The Mental Health Thread

[Racer]

I do have a dog but the lack of in-person human interaction has been tough on me. I have felt very isolated and lonely at times despite FaceTiming my Dad everyday. I've also been stressing about the Economy and my 401k at times. Luckily, I can work from home with my job and I'm not to worried about my job security in the short term.

I've started to minimize my news watching to just a few minutes a day which has helped.

I also played board games while doing a Google hangout with friends from High School on Friday night and then friends I met through my job on Sunday night. Both of those really helped me mentally.

A few sites in case anyone is interested in doing that with their friends, like board games, and weren't already aware of these sites:

General - You would at least want one friendly to have a paid account ($4 a month or $24 a year) to setup games. You could always just join games with strangers for free though. The interface is quite clean.

Play board games online from your browser • Board Game Arena

One Night Werewolf - This one is free.

Bamboozle

Secret Hitler - This one is also free. They also have a non private game site but at least when we tried to access it no one could create a new account on that one as they had suspended it temporarily due to demand on the servers I think.

Secret Hitler.io

[tarcone]

Town of Salem is also a web based game like Werewolf. Fun game and free. Lots of people play online and games fill quickly. 15 players per game.

Played this some buddies the other night.

[miami_fan]

This is going to be rambling and dark but besides Twitter, this is my only social media present.

There is a man that I have known for over 13 years. The two of us served together in the same military unit for four years, We got along pretty well in general, but we also got into some truly heated political and social discussions. We tend to be on opposite sides of the political aisle on most though not all things. Not on the extremes by any means, we were very comfortable letting each other know where we stood. Even if we were not arguing, we would definitely give each other shit about our positions. He is one of the few people on the "other side" that I will raise my blood pressure to engage in those types of conversations. While we have come to the brink a few times, despite all of that, I consider him a dear friend. In fact we would call each other our One____________ Friend. On more than a few occasions, one of us has been the only "one" in attendance of the other's special occasion,whether that was racial, political, non family member or something else. He knows my family and I know his wife and son. We communicate in some way at least once every couple of weeks or so

At the beginning of this coronavirus crisis up until that weekend before St Patrick's day, he would say things like it was just the flu. it was no big deal, he was going to the bars, etc. My posts here reflect that by that time, I once again was on the opposite side of him. We had our usual back and forth but of course neither of us would back down. This was another one of those occasions where we just had to agree to disagree and go mostly silent with each other soon after.

About two hours or so ago, my wife came into my office and showed me a Facebook post. Someone posted that my friend's 22 year old son died from complications from COVID-19. I just sat here and began to cry. After the tears, I tried calling my friend twice and got no answer, I know him well enough to know that his phone doesn't usually leave his side so I am guessing he is not taking any phone calls. I texted him to call me when he is ready. If I am being honest I have no idea what to say to him if he called right now after the initial condolences.

Truth be told I have been swinging back and forth from seething anger to deep sadness. I feel am supposed to cuss his dumb ass out for him being fucking stupid. I know he did not put the virus into his son's body. It's irrational and ignorant. I know that but that is what I feel. That feeling immediately is dwarfed by just pain and sadness. I watched that boy grow up into a tremendous young man whose parents were super proud of him. I know how much my friend loved his boy and how important that boy was to his father's life. He is without question a great father. The reality is I know that my friend is dealing with unspeakable pain right now and I want to help him deal with that. The thing is our relationship is one in which we will raise the bullshit flag on one another in a heartbeat. I can't come to him with something insincere. I can't come to him and say who could have known. I can't say it is part of some plan. All I know is it is really rough when you actually put a face on all those numbers.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Racer

I've started to minimize my news watching to just a few minutes a day which has helped.

I am finding that my stress is directly proportional to how much news/social media I am consuming.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I am finding that my stress is directly proportional to how much news/social media I am consuming.

100%

I almost never watch anymore and am so much better off.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Lathum

100%

I almost never watch anymore and am so much better off.

My goal is to attain this dream. I don't have cable so I don't have to worry about cable news.

My weakness is the ranters on Youtube which I spend too much time watching.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

This is going to be rambling and dark but besides Twitter, this is my only social media present.

