How are you doing? - Kiwi Farms Wellness Check

Mesh Mom has been under hospice care for the last few weeks and we're at the end. She went downhill faster than anticipated. I believe she'll be gone in the next day or two. Taking care of a loved one dying of cancer is a nightmarish experience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I just feel so helpless watching her slip away further and further. Even with a shit ton of good drugs she's still suffering. Ughh...I don't know how I'm going to get through this. She's the only person I'm truly close to and it's going to kill me to have to say goodbye.
Im sorry dude, I cannot begin to comprehend. Losing my parents is my biggest fear too, I hate losing people in general not just to death and disease. Just remember that youre not alone despite the fact that a gay dudes mother is his closest friend.
I guess I just feel like a man out of place. Like I came in at the end of a golden age of a lot of art and culture. Basically every single great movie I've seen this last year was a rerelease outside of a select handful. I see Japan and other countries doing some amazing films and series and I want to be in on that. I just want there to be a way really creative people can flourish in my own country instead of the highschool socialite bullshit it seems in most industries anymore. I don't know, maybe things can change and I'm overreacting. But I just don't see a way right now for really forward thinking people to make great films, books or videos without having to fit into the mold of whatever nightmare social climate we're in right now. I know it's like some "born in the wrong generation" shit, but that's what I mean when I said I don't know if I can achieve those things anymore. I don't know where to go or what to do to get that train rolling. Hollywood ain't it, not youtube either. I unironically sometimes just think moving to another country where the art scene is more active would be better in the long run, even though I know it's rare for a foreigner to become an artist in another country (they almost always become popular in their own and then transfer) from the ground up.
Exactly my feelings to the T. I feel if I was born in the 60s to the 80s somewhere else I wouldve had a successful art career instead of slaving away in front of a computer. Im happy that its not a unique feeling, that you were born in the least interesting time and place. Japan really does feel like a bastion of cultural uniqueness and if I wanted anything it is to assimilate into the cultural artistic sphere there. Its not meant to be, art in general is very trampled upon because its not profitable, nobodys willing to pay especially nowadays when its a rat race to avoid becoming a pariah. Even when it is profitable it is industrialized and shat out by mindless individuals who try to optimize the value out of it.
 
I'm pretty sure people have been feeling this way for the last 20,000 years my man.
I’d imagine when cavemen invented using spears they had a conversation that went “I miss when we used to throw rocks at things, it was a lot simpler then” “I can’t figure out how to make a rock sharp enough to sharpen stick, I don’t need spear!”
 
Any chance the higher ups might notice? Or could be shown, without showing, as it were.
The higher-ups are as shit as she is, sadly. It seems like much of the management chain is disorganized and has a "just make it work and we'll complain after"/Monday morning quarterbacking/lead from behind mentality. They're not good at running things either, so unfortunately I doubt anything that would get them to notice her issues wouldn't be a problem for our team too.

Wanted to ask about the manager. Maybe I'm just more direct with people but is there anyway you could actually address her behavior to her without repercussions, like "I can't help but feel we've gotten off on the wrong foot." or bring up the tension she's causing. I don't know how much of a right to work thing the company has but it seems like it would be unjust for her to fire you for even asking about why she's being a certain way. I know it's your job and life but I just couldn't deal with that shit without eventually raising concern. I hope something happens to balance shit out, you shouldn't have to run from your job.
If not, I hope the interviews go alright. You should have some sort of peace of mind. Your posts on here generally make me the most MATI, just because they sum up why I hate the modern working environment for a lot of people.
I wish. Any pushback or criticism is met with immediate hostility. She does not like being told she could possibly be the one doing anything wrong. If I could, I would outright tell her she is a completely incompetent manager who adds nothing but problems to our team. She's been on vacation for a little while, and it's been the smoothest things have ever run. The entire team has felt better without her, but it seems like she was forced on us by the bigwigs, so we're not getting rid of her any time soon.
Appreciate it, I'm really hoping for something good to pull through. The corpo culture is just awful.

As for your situation, depending on what kind of art you're into, have you considered looking for a way to use it in a job? If you're a traditional artist, I hate to say it, but you could go into furry porn commissions, I hear those weirdos pay a lot.

