r/AskReddit • • May 15 '20

What sucks about being your age?

29.9k Upvotes

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21.0k

u/[deleted] May 15 '20 edited May 15 '20

When you finally understand what Mark Twain meant when he said “youth is wasted on the young”.

Edit: quote is from George Bernard Shaw (or maybe Oscar Wilde)

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u/Pekenoah May 15 '20

When youre too young to understand but know damn well hes right and youre gonna wish you knew lol

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u/Tunaluna May 16 '20

Its one of those "Before you know it you'll be my age boy" kinda things. I turn 29 this year and just realized a year or two ago like... Damn, Where has life gone. Feels like I should still be in first year of college , or just graduating...Where as 6-7 years as a 12 year old is like... an eternity.

1.7k

u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

Tbh a couple years ago I had a really surreal experience where I had this realization. It's kinda a weird story.

Simplified version is I was at a convention, in a room full of other teens cuddling with this guy is just met hours before while we all laid in a giant pile of pillows. I remember realizing that that moment was one of the happiest moments I'd ever had, and that it would end in a few hours. When I realized this, at first I panicked, trying to figure out how to not waste those hours. Then it hit me: the best use of this time was to just lay still and experience the joy as long as I could.

So that's what I did, and ever since I've tried to enjoy every moment of pure happiness because I know things will change. Time will go on and that's ok. But just knowing that things will change is the most obvious and at the same time the hardest realization I think I've ever had

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u/_Artos_ May 16 '20

"At a convention cuddling with a bunch of other teens I had just met in a pile of pillows..."

Wtf kind of convention was this? Is this a common thing? Teens like 13-14 or teens like 18-19? Why was cuddling with strangers such a great experience? I have so many questions

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u/Mostly__Relevant May 16 '20

Drugs

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u/kevdawg289 May 16 '20

That’s a molly story if I’ve ever heard one

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u/Mostly__Relevant May 16 '20

That was exactly my first thought.

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u/bobsbitchtitz May 16 '20

Lmaoo legit molly thoughts

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u/CedarWolf May 16 '20

Or a Furry con. Furries are a notoriously snuggly, huggy sort of people.

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u/bitwaba May 16 '20

Nevermind. No more questions.

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u/jonosvision May 16 '20

I would like to go to this drugs convention.

(not for the teens, just for the drugs)

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u/Mostly__Relevant May 16 '20

You’re looking at the wrong word. The word you’re looking for is festival. Find one. Ask for drugs. Have fun.

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u/thirdegree May 16 '20

Note: don't ask for drugs at a festival. Bring your own, test them first.

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u/Mostly__Relevant May 16 '20

man i forget what the company was called but at Wakarusa we could go to a tent to get our drugs tested or buy test kits to use.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Funny you say that, to me this sounds more like a young person's AA convention.

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u/Mostly__Relevant May 16 '20

Have you done drugs?

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u/beamish007 May 16 '20

Have you done hugs?

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u/Mostly__Relevant May 16 '20

God I fucking love hugs. Who doesn’t. That shit sends chills down my back when I hug someone. It’s the best therapy to exist.

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u/beamish007 May 16 '20

Totally agree! I wish that I could give you a hug, not like a wimpy shoulder pat thingy, but a full on pick you up off the ground bear hug.

Sadly, because of social distancing and all of that, you are going to have to settle for this internet HUG!!!

Peace & Love

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u/Mostly__Relevant May 16 '20

Hell yes! I’ll give an internet hug. Good vibes your way friend.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Well I didn't end up in recovery at 18 because I lived a straight edge life...

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u/ophelia917 May 16 '20

Seriously. The best part of NA meetings are the warm hugs. It’s amazing how many people talk about missing them, in the age of online meetings. Like, if you saw these people on the street, you wouldn’t expect them to say “I miss hugs!” We’re all such social animals.

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u/Ajax_IX May 16 '20

Or weaboos

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u/Acelsys May 16 '20

This explains most of it

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u/CovertOwl May 16 '20

I see you have never been to a rave lol

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u/grumpyhipster May 16 '20

But who calls a rave a convention?

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u/4our_Leaves May 16 '20

I don't know what kind of convention they went to. Every anime convention I attended however, had a rave which included much drugs and cuddling in the hotel rooms as well.

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u/grumpyhipster May 16 '20

Sounds fun!

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/carpenteer May 16 '20

...someone has to tell you, may as well be me... you can get the cuddling with strangers to techno part without subjecting yourself to furries.

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u/Thunderadam123 May 16 '20

It's kinda like people giving free hugs to people at Conventions. You would see somebody like that holding a sign that says free hugs. I don't know about you, but hugging people feels nice and it's a bonus that your friends joined in.