There is a man that I have known for over 13 years. The two of us served together in the same military unit for four years, We got along pretty well in general, but we also got into some truly heated political and social discussions. We tend to be on opposite sides of the political aisle on most though not all things. Not on the extremes by any means, we were very comfortable letting each other know where we stood. Even if we were not arguing, we would definitely give each other shit about our positions. He is one of the few people on the "other side" that I will raise my blood pressure to engage in those types of conversations. While we have come to the brink a few times, despite all of that, I consider him a dear friend. In fact we would call each other our One____________ Friend. On more than a few occasions, one of us has been the only "one" in attendance of the other's special occasion,whether that was racial, political, non family member or something else. He knows my family and I know his wife and son. We communicate in some way at least once every couple of weeks or so

At the beginning of this coronavirus crisis up until that weekend before St Patrick's day, he would say things like it was just the flu. it was no big deal, he was going to the bars, etc. My posts here reflect that by that time, I once again was on the opposite side of him. We had our usual back and forth but of course neither of us would back down. This was another one of those occasions where we just had to agree to disagree and go mostly silent with each other soon after.

About two hours or so ago, my wife came into my office and showed me a Facebook post. Someone posted that my friend's 22 year old son died from complications from COVID-19. I just sat here and began to cry. After the tears, I tried calling my friend twice and got no answer, I know him well enough to know that his phone doesn't usually leave his side so I am guessing he is not taking any phone calls. I texted him to call me when he is ready. If I am being honest I have no idea what to say to him if he called right now after the initial condolences.

Truth be told I have been swinging back and forth from seething anger to deep sadness. I feel am supposed to cuss his dumb ass out for him being fucking stupid. I know he did not put the virus into his son's body. It's irrational and ignorant. I know that but that is what I feel. That feeling immediately is dwarfed by just pain and sadness. I watched that boy grow up into a tremendous young man whose parents were super proud of him. I know how much my friend loved his boy and how important that boy was to his father's life. He is without question a great father. The reality is I know that my friend is dealing with unspeakable pain right now and I want to help him deal with that. The thing is our relationship is one in which we will raise the bullshit flag on one another in a heartbeat. I can't come to him with something insincere. I can't come to him and say who could have known. I can't say it is part of some plan. All I know is it is really rough when you actually put a face on all those numbers.

Thanks for sharing. I think despite everything, you're in the right place here. You know how you want to come across and you know and have the deep sadness that this situation brings. I'm sorry to hear this. My oldest turned 25 this week. Nobody should ever have to bury their kids. Kudos to you for being important to one another. I have had friends who could really get me going, and some I have just waved off and sent them on their merry way. It's hard to know where your relationship will go now. It does seem though that you are in the right place. Nobody has the right words.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

My weakness is the ranters on Youtube which I spend too much time watching.

Shit, even I'm not THAT masochistic.

I know this is probably a wacky idea but ... create a new YT account, log into it and don't touch anything political / ranty with it.

In fact, try to binge things ONLY things you enjoy for the first couple dozen videos. It'll change your Recommended Videos content, you'll be pushed toward other content, and most importantly NOT pushed into the ranters.

(And don't click a YT rant from other social media either, cause the links will contaminate your viewing history).

I mean, it could work, right?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Shit, even I'm not THAT masochistic.

I know this is probably a wacky idea but ... create a new YT account, log into it and don't touch anything political / ranty with it.

In fact, try to binge things ONLY things you enjoy for the first couple dozen videos. It'll change your Recommended Videos content, you'll be pushed toward other content, and most importantly NOT pushed into the ranters.

(And don't click a YT rant from other social media either, cause the links will contaminate your viewing history).

I mean, it could work, right?

Or just don't log in at all (I use YouTube on my tv and phone separately and never log into my google account or any other account).
The contamination part is crucial though. (And I suspect there was no pun intended, because it does feel like the appropriate term to use here.)

Occasionally I delete my cache and stuff, but before doing that try to remember to write down the 5 or so topics or channels I prefer to get recommendations for. After clearing search for those and click one results each. It will quickly get your favorite topics back.

The only risk is getting some universely contaminated results. For example, for whatever annoying reasons, YouTube thinks that because I watch NFL stuff, I should be interested in baseball as well... No, not even close, Google.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

(And I suspect there was no pun intended, because it does feel like the appropriate term to use here.)

So completely unintentional that it took me a moment to get it, so you're entirely correct.