I'm in one of my kicks where I want a more aesthetic living space, but the things I want the most are too involved to actually do on a whim. Someday I'll repaint all the doors and remove the popcorn ceiling and recaulk the bathroom, but for today I'm just going to fuck around with furniture placement. It's the season for it.

You know what sucks? How much money helps everything. I am incredibly, demonically frugal by nature. But on occasion I go on a kick, and for my vacation I bought some ready meals, some new home goods, some new clothes, gear, etc. Totally nonessential items. For a few days in a row, I ate out for lunch every day: bonkers.
..... and I'm so much less stressed. People always talk about feeling hollow after blowing money, but buying all this stuff has really taken a load of my mind and been a big ego boost and a lot of entertainment.
It's that peace of mind of knowing you're able to maintain a comfortable living situation and entertain random whims that may come up. You don't have to feel like you're depriving yourself.
I love that feeling of completing a project to make home feel a little more like home. A few months ago, I finally pulled the trigger and bought some solid poster frames and hung up all the posters I'd been meaning to put up for a couple years. It felt great after I was done, the place looks so much more homey now.

Mesh Mom has been under hospice care for the last few weeks and we're at the end. She went downhill faster than anticipated. I believe she'll be gone in the next day or two. Taking care of a loved one dying of cancer is a nightmarish experience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I just feel so helpless watching her slip away further and further. Even with a shit ton of good drugs she's still suffering. Ughh...I don't know how I'm going to get through this. She's the only person I'm truly close to and it's going to kill me to have to say goodbye.
My family went through this with a few relatives over the past year. It's horrible, but all you can do is spend what time you have with her and make her feel like you're there for her. She knows you love her, that's the important thing. Praying for you.
 
I am finished with them living in my mind rent free.
It’s time that I evict them.
All this shit you just laid down is basically my entire life summed up, aside from the redemption and success arc (...yet). I truly feel that. It's a scar that bleeds a little bit every day. Some days you're a lot better at treating it or bearing the pain, but no matter what anyone says, it's truly always there. It's a pain I couldn't wish on anyone that goes beyond anything physical. It's so hard for me to look at people somedays talking about how they went out to visit their parents or their family helped them through college or how their brothers went on a vacation with them without wanting to fall over a little bit.
I think the worst thing is the guilt. When you finally let them go and especially if they're older, you have these aches that you've betrayed them. That you somehow threw out a chance to finally embrace the love you think they had somewhere and are a shitty child. And you get the feeling any day they're going to be in the hospital crying out your name. It's not a snowball effect here.
It's a fucking avalanche.

I will say though that you're making the right choice. A lot of spoiled assholes will never get it, or think you're just being too judgemental or not empathetic enough, but fuck them. I dropped my parents out of my life not too long ago and I immediately have progressed in several multitudes I wouldn't have if I held onto what I wanted (and deserved) them to be. Even with the occasional doomposting shit on here, objectively, I've done a power creep in the literal month I gave up on my biggest dream of having a normal family.
So please steel and resolve yourself. It's a painful journey you shouldn't have to deal with, but you will probably see results MUCH faster than you probably imagine.
Try to watch Beau is Afraid when you can. It's artsy fartsy A24 shit, but it's a pretty great film at summarizing what shitty parenting can do to someone's psyche over a long period of time.
Also,
Instead of being proud of my accomplishments in the past few years. They cope, seethe, and mald over my accomplishments and success with pure jealousy that I’m doing better than them. (WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO BETTER AND BE BETTER THAN OUR PARENTS)

My father always tells me
“I’m proud of you…. BUT… You are the luckiest fucker. I’ve worked for poop fuck shit amount of years and I still had nothing to show for it. I gave everything to you just to watch you be ungrateful. You have never truly worked a day of your life like I have. Yadya yadya blah blah blah”.
This scene cemented how I feel on the topic. So whenever anyone throws that kind of shit at you, remember logically, that even if your parents did help in anyway that that's a privilege THEY should be proud of and not you.
 
I'm also looking forward to my birthday
Happy birthday my guy! Are you a “birthdays fun” guy or a existential dread guy?
Came back from the gym this morning to find 5 dead baby bunnies across the driveway and in the garden bed.Not the best morning
Supposedly dead animals are a omen of good things to come and change. That being said that really depressing.
 
