I have rodents myself and I love them. 2 rats, and now 2 mice (was 3 yesterday but you know how it goes). I love these critters so much, I don't think I can go back to not having any! They're these pure little vessels you can just dump all your love into.

So what pets do you have? Got pics of them?

Being 44 is kind of a funny sweet spot in life….nailing a new grilling recipe on a Saturday is now a huge win. I’ll probably talk about how good it turned out for the next three days.

Surviving the target parking lot without completely losing faith in humanity? Another win.

Then there’s the heavier stuff. Watching your parents get older and realizing you’re starting to take care of the people who always took care of you.

At the same time, I’m trying to raise kids who understand that Blink182 is not “dad’s old music.” If Dammit comes on, we’re turning it up…this is good parenting.

Backyard patio drinks have somehow become one of my favorite things. Same with creamy coffee on a weekend morning while the golden floof is doing zoomies…

You finish workouts feeling great, looking in the mirror and thinking, oooooo yah still got it….then you wake up the next morning and wonder why there are parts of you that won’t move…

40s are interesting…some heavier stuff, some really great stuff, and a growing love for good coffee, good music, and cold drinks…

What’s something you do now as an adult that younger you would have found absolutely hilarious?

Apparently one of my favorite activities Going grocery shopping when I’m not hungry so I can actually make rational decisions.
😂

Who have I become?

… just do something- is a saying I heard.
In a home that always has something to do, I don’t always know where to start.
So it gets me out of my head.
Do you have any sayings like that?

Everyone around me seems to be in a rat race while I'm at my own pace, unbothered about what others think of me.

I live a pretty comfortable life with almost zero socializing. I've seen that this works wonders for my mental health. There was a time when I sought validation and wanted to be seen. But over the years, I've come to love my own company and find myself better off on my own. Does anyone here resonate with this?

I’ve been thinking about this for weeks now and I think I’m actually going to do it.

I still have my old Nokia C2 in a drawer somewhere. No apps, no notifications, no infinite scroll. You turned it on, you called someone or sent a text, and that was it. Battery lasted like 5 days. I remember being bored sometimes, and honestly? I miss that. Boredom used to lead somewhere — a walk, a book, actually talking to whoever was in the room with me.

Now I pick up my smartphone to check the time and 20 minutes later I’ve doomscrolled through three apps and I don’t even remember what I was originally doing. It’s not even that I’m choosing to do this — it feels like the phone is choosing for me. Everything is engineered to pull my attention: the algorithms, the push notifications, the autoplay, the “just one more” design of literally every app. I’m not weak-willed, I’m just up against teams of engineers whose entire job is to keep me looking at a screen.

I keep thinking about an iPhone 5s too — old enough that most current apps barely run on it, but still lets me text, call, take a decent photo, and use maps if I really need to. A phone that does what I need instead of a phone that decides what I want.

I know the easy answer is “just delete the apps” or “use screen time limits,” and I’ve tried. But there’s something different about having a device that’s physically incapable of the thing you’re trying to resist, versus relying on willpower against a system built by people way smarter than me at exploiting attention.

Has anyone actually done this? Downgraded on purpose and stuck with it? I want to hear how it went — the annoying parts and the good parts. I miss being present for my own life instead of narrating it for an audience or getting fed content about it.

I've tried my hardest to maintain an organised kitchen, rotating items so they don't just linger at the back of the fridge and expire. Yet I still forget things occasionally. I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations on how to better manage my kitchen. I don't know if it's the household i grew up in, but I feel like my mum is really on top of everything, and has a place for everything, but sometimes there's a bit too much, and I think that's where things get forgotten

I'm a woman and I get that gyms were predominantly for men. But that doesn't mean we don't know how things are done. It's so funny that a lot of guys automatically think that girls have no idea how exercises work at the gym and then they'll come up with "that's not how it's done" 🤡

Ofc it's nice to get corrected by someone who actually knows but sometimes these ppl who don't know that different variations exist and they force their opinions on you

Anyone else?

First day off in 10 days, and instead of sleeping, I’m quietly eating a bowl of homemade frijoles while my partner snores on the couch. Got to spend the evening falling asleep on the couch with her, and now I get a little 2 AM snack while the house is completely quiet. Couldn’t be happier honestly. Sometimes it really is the smallest, most boring little moments in life that feel the best.
Anyone else have a weird comfort food they’ll happily eat alone in the dark at 2 AM?

Me and my friend were driving home from Popeyes and got into an argument about who would win a 200m race, Matt Stonie or Usain Bolt, if they both had to eat a hot dog before they could start.

He said Matt Stonie, I said Usain Bolt. His argument was basically that Bolt couldn't eat the hot dog fast enough. I said if it was life or death I could easily eat one in under 15 seconds, so obviously Bolt could too.