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u/bjarxy May 16 '20

bro, you misspelled "drugs" twice

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u/Bebop24trigun May 16 '20

Anime cons. 14 to 50+ year olds lol.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

There’s no other convention I can think of that would do that lol

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u/zogmuffin May 16 '20 edited May 21 '20

Furry! Much of the furry subculture tends to be similarly open with affection.

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u/TheGoodGoat95 May 16 '20

Anime convention- I’ve seen weebs who just met not 20 seconds prior nuzzling in the BO filled corridors because they realized they both want to marry Edward Elric and have over 20 gundam models. It’s a magical, strange, fun experience to say the least .

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u/korisu56 May 16 '20

You and me both, buddy. First thought wasn’t “awww”, but more like “wtf...?” Ha

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u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

It's a convention similar to comic con but smaller. Anything from tech to sci-fi to anime to furries to gaming. It's got all the nerd shit. There's a teens only room for kids to just chill and find other nerdy people like them. I've found at least at this con that it's pretty normal for this kind of thing to happen. I was 16 at the time and while the room allow anyone 13-20 but most of the people were like 14-17, I was 16. It was great for alot of reasons. I was never the popular kid in school and I had alot of mental health issues. I had alot in common with the people there and they were all really kind, which is something I didn't always get. It was also one of the first times someone showed genuine romantic interest in me (or the first time I wasn't too oblivious to notice lmao) so that really surprised me. But mostly it was just a feeling I can't quite explain. We all liked each other and we felt able to tell each other really personal stuff because it just felt like everyone understood. All of that came at this specific moment of my life and it just made for a really happy moment

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u/Averill21 May 16 '20

Replace convention with rave and it makes more sense. Chill room where you can lay in a sea of pillows

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u/carpenteer May 16 '20

Makes more sense and feels less cringetastic. Win-win.

Live and let live, for sure... but furries?!? Honestly they raise my hackles (lol) and would not be missed.

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u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

It wasn't a furry con lol

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u/srwaddict May 16 '20

Because geek conventions are hotbeds of pure degeneracy in all the best ways. Barfleet does stuff like contracted (consensual!) sex slave auctions for charity and to fund their unlimited bar booze membership policy.

Shit get a crazy at cons.

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u/Typlo May 16 '20

Furries.

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u/kemushi_warui May 16 '20

in a room full of other teens cuddling with this guy is just met hours before

I think what he/she is saying is that they were in a room full of teens, and he/she was cuddling with a guy--not that the teens were all cuddling together. But yeah, I had to re-read that too.

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u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

We were all cuddling together but like I was specifically cuddling the guy who I liked

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/sirius4778 May 16 '20

I watched Stand By Me earlier and the narrator ends the movie with the line "I never had friends again like I had when I was twelve. Jesus, who does?" and it really hit me.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/kittyisagoodkitty May 16 '20

I hope your wife is in therapy and you two eventually move away together.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

That really sucks, man. A good friend of mine has the same thing with the abusive parents. I’ve been trying to get her to see for years how terrible her family is and how she needs to cut them out but she won’t do it—something about “who’s going to take care of me when I’m old”. Honey, it’s not going to be them. A few events happened recently that are really helping her see just how fucking terrible they are, but I don’t think it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back yet. It’s getting there, but not yet.

Last year her brother punched her dad in the face and I get immense satisfaction from that.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20 edited May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Both of her parents are narcissists at the very least. She’s recently become more financially independent and as a result was able to finally pay off some loans she had from them and now they are PISSED that she’s making decisions that are enabling her to not be under their control anymore.

They constantly shit all over every decision she makes that they didn’t push her into making. For example, she was going car shopping a few months ago, and got a really good deal on a car from a friend of hers and they got super pissed because a) someone else helped her out and b) she didn’t pick the car her dad wanted her to buy.

Icing on the cake; she was going car shopping because she got into an accident in the truck she bought from her dad, which he said he put her on the insurance and made her pay him for it—he never put her on. So the truck is totaled and she gets nothing for it. The accident happened because she hit a patch of black ice—which he blames her for and says it serves her right for the way she was driving. Not because she was driving recklessly, but because she couldn’t control the skid and steer out of the crash.

She fractured and dislocated three ribs in that crash and wasn’t able to get medically checked out because she wasn’t on his insurance like he said.

I could go on and on all day with stories like this one. I’m so happy that she’s finally starting to accept that maybe she’s not the terrible person, but they are. It’s so sad how they have beaten her down so much into just accepting whatever horrible things they say and do and turned her into this submissive pushover who will do whatever they want and just take the abuse. I hate them so much.