Happy birthday my guy! Are you a “birthdays fun” guy or an existential dread guy?
Thank you :) It’ll be here in three weeks from now. As of now, I’m in the “birthdays fun” category. I get one year older, more wiser, and I’m just blessed that I’m alive to witness another day.

I’m not big on gatherings or parties, but it’s nice when your family cares.

And of course, cake! I love sweets. My favorite is either carrot or strawberry shortcake, so might get that.
 
Oh yeah my birthday is mid April. I was thinking of getting myself something nice, but I think I'm going to lose this job as soon as my hiring manager is back at work as my connection to the telephone system has somehow deteriorated to the point that call quality is very bad. I don't see any way of improving my internet connection.
On the bright side, between my one full check and my tax return I'll have enough that it should tide me over until I get another job, I have some new avenues I can explore and I think I can try to get an electrician apprenticeship.

I'll at the bare minimum get a couple necessary upgrades for the server and maybe a game or two
 
Google decide to delete my YouTube account because apparently I have been a very naughty boy. My attempt to apologize and get it reinstated was met with a nice "fuck you". Not the end of the world, but quite annoying since I watch it a lot. Well, have to watch without an account and/or through some frontend.
 
The past month has been pretty fucking horrible for me if I'm being honest. Long story short I transferred to a different department only to realize how unbelievably mismanaged it was. On top of that two people decided it would be a great time for them to take the month off so I pretty much had to do the work of three people even though I was new and just learning what my new duties were. I'm also doing overnight shifts now which I'm now reminded why I don't do anymore because my mental state has been completely fucked. About two weeks in I asked if I could have my old position back and the company would always give me an unclear answer. Finally last week they said they could put me back but it's been almost two months since I asked.

Furthermore my girlfriend has been extremely high maintenance lately complaining about her job to me every night. She also found out her landlord is selling her place so now I have to help her find a new apartment and rent is super high right now where I live. I would let her move in with me but I already have a roommate so that's not really going to work.

The cherry on top was coming out to my car after work to see that someone had very clearly slashed my two front tires as some sort of sick April fools joke. I'm trying to stay positive but fuck man sometimes I'm just done with it all.
 
It's like the fourth time someone I've promised to grab a coffee with when I was back in town dies before I get to make good on the promise, all way too young- the youngest was 24 and the oldest was 64. The latest hit really hard because he was the closest thing I have to a professional mentor- I'm happily out of the workforce at the moment and for the foreseeable future, but prior to marriage, that was pretty much the extent of what I was building since I was trying to set myself up for a life I'd be happy living if I had misevaluated my vocation. I've known for a few days but it hadn't quite hit, but there are a lot of headlines related to his death circulating right now and it's like it's being hammered down on me every time I see one of the many tributes being (rightfully!) written.
 
Warning: absolutely the longest post I'll ever write on the Farms ahead.

I still am hung up over my friend.

In retrospect it feels so incredibly unfair. She threw me away over arbitrary standards she imposed as a self-appointed "life coach" and urging me into work and things that would only make the pessimism she hated in me worse. She admitted she thought of cutting off contact with me, then promptly did so anyways, completely failing as that "coach" and making everything she told on sticking by me a lie. And this when she would barely respond to anything but life talk for ages, or accuse me of flaking on promises (that I did not make) or lying on life experiences (that I did not have). And well before this, her refusal to see how much it HURT staying loyal to her for months, with almost no contact as her life situation seemingly worsened only for me to be dumped for someone else - and I could have and did forgive that as just how life crumbles - but then she drops being pregnant randomly and suddenly, and when I finally confront her how awful it felt being treated like that, she screeches I was only in it for dating and I have to apologize to her. ...and this when she also claimed I could criticize her if I had to.

And I know it sounds like she's nothing but trouble or shitty to me, but the worst part is... she was not, at leastt not for a very ling time. She really, truly, sincerely, had been one of the few people who walked the walked on caring on me. She stuck by me through my family hell and gifted me art and knew how bad I was with people and swore to always stick by me.