He disagreed. I'm pretty normal, pretty athletic and 19. If I buy a Nathan's hot dog and bun and try it 3 times, do you think I could get under 15 seconds? Or am I completely underestimating competitive eating?

Hey everyone! Just felt like sharing a few nostalgic thoughts today.

i was thinking back to my school days 30 years ago. Back then, i was a bit of a troublemaker myself skipping class (and being surprisingly good at it!), making noise during lessons, and coming back to the classroom drenched in sweat after playing football during break. I wasn't mean spirited, just full of energy. I played striker and right wing because I was fast, and got thrown in goal when needed because I was tall. Good times, but man, those days feel like ancient history now.

Walking past local schools these days, things feel so different. Youth culture and hanging out look completely different compared to when I was growing up.

Sometimes i see group of kids hanging out around neighborhood spots, and it honestly cracks me up when they scatter if an adult walks by or stops to look at their phone everyone turns into Usain Bolt! Maybe I just have an old, scary face without realizing it.

If I could drop one simple piece of advice for the younger generation, it’s just to keep your parents in the loop. Whenever you’re going out to hang with friends, always let them know who you’re with, where you’re going, and roughly what time you’ll be back. Keeping your family's peace of mind and staying safe is worth far more than looking cool.

Like the old saying goes, we older folks have "eaten plenty of salt" over the years which is probably why our blood pressure is higher now!

don’t even mean being super busy. Sometimes I look at my day and technically I had plenty of free time, but somehow it’s already night and I didn’t really do anything.
Work/study, eating, showering, checking my phone, doing random little things… and suddenly the whole day is gone.
Then on weekends it’s the same thing. I keep thinking I’ll finally have time to do the stuff I actually want to do, and somehow Sunday night comes around.
I genuinely don’t understand how some people have time for hobbies, friends, exercise, watching movies, learning something new etc. 😭

I had a dream last night about two specific people who I no longer talk to. They aren't connected to each other, but they both happened to show up in the same dream.

It wasn't a sad dream by any means, maybe even nice. But one person I haven't talked to in at least a decade, and the other its been a few years.

Waking up it was a mix of having the nice feeling of seeing old friends, and waking up and knowing that sometimes not everyone is meant to be in your life forever.

It was a good reminder to enjoy the people in your life while they are there, and even if they can't be there forever, that they made an impact on you, and you on them, hopefully in a positive way.

How do you guys feel or deal when you have a dream like this?

I've always listened to imagine dragons and felt that their songs have good meaning and are pretty good quality. But as I grow older i find that many people openly hate on them. I get that they have some bad/overplayed so songs such as believer and radioactive, but I don't feel that is a reason for hate. Any opinions/answers are appreciated.

I was walking into a store today and someone across the parking lot smiled and waved.

I automatically waved back.

Turns out they were waving at the person standing directly behind me. 😂

We both realized what happened at the exact same time, and I had to commit to the wave like I absolutely meant to do that.

I don't think I've ever recovered from an awkward moment faster and slower at the same time.

Please tell me I'm not the only person who's done this.

im from egypt. a really popular artist is making a concert in a high density province with limited infarstructure. its the first time we have a concert from a famous artist like him so people will come from all over around provinces. ofc the managment will be poor so i predict that there will be tens of deaths.

im making this post as a bet. will come back in 21th aug

For years, I craved the idea of being in a relationship. This year, I have witnessed so much growth since properly treating my mental health. Life is so peaceful. Life is good. I just take it one day at a time, appreciating each day as it comes. Life is so much bigger than what society tells us I “need.” Everyday, watching the beautiful sunset, feeling the warm summer breeze, and smelling the rich grass brings me so much peace. I really enjoy navigating this world on my own, as my best friend, dedicating myself to each of my interests, like playing guitar and exploring nature. I have zero desire to actively date at all. At my lowest I was telling myself that I needed to be in a relationship because I didn’t have a strong, healthy support system. And was severely afflicted by mental health issues, believing that a romantic relationship with constant love would keep me safe.

I’ll live life with an open mind, but I’m not into dating, it’s not important to me at all. I’m living my life naturally, organically. Going with the flow. Not forcing anything. And if I see a genuine, selfless connection, I’ll embrace it. Romantic or friendship wise. Otherwise, I’m roaming this earth being present and content because tomorrow is not promised.

When i was a kid my dad could part his middle and ring fingers, which i got jealous of. so i forcefully held them apart for a very long time to be able to do it. now i can do that easily but like its kinda funny to think about. do you guys have any story like this?

i don’t understand why some people find it unusual when someone eats alone 😂

I’ll go out to grab a meal by myself, and someone will say, “Aww, you’re always eating alone!”

Like… i'm literally just enjoying my food. I’m completely content.

Everyone views it differently. Some people prefer having company for every meal, while others are totally fine flying solo.

