockwork Master
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'Flex, let me tell you something that happened to me not too long ago. I didn't get my old summer job. That may not sound like much, but let me point something out: I've been working at this summer day camp for YEARS. Almost 10, I think, and I've been there longer as just a person because I was originally one of their campers. Then, this, our old director retired, and got replaced by new people, and it had to be downsized. Although I did get interviewed and the people the new peeps did seem really nice, I didn't get re-hired. It's been a long time coming, but in many ways, I needed the change. I needed to start stepping out of my comfort zone. I was fast approaching the end of my Bachelor's in Engineering anyway, and it was a nice coincidence that I had start doing actual job searching. And I hadn't done so much job searching like I had before. I've barely job searched in AGES to be honest; but because of this change, I've gained a ton of new experience in how to research job and utilize my resources. Even if my mom did have to push me sometimes <.<. The point I'm trying to make, however, isn't about the jobs, it's about the experience itself. Job hunting was admittedly a daunting prospect for me, at least to some degree, but because of it, I feel a lot more confident. I have a much better idea in how to go about things. In many ways, the change was needed. And in others, change is just inevitable. The world can and will change around you, and you usually got no choice but to go along with. As the strange Zerg character Dehaka from SC2 will say, "Change is survival. Stay still, and die." But to add to that, change helps freshen things up. Whether its for good or ill, you just gotta bare with things, and make the most of it - while also enjoying it with whoever you can. Including us. We're here for you. RE may very well be it's own happy family, and I'm glad to be a part of it; and even more so your here too. Don't you ever forget that. "Always keep moving forward." |
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"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death." — Monty Oum | |
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| ~Alissa~ | Jun 20 2016, 11:14 AM Post #730 |
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B, I can say that I've been there, not as long as you have, but I know almost exactly what you are talking about ( change up some of the fine details and you get a very similar picture) it is amazing and depressing the effect that an echo chamber like that can have on a community. life outside the bubble will be different, better or worse it will be different, without knowing to where you are transplanting it is hard to say just what you will encounter, but I suspect there will be some variety and that cannot be all bad. also, I just did a little google because I was curious. 800 miles could land you in my fair city....which would be very different.
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4:40 AM Jul 11