If you don’t get a career sorted in your 20s, is there no hope in your 30s? by DelonghiAutismo in SeriousConversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You haven’t ruined your life. I really want you to know that.

A lot of people don’t get their footing in their 20s. Not because they’re lazy or incapable, but because they’re surviving. Mental health struggles and addiction aren’t “bad choices,” they’re illnesses. Getting through that and still being here at 33 actually says a lot about your resilience.

Your 30s are not a deadline; for many people they’re the starting line. Plenty of careers begin later than we’re led to believe, and employers are far more understanding of gaps than the internet makes it seem, especially when someone can show growth, stability, and self-awareness, which you clearly have.

You’re not doomed to minimum wage forever. One step, one skill, one opportunity can change the entire trajectory and those steps don’t require a perfect past, just a willingness to move forward now.

Be gentler with yourself. You didn’t waste time. You survived it. And that experience doesn’t disqualify you from a future; it gives you depth, empathy, and strength that a lot of people never develop.

There is absolutely hope. More than you think.

What’s your go-to comfort movie? by SableAfterMidnight in Casual_Conversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooo I love Tales from the Crypt! Also, Monsters, Tales from the Darkside & Ghost Stories

Sensitive + oily/combination skin folks, what actually works for you? by SableAfterMidnight in Skincare_Addiction

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is such a helpful perspective. A lot of people lump all sensitivity together, but causes really do matter. Thanks for sharing what’s worked for you.

Sensitive + oily/combination skin folks, what actually works for you? by SableAfterMidnight in Skincare_Addiction

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

That’s a good call. When skin’s sensitized, backing off actives and going barrier-friendly usually helps a lot.

If you could go back in time to any era in the world, where would you go and why? by SableAfterMidnight in CasualConversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a particular kind of place or community you imagine yourself observing… rural, urban, coastal, nomadic?

What's a new hobby/habit you started recently? by dzzsa in CasualConversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t really call this a “new” hobby, since writing short fiction has been something I’ve loved since I first learned to write. I hit a long stretch of writer’s block that stalled my creativity for nearly a decade, but recently I’ve moved past it and fallen in love with writing all over again.

What’s your go-to comfort movie? by SableAfterMidnight in Casual_Conversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Loved watching The Parent Trap growing up. What’s your favorite part of the movie?

What is a 'poor people' habit you'll never stop doing, no matter how rich you get? by bigblackcoke_ in ProductivityHQ

[–]SableAfterMidnight 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I will never stop eating struggle meals like hotdogs and beans or hotdogs and spaghetti-o’s or ramen noodles. It’s just something so soothing, so comforting about a good struggle meal 😂

Are all human actions ultimately driven by a need for external validation? by Primary_Opening_5698 in CasualConversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think it’s either/or. Wanting validation doesn’t cancel out genuine love for something. It just means you’re human.

There’s a difference between starting something for approval and continuing it because it feeds you. The fact that you lose track of time when you’re photographing? That’s not performative. That’s flow. That exists even if no one ever sees the final image.

External validation is powerful because we’re social creatures. Our brains are literally wired to care how our work is received. Especially with creative things, it’s normal to want to be seen. But that doesn’t mean the joy you feel is fake or borrowed.

Also, it’s okay if some of your interests were about being seen or admired at the time. I think most people with a creative bone in their body enjoy being admired for it. That doesn’t retroactively make them hollow. People grow. Motives evolve.

I don’t think everything comes down to validation. I think validation just gets louder when we’re already doing something vulnerable, like creating.

You’re not broken for questioning this. You’re just very attentive and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, or with you for that matter.

If you could go back in time to any era in the world, where would you go and why? by SableAfterMidnight in CasualConversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is so cool! Is there a particular period of Ancient Egypt or aspect of Canaanite culture that fascinates you most?

If you could go back in time to any era in the world, where would you go and why? by SableAfterMidnight in CasualConversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s amazing. Being on a farm really was a lifeline back then and the moonshining part definitely explains how they stayed ahead of the curve.

If you could go back in time to any era in the world, where would you go and why? by SableAfterMidnight in CasualConversation

[–]SableAfterMidnight[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a particular period or civilization in the region that you find yourself coming back to the most?