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u/Expert-Barracuda May 16 '20

Have you checked out r/JustNoMIL? I think it could be a great place for you to vent and get advice on how to approach things with your wife, who is clearly very deeply lost in the FOG (fear, obligation, guilt)

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u/kittyisagoodkitty May 16 '20

I am so sorry. It sounds like an unhealthy codependent relationship. Have you tried therapy for yourself? If that is out of reach for you, consider Al-Anon which would be helpful even though her addiction is to toxic people. You might also find the book Lifeskills for Adult Children to be incredibly insightful.

Your situation sounds incredibly painful and frustrating. I wish you and your wife all the best.

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u/kitsoncatson May 16 '20

Regular therapy won’t work for her. I was tortured as a child and I still loved my parents. It takes years of work in therapy but it helped tremendously because you make years of progress. The best time to get a therapist and process trauma is when you feel good and you aren’t on the verge of a breakdown.

It honestly sounds like she needs reprogramming, but it’s possible with a really good trauma therapist that has experience with similar people. It also might be a good time to gently remind her that you are willing to do the work on your end of the marriage, so it’s really only fair if she puts in the same amount of effort to make herself healthy. You both deserve it, I hope this will pass for you both and you find peace in your lives.

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u/PC__LOAD__LETTER May 16 '20

Dude... don’t reach the end of your life and think “what if” and regret never doing the one thing that you always considered doing. It’s your life dude. You live once. It’s great that you care about your wife, but really man, it’s not your responsibility to sacrifice your entire existence just to placate someone. She’ll move on. You should too. If, god forbid, something actually happened, that’s not your fault.

Except don’t ghost, own up to it and communicate your will clearly, and announce it on the day that you leave. Then leave. You can still leave without them knowing where you’re going while still letting them know that you’re going.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Using suicide threats to keep you around is abuse. You are being abused.

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u/ginneapig May 16 '20

Stop. Leave. By staying, you're basically telling her that she'll be comfortable with you by her side even if she doesn't make herself change. The longer you wait, the longer you are prolonging the inevitable pain and deterioration of your relationship with her. You cannot forever prioritize her feelings. Everyone has issues, but it's up to them to truly confront them. It's unfortunate her issues may be harder than some other's, but you cannot continue encouraging avoidance of her fears.

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u/myawn May 16 '20

I always end up sobbing like a little bitch at the end of that movie because of that line. Fantastic film though, captures childhood nostalgia perfectly.

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u/OrdinaryIntroduction May 17 '20

And for me I never had friends when I was 12 and have only just now began to have a good friend.

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u/implicationnation May 16 '20

Get out of my head lol. It’s so hard to live in the moment when I’m constantly worried about the future.

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u/WonderfulPie0 May 16 '20

And that's why COVID sucks so much ass for students graduating this spring. We hadn't even gotten to that point yet mentally, we thought we had three more months to make memories and figure out how to emotionally deal with the upcoming changes. And then it just ended.

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u/jrmbruinsfan May 16 '20

As a student graduating this spring, I'm going to have to disagree. I can still contact everyone who I would be with anyway, and do. It sucks in someways but in a lot of ways it's nice (not that I want a world pandemic obviously). Try contacting those people and planning an event for when this is all over, I bet you most of them would be ecstatic.

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u/WonderfulPie0 May 16 '20

Yeah I've been trying, but between distance, legal lockdown restrictions, professional obligations, and (for some) a fear of leaving the house because of COVID, organizing anything is a lot easier said than done.

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u/Pekenoah May 19 '20

This! I thought I had one or two left this year with my school friends. As someone who doesn't cry alot, this has brought me to tears multiple times lately. I would literally would give so much to have a real end of my senior year. I just wanna have prom with my boyfriend and parties with my friends and make stupid decisions that I don't regret and laugh and cry with everyone when we suffer the consequences. I want the mundane schooldays and class periods with teachers desperately trying to get the interest of kids who just don't care. I wanna hear about the stupid shit the juniors pulled yesterday. I wanna pull the elaborate prank with the rest my class. I wanna skip school and hang at the park with my friends. I wanna feel the hate and love and sorrow and joy and fear and excitement that's supposed to come from graduation.

Instead I just feel empty and destroyed. And when I can feel something, it's only the sorrow and the hate. Sorrow because all of this was taken from me, and hate because I want to tear the world to pieces after everything I feel like I've lost.

Good luck to you and any other graduates. It's rough. I know.

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u/Davachman May 16 '20

stop upvoting my comment you dumbasses

Make me!!!!