[CrimsonFox]

my mental health has really taken a nose dive this week.
It's just unbearable lately
everything

[bhlloy]

Hang in there CF man... things are going to get better soon. miami_fan, sorry for your and your friends loss. I can't even imagine what that is like.

This is an absolutely trivial thing in comparison, but we found a lump on my dog. And where usually it would be a no brainer for me to rush him to the vets, pay a lot of money to get him checked out, find out it was nothing and then have my wife laugh at me after, that's obviously a whole thing right now. So that's got me pretty down on top of other stuff, vacillating between I need to get him checked out ASAP and that's a really irresponsible thing to do given the current situation and he's probably fine.

[Kodos]

Each week, I find myself in a real funk for a day or two where everything and everyone pisses me off. Usually toward the beginning of the workweek.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Each week, I find myself in a real funk for a day or two where everything and everyone pisses me off. Usually toward the beginning of the workweek.

Yeah I'm there today. Just want to yell at everyone for everything.

[thesloppy]

Hope you feel better, CF.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Shit, even I'm not THAT masochistic.

I feel extremely dirty now and strangely excited.

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Hang in there CF man... things are going to get better soon. miami_fan, sorry for your and your friends loss. I can't even imagine what that is like.

This is an absolutely trivial thing in comparison, but we found a lump on my dog. And where usually it would be a no brainer for me to rush him to the vets, pay a lot of money to get him checked out, find out it was nothing and then have my wife laugh at me after, that's obviously a whole thing right now. So that's got me pretty down on top of other stuff, vacillating between I need to get him checked out ASAP and that's a really irresponsible thing to do given the current situation and he's probably fine.

Not pretending to be a vet and not telling you what is going on. But I will give you the story of my lab. She had lumps on her. One right on her side near her front leg arm pit, for a lack of a better way of saying where. The vet said it was a fatty growth that happens. It did eventually get bigger and we had to get it cut out. But it was a couple year process.

She was around 9 or 10 when ot started. And thats old for a lab.

Hope this helps.

Puppies hurting is never fun. Esp. because they cant verbalize.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

I feel extremely dirty now and strangely excited.

Do you really wanna hurt me
Do you really wanna make me cry?

Wait.

DON'T answer that

[tarcone]

Missouri closed all schools for the rest of the year. My daughter is really broken up. She said, in tears today, she didnt remember her last day of school, and she wont see all those people she has gone to school with for the last 12 years.

I am pretty emotional right now myself. This one just crushes me. I cannot imagine how she feels. If Im this emotional, what is she feeling like?

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by tarcone

She said, in tears today, she didnt remember her last day of school, and she wont see all those people she has gone to school with for the last 12 years.

That is tough.

[NobodyHere]

When I graduated high school, I was like "Good riddance Assholes!"

It's not like your daughter doesn't have a billion ways to communicate with her former classmates.

[QuikSand]

(A lament of a lesser grade than many here, forgive me... just venting)

A lot of couples are likely finding that some of their coping mechanisms are unavailable now, in unpredictable ways. Mrs Q and I, safe to say, have pretty different ideas regarding parenting and discipline. For the most part, my way to manage those issues has been to defer, and play my de minimus role in guiding our family in anything substantive. I go to work, I'm an excellent manager and decision-maker there, that's fine. At home, I STFU.

Now, being here all day, and seeing the hour by hour repercussions of these differences in parenting philosophy...it is very hard for me to just sit idly by. I'm an annoying know-it-all asshole anyway, I get that. Now I can't play my trump card and just let it simmer, leave the house (because I have to), and sublimate it during time away at the office/work.

I'm having video/audio meetings half the day, and I perpetually feel like the guy from last year or so, who went viral with the TV interview and his kids running wild. It's a complete circus here (kids 14,11,7) and in this building my role is basically the shit sweeper. It's maddening.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I perpetually feel like the guy from last year or so, who went viral with the TV interview and his kids running wild.

I never get tired of this one....the confident strut of the goggle kid....the dad's backwards pawing at the child's face....the mom's desperation....the dad's soft, drained "pardon me" as his eyes droop closed. Chef's kiss.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

When I graduated high school, I was like "Good riddance Assholes!"

Ditto, in spades, I've long said that the worst day I ever had at work was better than the best day I ever had K-12. However ...

It's not like your daughter doesn't have a billion ways to communicate with her former classmates.