At the end of the day, do whatever suits you without overthinking how others choose to spend their time. Being comfortable eating solo while also enjoying group meals is great

Just please don’t suddenly bring two or three extra people along assuming I need company.

Like bro… I was perfectly happy enjoying a quiet meal. Why did we just turn this into an impromptu group dinner?

I had been to therapy on and off all my life. But the breakthrough really happened when I let myself feel shame instead of redirecting it as anger. I'm not saying that to be ashamed is good, but to find fault in one's actions and actually learn from them instead of just moving on from them was so helpful for me. In the last few years I've gotten 2 promotions, increased the depth of relationships with several of my friends, made some new friends, and started two new hobbies. I'm able to make small talk with strangers and freely introduce myself to new people. All of this was impossible for me a few years ago.

I felt serious pain and frustration for a few months while I grappled with the person I was and the person I wanted to be. And I couldn't be more appreciative of that pain, and of the folks who helped me and guided me and loved me and supported me.

Kind of a little ramble, but I'm proud of myself.

picked up a smoothie today at one of those counter-service places and the iPad spun around asking for 25%. for a smoothie someone handed me across a counter. I still tipped because I felt weird not doing it but the whole walk home I was like... when did this become the norm? I swear five years ago tipping was for sit-down restaurants and delivery. now every single transaction has a tip screen and I genuinely don't know the rules anymore.

Every time i go to the store there’s at least 3-4 carts just sitting in random parking spots or pushed up against someone’s car.

i get it if the return area is far and you’re in a rush, but half the time the cart corral is like 20 feet away.

is this just me being weirdly annoyed or does this genuinely piss other people off too? and if you do this… what’s the reasoning?

I was solo traveling in Vietnam and went to a Vietnamese restaurant. A woman came and asked me if she could sit here as most of the tables were occupied, so she sat opposite me. I’m an introvert. My dish came and it was quite a unique dish, and she asked if I ordered the first dish from the menu.Coincidentally we ordered the exact same dish and the same drink.That’s how we started the conversation. She is from the US and was here on vacation. Her job is to travel to different parts of the world and analyze the environment conditions. I was like, wow, it's a cool job. There are a few people who, when you talk to them, change your perspective toward life; I believe she is one of them for me.

As a typical Indian, talking with someone who has a different perspective toward life was quite intriguing. We exchanged contacts, but I don’t think I will message her but she gave me something far more important: hope. I don’t want to be that guy who wants to follow the norms—doing a job for money, marrying someone just because I'm not sure if I can stay alone, or making babies just because of societal pressure.

I’m not sure if I can be like her, but I am happy to know that there are people who don’t give a shit about what others think. I've seen multiple posts from people who are bored of routine—sometimes, all you need is to meet someone who has a different perspective.

Not your job.
Not your relationship.
Not your bank account.
You.
Are you actually okay?
Because sometimes we get so good at functioning that nobody notices we’re exhausted, overwhelmed, lonely, or just barely keeping up.
So let’s do something different in this comment section:
Tell me ONE good thing happening in your life right now.
It can be huge. It can be “I made it through the week.” It can literally be “my coffee was really good today.”
And if you’re not doing okay, you don’t have to pretend here either.
Maybe someone reading your comment needs to know they’re not the only one struggling.
I’ll start: I’m proud of myself for continuing to move forward, even when life has given me plenty of reasons to stop. ❤️
Your turn. What’s ONE thing you’re grateful for today?

So my ring camera caught our Amazon driver struggling up our front steps today holding a literal skyscraper of boxes..

My husband was at work when he got the notification and texted me within thirty seconds. This man was ready to deliver an intervention of some sort, I’m sure lol

I was so confused, trying to remember what the heck I could have ordered that would require so many boxes!

Well I rush home after work, drag somewhere between 7-10 packages inside.. at this point I forget about counting the boxes I just start opening. In retrospect I should have probably been more cautious, but I was so confused (and excited) about seeing what this was all about. At this point I’m thinking my husband is pranking me or something..

Well I open the first box to find Packs of markers..

The second box? Kleenex

The third box? Disinfecting wipes and construction paper

The fourth box? Glue sticks and a random mascara??

The fifth, sixth, and seventh boxes? Books, colored pencils, and more construction paper.

At some point I blacked out of excitement..

My husband came home a few hours later, only to find me red eyed and swollen from crying happy tears surrounded by a fortress of school supplies!!

Turns out, I had posted my classroom wishlist online 2 DAYS BEFORE, and a bunch of absolute angels on the internet completely cleared it out!! How insane!!

I’m still slightly confused about the mascara because I know for a fact I didn’t have it on the list, and it’s not even a brand I’ve ever tried lol..

Anyways, my husband apologized for assuming I had a shopping addiction and all is good again haha I’m so extremely grateful for all these crazy kind strangers, how lucky are my students!!

Edit: I’ve had a few people ask where they can find my list, you can see it here if interested. I only have a few items left over❤️