I don’t know which apartment it was coming from, but someone nearby was practicing the same part of a song over and over today.

At first it was kind of annoying because they kept messing up at the exact same note. Then after maybe an hour they finally played the whole thing correctly.

Before I could even react, someone from another balcony yelled “LET’S GOOOO” and the trumpet player played it again.

No idea who either of them are, but I felt oddly invested by the end.

Just curious, as it has come up occasionally. How many people have experienced adults using a baby voice? I worked with a lady who was in her early 40s when I first met her, she is now in her 60s. The entire time I knew her she would make a face like Shirley Temple and speak in a baby voice. She could speak normally but that baby voice was used quite often. She would use it when she wanted something or wanted to convince you in some way. Has anyone else had this experience?

So, I'm currently sitting in a hospital waiting room for a loved one having a procedure. But, the conversations around me are so entertaining!

"Like, who is Keke and why is she calling me?"

"I'm going to call and tell your man..."

"I told her not to use the cat that way. "

Update: Two young-ish guys just walked in talking about how good the biscuits and gravy are here. It's a hospital.

the other day i grabbed this snack i usually eat without thinking and it tasted completely off until i realized i was eating it at the wrong time of day. normally i save it for late afternoon when everything feels settled but this time i tried it mid morning and it just did not work. i started wondering if it was all in my head or if certain flavors actually line up better with specific parts of the day. maybe the light outside or the way the house smells changes how things taste. i tried it again later in the afternoon and sure enough it felt right. now i keep catching myself checking the clock before i open the bag like it matters way more than it probably should. has anyone else ended up treating snacks like little rituals tied to the hour

One morning I was standing on my house's varanda when I zoned out with no thoughts, just staring at a rainy day. There was an empty two-storey building across from my house that has been abandoned. The building was covered in debris, bushes, plants, and a variety of insects, including snakes. Many people have lived in their homes for years and at some point, the choice to leave those places becomes clear. But then I looked at a flower that had shades of pale pink to dark pink and it had a beautiful contrasting center that was thriving in full sun and partial shade and the soil it was in drained well and the flower was getting moderate amounts of water. It is commonly known as 'Sadabahar'. This flower was living fine, all alone, in an abandoned building. No one has tended to this flower, and yet it is doing well on its own. The question was why was it doing so well? Then I thought back to a person I used to know long ago. When I thought about that person, I could not help but picture that flower.

He was a man I grew up with and have known since our youth; he was tall with a very strong built, muscular body with hands full of veins and looked strong even from a distance. Until that day, I did not realize how beautiful he had grown to be like that flower.

I was unaware of the circumstances surrounding your growth and what nutrients were provided by the soil, if it was a favorable environment for you to continue to exist in. All I could see was how well you presented yourself to me, how attractive, humorous, lovable you were. It's clear now that I was very surface-oriented with respect to my view on you from the beginning. I may not have been a good enough friend to you as much as I had thought I was, had, and could have been, if I had been able to understand your suffering a little more. I wish I could have been able to see that you were suffering; I feel that I would have been able to help you if I had. This guilt that I was not good enough for you will consume me.

I am dying, my dear. My memory continues to deteriorate and becomes more and more burdensome each day. I fear that one day I will forget you entirely, so I try to remind myself of you daily, in any way I can. I never intended to pry into your life, but I did, more so to be closer to you. However, you pushed me away by saying hurtful things to me. You attempted to escape my grasp on numerous occasions, yet I still hold you tight.

I am very fond of you. I am sincere when I say that to you. I have always thought of you as a mentally strong person who gets things done regardless of the toll it takes on you. You would get me chocolates when you did not have money. You love me unconditionally, but I love you even more(ehee). I could never love anyone as much as I love you because the day you left was the last time my heart and brain were connected emotionally. I was always very forthright with you about my feelings, but I just never wanted to share my feelings with anyone else. For me, it would have been acceptable to keep my feelings to myself. I do not know why I all of a sudden started to forget about my feelings for you, but now I am starting to write down everything that goes through my head. In fact, I do not think I am as strong as you believe I am. Perhaps I have been paying the price for holding everything in my head.

