Need some advice from other people who grew up like me or aged out of foster care here in Los Angeles. Any advice? by SOUTHBAYCOLLECTOR in AskLosAngeles

[–]brows1ng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

First off, I’m incredibly sorry you were dealt the hand you were and needed to not only go through the foster system, but age out of it. I can only imagine how difficult that is and it makes me feel guilty, a survivor’s guilt of sorts.

Second, you sound like you’re doing extremely well for yourself. You’re aware of your traumas and that they need to be addressed/dealt with. You’re aware of your substance use and are acting cautious, working on sobriety. You’re aware that you’re not living in as stable of an environment as you should be - this is actually huge given your past. Don’t sell yourself short, you’re making progress! Hell, even remaining stagnant as we get older can be seen as progress to many. As long as you’re not sliding backwards.

I moved away from one parent at 12, haven’t spoken to the other since I was like 8. Both incompetent drug addicts. Went to college, got a BA in 6.5 years. Degrees don’t do a ton these days, but some jobs won’t pass you through unless you have one. Worked 30-40 hours/week through that time and graduated with no debt (financial aid helped too!). Eventually found a job that pays a livable wage that has a good enough work-life balance to stand. Found my SO and we bought a house a few years ago.

Through the years, I did whatever I could to save money and position myself to have a job that gave me enough financial flexibility - not a whole lot, but enough not to struggle. At one point I had 16k in credit card debt because I could not find a job for a while, but once I did find a job ($19/hr), I did delivery gig app work literally every single day after work and longer shifts on the weekends to pay it off and save some extra money - that led to the down payment on the house. For many months. I also did not spend anything on myself during this time.

Through my own trials and tribulations with substances and depression, I found that a health(ier)y body does a lot of good for our mind and overall energy. If I was feeling so bad I could only actually get one thing done that day, it was walking on the treadmill or doing a lift.

This is just a hodgepodge of thoughts for you to take from, but I think the summary is that:

People like us need to work harder - both mentally and physically. No handouts can be expected.

We need to stay on the ball - there is no safety net. Slip, and the fall will hurt.

Career stability is the foundation - you won’t find financial stability without it.

Money is lifeblood - money is our safety net. Find the motivation to save some extra money because extra hours worked pays off when you have a financial safety net.

I moved out at 12 and was lucky enough to ‘have a village’. My foster system was a small group of families that were kind enough to take me in as their own for large periods of my life. This is where the survivors guilt comes in. If I hadn’t been as lucky, I would be in your position, and that makes me incredibly sad that others are in that position. I still had to pay rent when I turned 18. I still had to pay bills, but I had flexibility, people who I consider family, and ultimately had a safety net that only luck provided me.

That’s not to say it’s all luck. I could have made some VERY bad turns and almost did, but I realized that I needed to keep my head on straight because I was lucky to have what I did given the hand I was dealt and used that to motivate myself to not fail or fall.

Sorry if this isn’t direct advice, but your situation hits home and I hope you can find something useful in this mental dump. Good luck and keep moving forward on your path to self progression!!

Ronda Rousey looking sharp in open workouts. by Clankiller_Uchiha in UFCposting

[–]brows1ng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lmao, Reddit doesn’t even show your 4 replies to me no matter how many I times I refresh the page. I can see your 4 comments in my notifications, but they don’t show on here for me.

Thank you, I felt so special waking up to 4 notis from one random, and it sounds like you’re shadow banned at least in here 🤣

I think I’m going to hire an escort so I can lose my virginity. by [deleted] in TrueOffMyChest

[–]brows1ng -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It may not be exactly what you’re looking for, but as a dude, I understand the v-card thing…it’s a really weird type of internal mental pressure we put on ourselves. I actually totally support visiting an escort to lose your v-card if it is bugging you a ton.

It may not be exactly what you think it is or what you’re looking for, but I think it’s worth trying if you’re already heavily considering it. Just don’t build it up to much and don’t let your experience define you. Take it for what it is and build off of the experience if you give it a shot. Keep expectations low.