I wish I could send some last letter, message, etc. for my own closure's sake. Call her shit out, yes.... but I'd in spite of it all end it on a positive note and thank her for all the care and make it clear if she told me life can be improved, I'd like her part of it and since life can change for the better be someone I reconcile with. Maybe I'll do that when it's not merely a month that passed since then. Maybe not since I know it's a bad idea, but it'd be for my own sake if odds are very low we'd ever speak again otherwise, you know?

It's ironic I chose Cody as my avatar here when lately I keep thinking on Street Fighter's Oro.

So, Oro. 140 years old, perfected martial arts and chi so incredibly well he actively slacks off and ties an arm behind his back to give opponents a fighting chance. Looks intimidating in his first official arts in SF3. Yet it turns out he's one of the friendliest dudes in the entire series - he jokingly asks ninja girl Ibuki if she's asking him out when she comes to challenge him to test herself, in SFV he gives wisdom to Rose and Dhalsim but cheekily notes "if only she were a century older!" and calls Dhalsim "young man" wholeheartedly. He lives with his longtime pet turtle (long-lived eh) and wonders if he ought untie his arm playing vidya.

I find myself looking at myself pre-2008 and 2015-2016. 2015-2016 was when I rescued an abandoned cat who became the light of my life and I suddenly found myself with work, my neighbors as friends, going out as I was driven by the urge of finding everything I could to support my cat. Pre-2008 was before my first girlfriend and into the wider world enlisting in the navy and I wasn't perfect, but I was home with my pets and family and in a nice small town. It wasn't bad at all, I knew it.

I keep realizing how the things that clear my head more and more are focusing on my pets and the animals at the shelter, and my fitness drive. I hate to sound like I have ego, but even at my age I smoke kids 20 years my junior and I still obsessively work out.... because I truly love it. And I always had this strange feeling I would be extraordinarily long-lived, but also fit to my dying day. Actual fit. I used to consider it a curse due to my fears of being alone, in fact, which was why I stressed on it...but....

It's finally hit me I need to like myself, respect myself, and accept I need to work on my fear of loneliness. I need to stop stressing on my obsession for "people". I absolutely need to find RL hobbies and socializing. Absolutely. But it just kind of clicked how much the above stuff with pets and my need to be best I can be fitness-wise help me feel clear-headed, and linking it to Oro has given me a sudden sort-of.... peacefulness as a goal to aim for. Become like him. Stop stressing. Learn to control my emotions. Become likable - not (just) for others, but for and to myself. To relax and take it day by day. I truly want to find a good woman and to defeat my inner demons, but I also want to accept that I do feel natural being by myself as long as I keep busy and stuff like the above are what makes me feel like the BEST me. I spoke on like, ending up as some faux-monk raising cats in a warm green spot.... then I realize it's just me aiming for that feeling of contentment pre-2008. And to keep pushing myself physically, no matter what, because I am not just good at it but LIKE it. No matter how old I get I'll keep on trucking with it. And hey, maybe I have time to fix myself if I'm going to live that long like I think I will. Like it's all clicking together, you know?

And, I suppose, suddenly everything feels achievable, however long and slogging a path it will be.
 
Warning: absolutely the longest post I'll ever write on the Farms ahead.
You know, it's weird sometimes when I get over this chunibiyou shit of thinking I'm special and interesting and look on here and at other people how normal I actually am. The shit with the girl who was there for the darkest times and still dropped you out of seemingly nowhere hits so close to home it's unreal. I know that sting man and it's unbelievably rough but I think you're on the right progress.
Just remember it took Oro a literal century to be that wise old man. And also that despite how easy it is to rag on yourself for certain things, especially looking for comfort in other people, a lot of those reactions and behaviors probably came as a result to things earlier outside of your control.
That's the best thing you can do honestly in a lot of situations is understand the context of where you're at and where you came from.
Look at the cards you were dealt. You probably didn't handle them perfectly, but it's important to remember what you were handed.
A lot of people want to be the Ubermensch and you can, but it's okay to understand that there were external circumstances that put you in a specific state.
You're doing good, just remember to be empathetic to yourself sometimes.