There's definitely two camps about this. I'm seeing considerably more emotion about it from the parents of girls but a segment of guys as well. They've had less experience dealing with anything remotely close to this than us adults have had and, well, a lot of us are just barely dealing so I do get the trauma.

Plus, this kinda wrecks the graduation parties that have been anticipated for years

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Thanks for sharing. I think despite everything, you're in the right place here. You know how you want to come across and you know and have the deep sadness that this situation brings. I'm sorry to hear this. My oldest turned 25 this week. Nobody should ever have to bury their kids. Kudos to you for being important to one another. I have had friends who could really get me going, and some I have just waved off and sent them on their merry way. It's hard to know where your relationship will go now. It does seem though that you are in the right place. Nobody has the right words.

Thanks. Long story short. We talked, it was incredibly uncomfortable, we hall see what happens next.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Missouri closed all schools for the rest of the year. My daughter is really broken up. She said, in tears today, she didnt remember her last day of school, and she wont see all those people she has gone to school with for the last 12 years.

I am pretty emotional right now myself. This one just crushes me. I cannot imagine how she feels. If Im this emotional, what is she feeling like?

I talked with my nephew last weekend and ask him if he was trying to figure out how to have a virtual prom (get you mind out of the gutter! and his response was he just wanted the graduation. He wants that walk across the stage. He wants to watch his friends walk across that stage.

High school ending this way was surely never part of the plan for any of the class of 2020. Given everything else that is going on, I am sure they can do without this kick in the stomach.

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

When I graduated high school, I was like "Good riddance Assholes!"

It's not like your daughter doesn't have a billion ways to communicate with her former classmates.

True. I dont talk to anyone but one from my HS. And my daughter does not like many in her class.

BUT, she is ranked 4th in her class. She will not get recognition for all the hard work she has put forth throughout the years. She doesnt get to walk across the stage and get that diploma which signals the literal step into adulthood. There is an event for the top 10 students in the class. Nope. The kids dress in their cap and gowns and go to their elementary schools and parade through the halls. Which is huge. The kids get to see their future and the teachers get to see their hard work pay off.

Do not minimize what a high school graduation is. It is important. Very important. And do not tell me it wasnt important to you. Because I was a fuck off in HS and I still remember walking across that stage and getting my diploma. And it was important.

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Do not minimize what a high school graduation is. It is important. Very important. And do not tell me it wasnt important to you. Because I was a fuck off in HS and I still remember walking across that stage and getting my diploma. And it was important.

It is dependent upon the person, it was not an accomplishment to me. The only thing I could do in high school was screw things up. My college graduation was an accomplishment because I was finally challenged.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by tarcone

True. I dont talk to anyone but one from my HS. And my daughter does not like many in her class.

BUT, she is ranked 4th in her class. She will not get recognition for all the hard work she has put forth throughout the years. She doesnt get to walk across the stage and get that diploma which signals the literal step into adulthood. There is an event for the top 10 students in the class. Nope. The kids dress in their cap and gowns and go to their elementary schools and parade through the halls. Which is huge. The kids get to see their future and the teachers get to see their hard work pay off.

Do not minimize what a high school graduation is. It is important. Very important. And do not tell me it wasnt important to you. Because I was a fuck off in HS and I still remember walking across that stage and getting my diploma. And it was important.

My son is 4th in his class! Yeah, this just sucks so bad. It doesn't seem to be that hard on him, though. I asked him if it really bothered him when they announced the schools where not going back this year and it probably meant no graduation. He said he thinks it probably bothers him less than it should. It is hurting me more, and it is absolutely killing my wife.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Do not minimize what a high school graduation is. It is important. Very important. And do not tell me it wasnt important to you. Because I was a fuck off in HS and I still remember walking across that stage and getting my diploma. And it was important.

It wasn't important to me at all. The only reasoned I walked was because my parents threatened me otherwise and I was living with them.

Heck even at my college graduation I didn't even bother to do the walk at all and got my diploma in the mail, and that graduation was much more important to me than my high school graduation.

[Brian Swartz]

I think that's the kind of thing that's more important to some than others obviously, but there are also creative things you can try to do instead.
Coming-of-age ceremonies have taken many forms over time; the fact that a formal graduation isn't available doesn't mean something else can't be done instead.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

He said he thinks it probably bothers him less than it should. It is hurting me more, and it is absolutely killing my wife.