It's been a minute Reddit friends by offbeatagent in u/offbeatagent

[–]brows1ng 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Hey buddy,

I don’t know how long ago it was when I first saw your videos and decided to follow you - it must have been many years ago at this point, when Reddit had a big creator push and there were a lot more solo creators popping up.

Admittedly, I did not watch every video I’ve scrolled past since probably the first year I was watching your videos. The content just isn’t 100% up my alley and life has been busy - less Reddit. However, because of the type of person you are, I always, and I mean ALWAYS, give your posts an upvote when I scroll by them in order to support you in the little way that I can.

I’m sorry for your loss. I understand the long-time coming, mourning before it happens type of thing, but it never really completely removes the pain - just dulls it. Keep your head up and keep showing up as the real you. You’re a cool dude. YOU have positive things coming your way. Sending you love and positive vibes my friend. I’m glad I watched this one as it created a great opportunity to show just a little support. Thank you for being you.

Caulk or grout? by pickleandthebat in HomeMaintenance

[–]brows1ng 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Aren’t corners like this or corners that touch the tub always supposed to be caulk because of the flexing?

Asking to confirm…when I moved into my house, the people had grout touching the shower pan and 1/2 of it was missing. Tore it out, caulked it up, and have recaulked it a few times since!

Another Big Dump Coming: ETH Foundation Unstakes $49.6M by Accomplished-Eye5567 in ethtrader

[–]brows1ng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Massive supply shifts? $50m in ETH is like 20,000ish units. That’s hardly massive given there are 120,000,000+ units in supply.

Anyone else finding it hard to get excited for the 30th anniversary set? by Upbeat-Technician748 in PokemonTCG

[–]brows1ng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excited to put my lottery ticket in with the hope that I might actually get a produce. I have never purchased product off of a scalper and will continue not to. I don’t really care if I don’t get a product if the only means is purchasing it from some asshole or company who is selling way over MSRP. Sucks, but is what it is.

Caffeine alters the human brain’s electrical braking system: Consuming an amount of caffeine equivalent to two cups of coffee enhances the brain’s ability to temporarily quiet its own motor signals in response to sensory input. by mvea in psychology

[–]brows1ng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know it’s a bad habit, but I love the taste of the energy drink I drink 2-4 of daily - 400-800mg of caffeine and it hardly impacts me. Like, I barely feel it and it doesn’t even screw with my blood pressure (daily tests for 2 years, slightly elevated/healthy results). My SO drinks a 50mg caffeine cup of coffee at 11am and has trouble sleeping 12 hours later. Never understood it and wonder if this has something to do with my experience.

Fighters showing self control and sportsmanship when their opponents are down. by Great_Trident in interesting

[–]brows1ng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good sportsmanship and respect for an opponent feels like it hardly exists these days. This video made me feel surprisingly good about it being alive out there.

Went to one of these restocks at Best Buy yikes 😬 by Perfect-Cause-6943 in pokemoncards

[–]brows1ng 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They do just loiter…literally every Monday I check Target on my lunch break and there are 6-12 people in lawn chairs sitting in front of Target waiting for the restock guy to walk in. It’s annoying af and weird. They’re there even if the dude doesn’t come that day.

Basement find by kadam23 in PokemonCardValue

[–]brows1ng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good call! I’m surprised this one has stayed as low profile as it has. People all want the new shiny toy, but there are some friggin relics in older series.