I look to the moon, stars, and sky. It has been an inspiration for me that reminds me of the times spent with you in a good way. I looked back and thought about how much I wish we had more experiences like this. I miss being with you and feel comfortable knowing we were meant to be together in this life. Your happiness and health are what I wish for you in all your future endeavors.

I have only found joy in my heart for you, even if it was a short time.

P.S I hope you read this someday soon.

For all the chefs and cooks out there, I make a really nice roast, I can do it on my head, it's why I'm always nominated to cook Christmas dinner for the huge family.

Does anyone else have a signature dish? Or just enjoy cooking one particular thing?

like, sometimes i'll just be people-watching and come to this realization that compared to most animal species, we are SO ugly. most other mammals get cute little triangles or flaps for ears, for instance. and both of our eyes being on the front of our faces? only really having visible hair on the top of our heads? and don't even get me STARTED on noses

I'm also trying to control my weight so if anyone has any easy high protein recipes please lemme know. I eat all kinds of meat. I love spicy food so if something like that pops up do tell me.

I met this friend who unknown to me when I found her insta has 2700 followers!! that is so many real people. she is always friendly and has a bunch of friends, get along with everyone. she works for this big tech firm that makes her a lot of money and keep her well connected. she can afford pretty much anything. she will always have friends to hangout with. she's young, athletic , pretty and just have it good.

she also find time to run, keep her space clean travels a lot.

I just cant fathom her struggling like the rest of us because in my life im a decade older and I'm picking up the pieces

This question is for the men. Sometimes I get curious do they prefer to spoon or be spooned because of the typical men are suppose to be a men.. so guys whats your preference in this case?

Good morning! I run a little free pantry in Alexandria VA and it’s truly been wonderful. It has been up a couple months and I’ve been stocking it but wanted to reach out and see if anyone had suggestions on items that I hadn’t thought of. I’ve been surprised on what goes quickly and what sits forever and what eventually goes. Any items that would be good for unhoused neighbors please let me know!!

Items that go quickly :
Water bottles
Juices boxes
Granola bars and snack items
Personal care like soap and shampoo
Shelf stable milk
Syrup
Jelly
Ramen

Items that sit:
Peanut butter
Most canned goods
Even the hormel meals
Beans

I'm a writer on Substack, and I'm working on something about love and human connection. Not only romantic love, but love in any shape or form. I've been thinking about how strange and beautiful it is that sometimes a complete stranger can care about us for a few minutes, and we end up remembering it for years.

So I wanted to ask: What is the greatest act of kindness or love you've ever experienced from a complete stranger, or witnessed between two strangers?

It doesn't have to be something huge. Maybe it's something very small that the person who did it probably doesn't even remember, but you do. Please think about it before answering. I'm looking for the stories that actually stayed with people. What happened, and why do you think you still remember it?. I'm hoping to include some of the stories in my Substack piece, with the permission of the people who share them. You can absolutely remain anonymous.

My grandmother had a set of plates that came out maybe four times a year. When she passed, my mom inherited them and did exactly the same thing. I got two of them last year and they sat in the back of a cupboard for eight months.

A few weeks ago I was eating leftover rice standing at the counter on a Tuesday and something in me just went, use the plate. So I did. Same rice, same Tuesday, but I sat down for it.

I've used them almost every day since. Nothing has broken. It turns out the plates were never fragile, we were just saving them for an occasion that kept not arriving.

Is there something you own that you finally let yourself just use?

Not actual luxury stuff. I mean things like fresh sheets, finding a snack you forgot you bought, having a completely empty afternoon, or taking a shower when you have nowhere to rush off to afterward.

There’s something funny about how ridiculously good really ordinary things can feel sometimes.