I think he gave a pretty commendable honest answer there.

I've long believed that the ceremonies were about 90 percent for parents etc & et al, maybe 10 percent for the students.

I could all but guarantee you my son wouldn't have bothered with his HS one if not for his mother & maybe grandparents, I'd say only about a 20% chance he would have bothered with the (now non-existent) college one next month if not for his mother.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

(A lament of a lesser grade than many here, forgive me... just venting)

A lot of couples are likely finding that some of their coping mechanisms are unavailable now, in unpredictable ways. Mrs Q and I, safe to say, have pretty different ideas regarding parenting and discipline. For the most part, my way to manage those issues has been to defer, and play my de minimus role in guiding our family in anything substantive. I go to work, I'm an excellent manager and decision-maker there, that's fine. At home, I STFU.

Now, being here all day, and seeing the hour by hour repercussions of these differences in parenting philosophy...it is very hard for me to just sit idly by. I'm an annoying know-it-all asshole anyway, I get that. Now I can't play my trump card and just let it simmer, leave the house (because I have to), and sublimate it during time away at the office/work.

I'm having video/audio meetings half the day, and I perpetually feel like the guy from last year or so, who went viral with the TV interview and his kids running wild. It's a complete circus here (kids 14,11,7) and in this building my role is basically the shit sweeper. It's maddening.

For sure... one of our big differences is with virtual learning. Being a teacher myself I understand where our children's teachers are coming from... they send plenty of work and don't really know how much time you have to work with them. My philosophy is you do what you can but once frustration sets in you either take a break or scrap it for the day all together. I even tried reasoning one time that at school the teacher might say write for 30 minutes and then is monitoring 25 kids plus probably taking care of other things so spends maybe 2 minutes tops with our kids. Now not only is my wife on top of him for the entire time but it's his mom! Let's just say a lot of disagreements.

Like you said Quiksand previously that would be the time spent on the drive to work or on my break at work getting a way for a bit. Now it's just spent in my "office" shaking my head and refraining from starting an argument.

[booradley]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

It wasn't important to me at all. The only reasoned I walked was because my parents threatened me otherwise and I was living with them.

Heck even at my college graduation I didn't even bother to do the walk at all and got my diploma in the mail, and that graduation was much more important to me than my high school graduation.

Phew. At least I'm not the only one. Went to HS graduation because it was required, and I graduated from college a semester early. My parents wanted me to walk the lawn the following spring, but by that time I had started a new life - first job, new girlfriend, etc. School days already seemed a distant memory.

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a guy who lives in the present. For me, once it's over, IT'S OVER, and although that's hurt some people along the way, for the most part I've been a happy, almost carefree guy.

Shrug.

[Lathum]

I couldn't have cared less about high school graduation, or high school in general. I got along fine with everyone but realized it was over and I was ready to move on. If it wasn't for facebook I would have zero connection with anyone from high school.

[tarcone]

I will echo GrantDawg, in as much, it is killing my wife and Im pretty upst as well. This is is the last kid in the house, so it is a big milestone for us. She is going away to college. So we will have an empty house for the 1st time is 20 years. Thats a long time.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by tarcone

True. I dont talk to anyone but one from my HS. And my daughter does not like many in her class.

BUT, she is ranked 4th in her class. She will not get recognition for all the hard work she has put forth throughout the years. She doesnt get to walk across the stage and get that diploma which signals the literal step into adulthood. There is an event for the top 10 students in the class. Nope. The kids dress in their cap and gowns and go to their elementary schools and parade through the halls. Which is huge. The kids get to see their future and the teachers get to see their hard work pay off.

Do not minimize what a high school graduation is. It is important. Very important. And do not tell me it wasnt important to you. Because I was a fuck off in HS and I still remember walking across that stage and getting my diploma. And it was important.

My daughter complained about HS all the time but she is definitely broken up about not only graduating but her senior prom as well.


Wonder if I can get the dress place to take back the $280 dress we bought her? (FAT CHANCE)

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

My daughter complained about HS all the time but she is definitely broken up about not only graduating but her senior prom as well.


