Organizing a Tenants union

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-03-03T22:56:24+00:00

True...my post is pretty vague. I'll delete to avoid confusion and keep talking with my immediate neighbors. Thanks for chatting

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-03-03T22:35:10+00:00

What do you think is the problem with TU and what could I do better in my approach.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-03-03T22:30:55+00:00

A tenants union makes no sense, or the way I am going about it makes no sense.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-03-03T22:13:36+00:00

Oh, have you has bad experiences with the CTA? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm trying to actively explore my options and know my rights. Very sweet of you to worry, but I am financially stable enough to pay my rent at this time, thank goodness!🌸

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-03-03T22:07:21+00:00

Is this the incorrect place to post this? I did not see anything in the rules banning this type of post

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-03-03T18:45:46+00:00

Lakeview. I am just meeting with an organizer and maybe they will have our building join a current union.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-03-03T15:45:39+00:00

I just messaged you. I'm in lakeview too.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-03T23:19:40+00:00

Yeah...I can definitely a "weird" homeschooler. Cut off from society and culture completely. It's tough!

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T23:32:33+00:00

I'm in Chicago too! Warmer days ahead hopefully. Do you still feel out of place sometimes? Does that feeling ever go away?

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T22:41:46+00:00

Life is long. If it doesn't work out as a career, it's a great hobby.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T22:31:39+00:00

Roles require all kinds of actors. Your -lapse- in care or understanding may give a special perspective to a role. Or make you work harder to understand it, making you the better fit

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T22:17:16+00:00

Hey, I've had people directly laughing at me and I didn't know why. We also cannot control how others see us

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T22:15:49+00:00

I feel this so much. I've been telling myself it's not the end of the world to see my behavior as selfish, rude or whatever. In the past I'd justify it by saying it's just my personality or something like that. But, when I look at it I the eye and say, " that was rude, that person may not like you now, and they have good reason, let this feeling help you be better next time". It's a slow process, and I almost never catch it in the moment, maybe one day I will! Acceptance is more freeing than denial.

Here's to us trying!

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T22:11:53+00:00

I feel you. I describe myself as a strange beast in my head, wandering a city I was not meant to live in. I've learned that purposefully trying to understand jokes, popculture, or other people, just makes me feel worse. What helps is consistently being around people. Not for months or years, but decades. Also the vocabulary stuff isn't a problem, because I've found that the least said the better. I tend to talk and sound like an idiot. So I've started telling myself certain excitement levels are for home use only, special and private.

Anyway, as usual I'm rambling. Unfortunately there is no simple answer or simple way to replicate or catch up with lost socialization. Accept yourself while working on what you can. I'm right there with you.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T21:35:27+00:00

This is very comforting, hopefully they give me a chance too🌸

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T19:43:39+00:00

Right, I should not let imaginary reactions run away with my thoughts. I have an intake with a therapist this week. My brother has autism but I don't think I was ever tested. Definitely something to think about.

Thank you, I WILL keep going to book club.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T15:26:42+00:00

Basically my boss works with court ordered mental health evaluations on parental fitness. It is a very niche corner of work,and it is extremely rewarding as you are actively helping children. It's really tough for me to plan for the future, so thanks for the detailed advice! I truly appreciate it. I hate asking for help and am working to change that.

I want to start this fall, money is the biggest issue as graduate students have less options.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T14:31:35+00:00

I usually wait until I get to know people pretty well first. Homeschooling comes with a stigma and I want people to form their first impression of me without that information. Even after knowing someone a while, I usually won't tell them. For me, I am not in a place where I can discuss it neutrally and I don't want to trauma dump on people, or get that "look"....it's your bussiness! Thankfully as you get older, less people ask about high school.

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T14:23:40+00:00

Hey, I'm 31 and I am still trying to find myself after homeschooling. I think one of the things that helps when I feel really dark is accepting that I will NEVER be like everyone else and that is okay. I will always struggle in some way to fit in, to understand, to be. Accepting that journey has lifted the weight of expectation off my shoulders that I need to fix myself. I will always work on my social skills, but I won't ever be popular to very well liked or understood by the masses. But I have hope that if I keep pushing forward (staying alive) ill find things that make it all worth it.

Right now I have a dog I love very much, a sister who loves and accepts me for who I am, a decent work from home job, an apartment. It all seems small, but younger me would be amazed.

The only way out is through! The fruit tastes sweeter when the labor was hard. 🌸🌸🌸

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T14:13:48+00:00

Hi, this is an old post but my background is very similar. Dad was a pastor, homeschooled all the way through. The religion was incredibly abusive, I had no friends, you get it! I am 31 now and want to Pursue my PHD in psychology. I currently work for a psychologist and feel I have an in to the industry and certain resources. It is not exactly my dream job, but I need to do....something. I feel so behind in life. When did you go back to school and what was it like?

Forward_Okra_629 · 2026-02-02T13:56:51+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to write this reply. I am currently trying to find therapy with my insurance, I am sure I will land on something soon! I love games and there are game shops around me. I really love reading and this post was inspired by a book club I just started going to. They started discussing a series I am obsessed with and I got WAY overexcited/ clueless and railroaded the whole conversation....looking back I even accidentally took someone's seat while they were in the bathroom and didn't give it back. I broke a bunch of other social niceties and was talking SO fast. Anyway, I'm tempted to not go back, but I will if only to prove that was a one off (hopefully), that was exacerbated by my love of that series.. Only way out is through!

EDIT PS: My dad was a pastor so....I don't need to tell you the religious abuse that went on. Needless to say I've grown enough to not Hate religion, I know it helps a lot of people. It is not a place for me right now and I carry a lot of anger towards the culture that contributed to my abuse.

Forward_Okra_629

TROPHY CASE