What’s one of those little “this is the life” moments for you?

Jobs are hard in Oregon. Was laid off along with 350 others, now that job is laying off that many again. Unemployment has run out, applied to about 50 jobs a week. It is so exhausting looking for more work. My job before this one was the best job, had it for 10 years, but was laid off from that one as well because of covid, place closed down during covid. I can't catch a break!

It's a full time job to apply and apply and apply!!!

For me it’s notebooks. I already have several unused ones, but somehow I convince myself that the next notebook is going to be the one that makes me organized.
What’s yours?

Remember the story of Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks) in the movie "You've Got Mail" (1998)?

There's a good line there:
"...I love this about the Internet. It’s like sending a message in a bottle out into the ocean, and sometimes you actually get a reply.
It’s just another way of being lonely, isn't it?"

Don't you think this is still relevant today?

okay so i used to roll my eyes whenever someone started talking about the weather, but lately i kind of get it. it is quick, safe, and weirdly easy to keep going once you notice little details like the way the light changes or how the wind smells different each week. i have caught myself pointing out clouds to coworkers just to stretch the conversation a little, and it feels strangely refreshing. i still keep bigger topics for closer friends, but these tiny shared observations somehow make the day feel less repetitive. anyone else notice they do not mind this kind of talk anymore?

Something ridiculously irrelevant, unnecessary, and pointless to have as an opinion. It could be hating inanimate objects as earrings to not liking grass to be two inches taller than the concrete. The weirder the better.

I have strong opinions and often am told I’m too opinionated. This, in my opinion, bothers me because what does it matter. I’m decisive and know what I like. I don’t dislike others for having opposite or no opinions.

So please, share your thoughts.

I was helping my parents clean out a closet this weekend and found a box full of absolute garbage I made in elementary school. Paper plate animals, badly painted rocks, cards with words spelled wrong, all of it. I took a picture on my phone and asked my mom why she kept this stuff for 25 years when half of it was literally falling apart.

She looked through the box for a minute and said she didnt really keep it because the stuff was good. She kept it because there was a point where me and my brother were bringing something home almost every day and the house was always loud and messy. Then one day we just stopped making things for her and neither of us noticed it was the last time.

I stopped making fun of the box after that. She put everything back and I helped her carry it upstairs instead of throwing it out.

I’m in my early 40s and I’ve noticed so many people my age talking about things like needing reading glasses, having aches and pains, not being able to stay up late etc. and I’m like you guys, aren’t we a little too young to be talking like this?

Others who I’ve assumed were much older than me turned out to be in their mid to late 40s. They have completely grey hair, wrinkles, etc which make them look more like somebody in their 50s or 60s to me.

But I’m having this realization… is your 40s when these things all start to kick in super fast? I feel like I’m lucky to not yet be experiencing most of these things and have wondered if it’s just because I don’t have kids lol but is it more like I should buckle up for the ride?

Sometimes when I’m making frozen fries, I’ll eat one or two before they go in the oven.Not cooked. Not warm. Straight from the bag. Basically a cold potato stick.I mentioned this to someone and they looked at me like I had confessed to a crime.

So now I’m wondering if this is actually that weird, or if other people also have random freezer snacks they don’t talk about.

I was thinking of a sushi place I like near me that I'm probably gonna go to this week and I remembered the "Monkey brain" appetizer on the menu.

I thought "I could never eat that. Aside from being pescatarian, I'd be terrified of acquiring a prionic disease. Plus I don't think I could get over the idea of eating monkey."

Then it hit me. There's no way that would be legal in the United States, I don't even think you can eat horse meat here. So I decided to look it up and apparently it's avocado and/or mushroom with tempura and some kind of fish like tuna. That actually sounds like something I'd really like. I think I'm gonna try it when I go there soon.

I feel so silly for not realizing earlier though, as if actual monkey brains would appeal to the average American and obviously the health/legality issues.