Y’all Ever Notice That A Lot Of Men Think Having Any Expectation For Your Partner’s Behavior. Like

Quality friendship is sitting on the bus together listening to “Pink Triangle” by Weezer.

It takes so many spoons just to be goth. I hope everyone appreciates the effort I put into being a social outcast.

This is beautiful.

DAAaHRLINg,

In the late 1970s, homosexuality was considered a disease in Sweden. In protest, some people called in sick claiming that they, “felt gay” and couldn’t come in to work.

Why do so many lyft/Uber drivers ask, “so where we heading today?” Like, you know where we’re heading. It literally tells you. Why are you forcing human interaction?

It’s SO hot but I can’t take the blanket off because then the monsters will get me.

To those who profit off of right wing radicalization:

This is a message for big social media companies whose algorithms boost radical content and lead people down conspiracy theory rabbit holes, for radical right wing news networks like OAN and NewsMax, for conspiracy theory promoters who know that what they’re saying isn’t true but promote it anyway because it makes them money, for Jim Watkins and whoever is behind Q, for all of the conservative congressmen and women like Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz who voted not to certify the election results. And for Donald J. Trump. How dare you? How dare you prey on people who are confused and scared and searching for anything that provides them with answers in this time of uncertainty. You have knowingly radicalized people, torn them apart from their families, their friends, their communities. You have tricked these people into believing that the world is against them. People are naturally afraid of what they cannot control. They will instinctively search for answers that make them feel like this has happened for a reason. That there is something that can be done to make all of our problems go away. You know this. And instead of doing your part to ensure that people have the right information and know who to look to in this time of need, you chose to trade people’s lives and well-being for your own monetary gain. A large group of the population lived most of their lives without the internet. They are not used to being able to access such a large quantity of information. And they are certainly not used to a lot of it being untrue. These people grew up where their only sources of information were local and national news and the library. They grew up in a world where there wasn’t much monetary benefit to misinformation. Where they could, for the most part, trust that the information they were being told was true. They were never taught how to check the validity of online sources, how to know if what they’re being told is true. As a result, they are especially vulnerable to fear mongering, conspiracy theories, and ultimately, radicalization. You knew that, and you exploited them. My grandparents have always been conservative, but they were never conspiracy theorists. They always had their heads on straight. They may have disagreed with democrats and other people on the left, but they weren’t evil. There might have been differences between them and other branches of Christianity, but that didn’t mean they were Godless. They may not have liked certain government interventions, but that didn’t mean they were trying to prosecute Christians. In the past couple of years, and especially since the start of Covid, all of that has changed. My grandmother is always talking about how terrible the state of human trafficking in this country is. She’s always going on about how all of these social distancing regulations are just trying to make Christianity illegal. She said that Joe Biden is awful and not a real Christian because he’s Catholic. She thinks the CDC, a non-partisan organization, is corrupt. (Luckily she still got the vaccine.) She even told me that they’re making it legal in some places to murder babies who are already born. My grandfather, while more subtle about his beliefs around me, will still mutter things to my grandmother when smear campaign ads come on, and will nod along when my grandmother repeats bunk facts and statistics about antifa and abortion. (This is part 1. I’m posting part 2 right away.)

How to Survive Fourth of July With Hypervigilance:

Independence Day can be rough for Americans living with hypervigilance related issues. The loud noises can make your heart race and your head spin. It may even feel hard to breathe. You’re gonna have to be strong. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help.

Put in your earbuds. Listening to music will not only drown out the sound, it may also help you calm down. Music has been shown to help reduce anxiety and stress levels by up to 65 percent.

Use noise reduction headphones. If you want, you may even be able to see the fireworks! Just make sure you slip on a pair of noise reduction headphones. They can reduce the noise by more than 70 percent!

Spend the day with someone you love. Just being around someone we love can help steady our heart rates and calm our breathing. While it may still be rough, spending the time with a loved one is likely to make it a little less torturous.

Take a shower. It’s gonna be a long shower, but the noise of the water will drown out the fireworks.

Cuddle with a furry friend. Pets can be hugely therapeutic to people struggling with any sort of mental health issue, and even more so for those struggling with anxiety and ptsd. (Note: this may not work if your pet is just as panicked about fireworks as you are.)

But most importantly, especially for anyone struggling with any past trauma, remind yourself that you are safe. Do something that requires you to interact with your environment to help yourself stay in the here and now. It can be hard to stay in the present when faced with certain triggers, especially if you are alone.

You are strong and you will make it through this. Everything will be okay. I promise.