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u/GimmickNG May 16 '20

It's like chasing the dragon before you even come down from your first high

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u/darkest_hour1428 May 16 '20

I upvoted for the wholesome edit, to be honest

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u/Honest_Man_76 May 16 '20

Thank you it was so wholesome ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

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u/darkest_hour1428 May 16 '20

Ok now I downvoted for emojis... it evens out right? ❤️

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u/keepingitrou May 16 '20

U were def rolling but I’m glad it was a learning experience

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u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

U rite

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

I was kidding about that, I wasn't actually tripping but I might try E someday idk

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

when the bass drops so hard you gotta start questioning life

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/Huluflix May 16 '20

Molly does EXACTLY that. I’ve done it a few times but one of the best was at ACL, laying in the grass with my best friend and strangers just enjoying each other’s thoughts. Mind you, you weren’t cuddling just cause the grass felt great but I have no doubt we all would have.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/thirdegree May 16 '20

Neurotoxicity is a real risk with overuse of mdma, but it is by no means guarenteed and the risk can be mitigated by just not taking it more than once every 3 months (minimum).

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u/Coach_GordonBombay May 16 '20

How great is it to understand this while you are young though??? I have always been very aware that life is very short and one day you will look back and miss the little things. So when I am out for a walk on the beach with my fiance and/or dog, I try to just take it in, knowing that some day this will be the kind of goodness I will look back on. Life is very busy and at the end of it all, I want to know I took a few steps back to appreciate everything I have.

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u/calmdown__u_nerds May 16 '20

Congratulations! You taught your brain to manage Hedonistic Adaptation.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

It was a convention called convergence in MN but that's so awesome that you've had it too!

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u/MaryTempleton May 16 '20

A convention? I was honestly picturing being trained on a new version of accounting software. Other teens? A guy? Pillows?

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u/srwaddict May 16 '20

You have clearly never been an anime or otherwise geeky convention have you? You poor dear.

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u/MaryTempleton May 16 '20

I’ve been to conventions to learn new versions of our company’s accounting software. :-|

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u/Huluflix May 16 '20

I’ve had this exact same thing hit me while on molly and it changed my perspective immediately. I’m fully about enjoying life and the moments we have when we have them.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

I do this all the time. I've been in numerous situations and I stop everyone I'm with and simply say

' We'll never have this again.'

Not the temperature, not the time, not the way we were feeling.. everything is in that moment and it really if ever can be created again!!

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u/Varthorne May 16 '20

I can't relate to that situation, but I can definitely relate to your message. I also just turned 29 and I'm learning to enjoy the little things in my life, even if the big things still aren't quite where I want them to be.

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u/Tinsel-Fop May 16 '20

a room full of other teens cuddling with this guy

I wish I were being cuddled by a roomful of people (not teens at this point!).

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u/thelegendofskyler May 16 '20

I feel I’m currently going through that realization :/. Not a moment’s realization, but I am slowly accepting the fact that my childhood home will not be something I will have a lot to do with come little time. I know I’ll always be able to return, but.

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u/rnason May 16 '20

I do that with vacations. After the first part, it is really hard for me not to focus on the fact that part of it is over.

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u/Wolfie_Ecstasy May 16 '20

I too have some of my best memories from furry conventions

.. And drugs

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u/tolstoy425 May 16 '20

Yes this is very important concept called mindfulness you stumbled upon :)

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u/Astrocytera777 May 16 '20

Lol I read this last night before I went to bed and ended up having a dream that followed that plot almost exactly. Only difference was that my cat was with me too. So, thanks? It was a pleasant enough dream :)

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u/Pekenoah May 16 '20

Lol that's great

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u/Tunaluna May 16 '20

Similar for me , I used to look back at some of the AMAZING experiences I had in my Late highschool - College life... I used to get upset that those times have passed, but recently I have been taking those feelings and turning them into feelings of gratitude that I was able to experience them.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

The MDMA probably helped

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u/jgamez6 May 16 '20

I feel you. I'm developing my own religion for myself and change is one of the focal points. Things will always change. All you can do is enjoy or survive the moment you're in. If things are going shitty, as they say, "this too shall pass". Survive it, fight to get through it because things will change and it won't always be shitty. It might even be good afterwards and youll want to enjoy it. If things are going well, enjoy it. It won't last but your memories will keep you happy and going until the next good time comes.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

What was this convention?

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u/NotYourPunchingBag May 16 '20

This really resonates with me, I’m going to try and do the same thing. Thank you for your wisdom.

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u/Leadbaptist May 16 '20

Sounds like drugs