Today was great. I got off work early in the day, went out to lunch for the first time with a friend I made recently, and then immediately afterwards got picked up a block down the road and had a watchparty with my close friend and a couple of others he knows online. So I literally spent most of the day hanging out with people, most of it in a group setting.
I haven't done that in years...
So I have effectively spent one day hanging out with friends and making new acquaintances. I didn't spend it worrying about the future, doomscrolling and rolled up in my bed feeling sorry for myself.
I officially feel like a normie now.

Back to the art sperging, I might have said this before but I need to remind myself of this. The happiest moment of my life was when I spent a night hammering out the end of a script for the story I've been writing. Something about it, just being fully in the zone, committing fully to one thing, being with my characters and feeling apart of that world, just writing without any second thought to success or time or rewards. Just me and my story. My characters.
I keep worrying about success and all the future worries and concerns that I don't take the first step to anything. There's plenty of rationality behind those concerns. I'm not stupid. But I forget that my happiest moments have been just me fully devoting myself to a story and getting it done. Achieving something small. Being fully invested in what I'm doing. Just letting the story be enough.
I need to get past that. Being too scared of how many miles a marathon will be that you never even go for a light walk is pretty fucking retarded.
 
I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Mesh Mom peacefully passed at home this evening. Her biggest thing is that she didn't want to die in a hospital, and I'm glad I was able to give that to her. I actually feel a little relieved because she was suffering so much at the end. Cancer is a shitty way to die. Thanks again Kiwi bros/sisters, you guys are awesome.
 
I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Mesh Mom peacefully passed at home this evening. Her biggest thing is that she didn't want to die in a hospital, and I'm glad I was able to give that to her. I actually feel a little relieved because she was suffering so much at the end. Cancer is a shitty way to die. Thanks again Kiwi bros/sisters, you guys are awesome.
Hey man. I'm not good with saying things after losses like this. I'm sorry for your loss. I'm not going to say any platitudes or pretend there's a way this is some sign from god or say make lemonaid out of the lemons.
But I'm sorry for your loss. My dms are open if you want to chat.
You did will sticking by her side to the very end.
 
this is just something i wanted to get out. it's nothing bad, thankfully, but just some reflection

I've been fucked financially and recently recovered from the selfishness of my siblings and mother. Constantly having to give in and support my family is fine, but i never got to really treat myself to anything nice. And when I did, my family would find some way to destroy it with their poor choices and expect me to help clean up for them. I don't mind supporting my family, but sometimes i should be allowed to at least treat myself.

while i wasn't able to do the trip to japan this year in september like i wanted to, i'll be going to different state to see two good friends of mine for the first time and i think this financial incident was a blessing in disguise for me. or at least a good thing in my eyes.

I've gotten tired of people pleasing thanks to the help of people who really are what i consider great friends. I still hate that i allowed myself to be pushed around and used by other people, but it's better late than never as i always say. I don't know where i'd be if i didn't have people there for me. I'm forever grateful for being surrounded by people who care for me and remind me to never stop pushing through. I don't ever want to go down another pathetic spiral again like i did for this individual who took advantage of my time and kindness. Hearing two of my close friends and even my father call me an idiot for giving up my self respect and dignity for this person was a wake up call and i can't thank them enough for being there for me when i'd whine over shit that was easy to solve.

a lot of things have happened last year that have helped me reflect heavily on my circle of people. i need to get myself back into the groove of being positive and not letting shit like this have any kind of affect on me. i need to remind myself that i have people who care for me and are genuinely there for me. just because specific people i want to get a reaction from don't give me it doesn't negate the hundreds who already give me what i have been wanting. and it's that seflishness and bullshit of mine that needs to be cleansed.

my love life hasn't been great, but that's okay. I'm fine doing me and continuing to grow as an individual as best as I can. There are still some things that i need to work on, but if anyone ever comes forward to me rather than me coming to them, then i'll gladly embrace them into my life (that is if i'm not retarded/oblivious enough to see the signs lmfao). there is one specific person i've been interested in aside from the chasing i've done with someone else, but i understand that they're currently going through a lot and as much as i want to be there for them, i have to understand that in order for someone to also want help, they got to reach out and welcome the help too. despite such a short amount of time being around them, i do like them and wouldn't be opposed to starting something with them.
 
Back