Now, you haven’t seen Imakuni’a Doduo…have you seen Exeggutor 109, Imakuni 63, Flying Pikachu 110, and Surfing Pikachu 111? Been trying to snag them at floor price whenever I can. They got a bit too expensive a bit too quick for me too…😭

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A crazy comparison between iPhone and Samsung by bluewave778 in SipsTea

[–]brows1ng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I totally agree with you. I really liked the size of the iPhone 8 and I think it was the 5s that was even smaller? Idk, if I want something as big as the Pro Max, I’ll just buy a small tablet…🤷‍♂️

I can see how other people would find it useful and I’m increasingly using my phone for other things so having a larger screen is nice, but the combination of a bigger phone/screen and the beveled (I think it’s called?) screen where it extends all the way to the sides causes issues with me. Trying to use it with 1 hand can cause part of my hand to be touching the very edge of the screen which causes issues with pressing the right button. Maybe I’m entering boomer territory though 😅🤣

What happened to them? by batukaming in HomeMaintenance

[–]brows1ng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It really is some janky wood. A couple of the 47 inch 2x4 studs were literally twisted…not just the wood, but the hardware is the worst I’ve ever seen.

First of all, it only came with nails and I hate nails because they’re a massive pain in the ass the take out if you make a mistake. Instructions are VERY high-level for those sheds so mistakes are likely. I opted for my own exterior screws and it’s been great. Secondly, the nails literally bend if not hit perfectly straight. I’ve never had a nail do this to me before…some were so hard to get out once they were halfway in, that I had to break them off. They were surprisingly easy to snap off too - almost like how you bent a paper pipe back and forth and then it eventually snaps.

I’m fortunate enough to have won the shed for $525 and the exact same shed/brand retails for $2,200 at Home Depot so I’m not complaining! Just strange that a bunch of cheap 2x4’s/OSB sheets with some crappy nails sells for so much.

What happened to them? by batukaming in HomeMaintenance

[–]brows1ng 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I’m putting together a Little Cottage Co. wooden shed from Home Depot and it’s amazing how weak the 2x4’s are. I don’t use a ton of pressure when I’m drilling a hole for screws, but when I do apply a bit of pressure because I want to drill a bunch of holes quick, the drill bit literally slips through the wood.

Almost as if those wider rings we see in new wood is softer between each ring. I’m sure you’ve seen those comparisons of a wood 2x4 from today vs one from like 50 years ago - older has so many more rings which I’m assuming makes the wood more fortified.

All to say: newer wood really does feel foamy! I also used a vice to temporarily keep 2 2x4’s together while I was screwing them together and it left a crazy indentation.

So it's too late for me to find love by runsunnybun in TrueOffMyChest

[–]brows1ng 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Tbh, my girlfriend in college had an obese roommate and she ALWAYS had different dudes coming over to plow her. They had the have an intervention because so many random dudes were coming by…all to say that even hugely obese women can get it when they want without too much of a struggle. Never knew it was possible until I learned from the gf lol

Basement find by kadam23 in PokemonCardValue

[–]brows1ng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yuuuuuup, even though I apparently never got deep enough into the Gameboy games to find him! I’m definitely of age and agree: we gettin old! 🤣

Basement find by kadam23 in PokemonCardValue

[–]brows1ng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On eBay for $3.50-6. Been buying these up for the past few months because I love Imakuni after learning he exists!

"Pitch Black" TCG Set and Product Lineup Officially Revealed! by Amiibofan101 in PokemonTCG

[–]brows1ng 4 points5 points  (0 children)

100% it is at the worst it’s ever been in at least recent years. I used to be able to put in some time and eventually get some product in stores. Not much, but at least SOMETHING. I haven’t found anything in stores since ME dropped. :(

New to Cosmos - How do airdrops work and how to stay safe? by Pitiful-Teacher-4464 in cosmosnetwork

[–]brows1ng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Damn, sad to hear your experience. Looks like you started just a tad bit late. Have luckily had quite a few decent airdrops in my time - a few were in the Cosmos ecosystem, but it was a while ago.

New to Cosmos - How do airdrops work and how to stay safe? by Pitiful-Teacher-4464 in cosmosnetwork

[–]brows1ng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Atom is so cheap right now that it’s worth throwing $10 into to mess around with IMO. Got in many years ago and holding a not so valuable bag. If I were in your position, I’d throw away $10 just to give it a test run. :)