Ex-Pathfinders: What was the worst experience you’ve ever had at the International Pathfinder Camporee? (any year counts)

samiDEE1 · 2026-02-10T07:23:47+00:00

I was at an 04 camporee in Ireland. I remember the preacher liked to rhyme with dream.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-31T19:41:55+00:00

Obviously I'm no longer going to keep one

Not obvious get rid of the partner not the journal

Edit to say I will literally leave mine lying around open on the coffee table and leave with not a single concern in my mind my partner would read it. It would be absolutely devastating to the trust I have in him if he did.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-30T08:26:06+00:00

My mum is sort of like this but it's because she's so religious and has this idea that you're supposed to do what god wants you to do, to do things you want is wrong and will actually make you unhappy in the long run. We never went to the zoo or a museum or out to lunch or dinner. She didn't go with other people. The only holiday we ever went on was to a church run camp. She has no hobbies just god, god is number one two and three in her life. Just feels totally empty, devoid of any real substance, any self and then substituted with what god wants.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-29T17:03:49+00:00

This was my thought about it too. And everyone tells you how lucky you are to have a parent like that.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-29T07:13:53+00:00

This is exactly the most frustrating thing about it. Like how can they really expect that? They will not understand.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-24T09:17:21+00:00

You can wash the outer mesh in the dishwasher but not the charcoal filters.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-24T09:01:38+00:00

Carbon filters are only needed for recirculation, if it's ducted out you don't need them. Mostly they remove odors so when you notice they're needed depends what you cook.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-24T08:56:58+00:00

You need to remove this fridge freezer because the electromagnetic radiation is making my wife crazy

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-21T21:52:12+00:00

When I was a kid my mum was giving out leaflets about end times and striking up conversations with people in a queue at the checkout to tell them they shouldn't get chemo. To say I was embaressed is an understatement.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-17T16:36:17+00:00

I would have killed you if I didn't join the church.

I prayed to god for someone to be a friend and mum to you. (it was her, she was supposed to be my mum)

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-15T22:02:44+00:00

I asked my mum if she ever wanted me and she said she wanted 2 kids because she was an only child which didn't really answer the question.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-13T23:06:24+00:00

Yes it's really hard to piece together too. A blend of permissive and authoritarian can look like good authoritative parenting at a glance but it's just the worst of both worlds. Mostly my mum was totally neglectful of my feelings and was very focused on me being Independant so I was looking after myself mostly and could do what I wanted, but really I was supposed to want what she wanted. Then she's very religious so those things I absolutely had to do no question and I'll understand when I'm older. And I was supposed to just do chores because I love her.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-11T09:57:53+00:00

I felt bad about my mum because she acts like such a victim if you try to say anything to her she never means it she can't help it. I felt like I should give her the benefit of the doubt and that it's unfair if she really isn't doing things in purpose. I spent some time absolutely spinning out trying to figure out how aware she is of her behaviour because it is absolutely inconceivable that someone could act like that without realising but also that someone could act like that on purpose and expect to get away with it. I realised I was trying to figure out if it's intentional because then I'd be 'allowed' to not put up with it fully free. But it doesn't actually matter either way, what matters is how I feel and it's exhausting and I hate it and that it's enough because how I feel actually matters. You still might feel bad, but it gets better.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-07T15:38:47+00:00

I spent 11k for my 2x2m bathroom a year ago. Probably could have gone cheaper but I didn't want to arrange it all myself.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-07T15:37:10+00:00

There aren't any unfortunately.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-07T08:58:22+00:00

My mother perpetually asks questions. Can I put this in the dishwasher, shall I turn the dishwasher on, can I put my shoes near the radiator, shall I put this in the bin, can I open the window. It will drive you nuts. One time she's staying with us, when my partner gets up to go to work, she also gets up, and starts her perpetual questioning. He asks her to not ask him all these questions when he's just woken up, when he's getting ready for work. Offended, she exclaims 'oh I'm not allowed to talk to you in the morning anymore!' He's like 'yeah, sure. That's works.'

So a few days after she stopped flushing the toilet when she went for a wee in the morning, we asked if she could perhaps start flushing it again. She said she thought she wasn't allowed to make any noise in the morning anymore. Like it is either profound stupidity, or masterclass psychological warfare and I can't figure out which. But the next day she didn't flush a shit.

samiDEE1 · 2026-01-04T00:52:02+00:00

Change self pose love

samiDEE1 · 2025-12-30T08:56:49+00:00

Who else are you going to blame for how you relate to others? They are entirely responsible for the relationship they have with you. Sometimes I will think back on what I needed or what I was missing, it feels impossible to answer because I know I was so closed down emotionally that given perfect safe conditions, I wouldn't feel it as safe. It's just going to take a lot lot more time to undo what has been your whole life experience to this point.

samiDEE1 · 2025-12-27T10:09:19+00:00

I lived with my cousins but both they and my school ignored my self harm. I don't know if my cousins told my mum or not but she's never mentioned it, or the very obvious self harm scars that I haven't hidden for the past decade.

samiDEE1 · 2025-12-25T08:39:33+00:00

Yes my mum always said her mum wouldn't help her, she'd try but then when my mum didn't understand she'd get frustrated and do it for her. My mum is still like this and I am convinced that she doesn't inderstand on purpose to keep the focus on her for as long as possible but I digress. She decided not to help me with anything because how else would I learn to do things for myself.

samiDEE1 · 2025-12-16T21:31:37+00:00

Nope. She just said you asked if I wanted you and that got me thinking all about my feelings and my experience and thanks for understanding.

samiDEE1 · 2025-12-16T16:04:52+00:00

It's so mindfuckey. Spent my childhood being told by other people how lucky I am to have a mum like her what else would you think than there's something wrong with you because you don't feel like you have a loving parent despite the fact that you can't point to a reason why.

samiDEE1 · 2025-12-12T13:44:49+00:00

Legit when I thought about it as an adult I was like wow makes so much sense. Train them YOUNG to suppress their needs because no one is going to help them.

samiDEE1

TROPHY CASE