I find myself wondering about that kid sometimes. Like, where is he now. What is he doing? Does he still wake up in the night screaming and soaking in sweat from the embarrassment?
I stopped playing video games and eating junk food, learned that it is nicer to have friends in the real world instead of just enemies on the internet, realized I really like sports and exercise and being outside. I went through a phase where my ego was wrapped up in my physics degree, went through a hippy phase where I spent 6 months hiking and planned on living a life of poverty, went through an anti-consumption/anti-capitalist phase where I refused to actually make any money while working in software, and went through a climate doomerism phase where I started gardening to learn appropriate skills for the coming climate apocalypse. I went through a van life phase where I built out a campervan and lived in it on the streets while working a white collar job in a cubical. I went through an urban design/local politics phase where I regularly went to neighborhood association meetings. I went through a landlord phase where I bought a couple houses and slept on the floor while I rehabbed and rented them out in the time between when I was working. I went through several phases of chronic injury, which led me to a phase of getting into lifting weights, and for a while I was really into kettlebells. I went through vegetarian, keto, IF, and clean eating phases. I went through an incel phase, an online dating fuckboy phase, and an ethically nonmonogamous phase. I went through a backpacking and hiking phase, a rock climbing phase, a canyoneering phase, a running phase, and a swimming phase. I also had a few times when I was really into meditating, being super regimented, waking up early, sleeping in late, drinking a lot, drinking not at all, upskilling for my career every day, doing fuckall hoping to get fired every day, and pulling all nighters to avoid getting fired.
And as to your question - yes. It’s still embarassing, lol.
I mean, I’m basically a glorified handyman. My rent is some of the cheapest in the city, and I rent rooms to people I think will be a good cultural fit to create a happy and supportive community in the household. Idk, I think it’s pretty cool.
tomiant@piefed.social 4 weeks ago
I find myself wondering about that kid sometimes. Like, where is he now. What is he doing? Does he still wake up in the night screaming and soaking in sweat from the embarrassment?
blarghly@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I was that kid 20 years ago.
I stopped playing video games and eating junk food, learned that it is nicer to have friends in the real world instead of just enemies on the internet, realized I really like sports and exercise and being outside. I went through a phase where my ego was wrapped up in my physics degree, went through a hippy phase where I spent 6 months hiking and planned on living a life of poverty, went through an anti-consumption/anti-capitalist phase where I refused to actually make any money while working in software, and went through a climate doomerism phase where I started gardening to learn appropriate skills for the coming climate apocalypse. I went through a van life phase where I built out a campervan and lived in it on the streets while working a white collar job in a cubical. I went through an urban design/local politics phase where I regularly went to neighborhood association meetings. I went through a landlord phase where I bought a couple houses and slept on the floor while I rehabbed and rented them out in the time between when I was working. I went through several phases of chronic injury, which led me to a phase of getting into lifting weights, and for a while I was really into kettlebells. I went through vegetarian, keto, IF, and clean eating phases. I went through an incel phase, an online dating fuckboy phase, and an ethically nonmonogamous phase. I went through a backpacking and hiking phase, a rock climbing phase, a canyoneering phase, a running phase, and a swimming phase. I also had a few times when I was really into meditating, being super regimented, waking up early, sleeping in late, drinking a lot, drinking not at all, upskilling for my career every day, doing fuckall hoping to get fired every day, and pulling all nighters to avoid getting fired.
And as to your question - yes. It’s still embarassing, lol.
Machinist@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Sounds like you’re actually living a full life, learning and seeking.
Bet you wouldn’t change much in your past.
When I die: I want to covered in scars, in a room of mementoes, and surrounded by my people. (Some sort of bloody last stand would also be cool.)
tomiant@piefed.social 4 weeks ago
The only shameful thing you did was becoming a landlord. The rest you can feel ok about.
blarghly@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I mean, I’m basically a glorified handyman. My rent is some of the cheapest in the city, and I rent rooms to people I think will be a good cultural fit to create a happy and supportive community in the household. Idk, I think it’s pretty cool.