Wonder if I can get the dress place to take back the $280 dress we bought her? (FAT CHANCE)

Yeah, missing prom is a bummer for her also.. My Wife told me about a Dad she saw online who laid his daughters dress out and put a note on it inviting her to prom. She dressed up and they danced in their house. She was hinting for me to do that. I didnt go to prom in HS and really think that one is over-hyped. But I may have to do it.

And I dont want to tell you what my wife spent on her dress, because I dont want to think about it myself.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

It is dependent upon the person, it was not an accomplishment to me. The only thing I could do in high school was screw things up. My college graduation was an accomplishment because I was finally challenged.

This is me 100%.

But I also was trending towards a fuck up by the time I graduated college and walked high as fuck...even to this day when I see some pics took that day...my pupils are like microscopic...its ..obvious...

[SirFozzie]

So, one side effect of the pandemic is that I spend a lot of time locked into my own head (no family really around, so I'm by myself 24/7). My latest one was worrying about the disability hearing (set for early June). What happens if I get denied? At the time, I said "if I get denied, I have two options. A) is to sponge off my family for the rest of my life, and B) find a way out." (and yes, it was what you thought when you see "find a way out".

[AlexB]

I can’t empathise what it’s like to be in your shoes, but I can’t read that without saying something.

Easy for me to say, much more difficult to do, but worrying about what ifs is a recipe for dark places, and won’t affect the outcome of the hearing.

Try to stay strong Foz, be as positive as you can be

[SirFozzie]

I'm trying, trust me. As I said, one of the problems of the pandemic is that since I'm by myself 24/7, I have no one to share the dark thoughts with, to tell me that it's unfounded (my dad and brother would be willing to support me if that was necessary, and I've gone through this process once before and made it through ok at this next level).

It's a lot different saying it in the moment (this happened during a political argument on another forum with a "never-biden" Sanders supporter._, it didn't really hit me what I had said, until I read the post back.

One good thing is on good weather days, I can go outside now for a few minutes (a health care worker dropped off masks and glove). Since I live in a city now, and not a suburb like I did before, it's not like I can duck outside and sit and read a book or whatever.

There's a river right below where I park my car. I think watching it would be very calming.

[thesloppy]

I hope things pick up for you, Foz! You could duck outside and read a book....in your car?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

I'm trying, trust me. As I said, one of the problems of the pandemic is that since I'm by myself 24/7, I have no one to share the dark thoughts with, to tell me that it's unfounded…

Let me add to this, because you also have FOFC (in particular this thread), especially now.

I think it's safe to say that for every "hang on, stay strong" in this thread, to you or anybody else, there's ten times that many others reading the story or the encouragement/sympathies and nodding at their monitor thinking: yeah, exactly! Just shying away from posting, to not overwhelm the discussion with every single alternative for "+1".

This really appears to be a time where not only everybody is feeling bad about what's happening at any degree between boredom and claustrophobia, but instead of a "shut up, we're all feeling that way" I think the acceptance and empathy for how emotionally challenging it is to be 'locked up' is increasing.

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I hope things pick up for you, Foz! You could duck outside and read a book....in your car?

Not exactly comfortable, but may be necessary

edit: One of the things that I would do under more normal circumstances is visit my brother (he lives about a 30 minute drive from me), play with the doggos, and basically change the scenery for most of a day (or stay overnight). But since we're seperated by state lines, there's also the uncertainty about quarantine, etcetera (as well as the fact I really need to control my environment because I'm immunosuprresed)

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Let me add to this, because you also have FOFC (in particular this thread), especially now.

I think it's safe to say that for every "hang on, stay strong" in this thread, to you or anybody else, there's ten times that many others reading the story or the encouragement/sympathies and nodding at their monitor thinking: yeah, exactly! Just shying away from posting, to not overwhelm the discussion with every single alternative for "+1".

This really appears to be a time where not only everybody is feeling bad about what's happening at any degree between boredom and claustrophobia, but instead of a "shut up, we're all feeling that way" I think the acceptance and empathy for how emotionally challenging it is to be 'locked up' is increasing.

Awkward +1 to this.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

This really appears to be a time where not only everybody is feeling bad about what's happening at any degree between boredom and claustrophobia, but instead of a "shut up, we're all feeling that way" I think the acceptance and empathy for how emotionally challenging it is to be 'locked up' is increasing.

You ain't wrong.

I've mentioned this thread to a few non-FOFC friends, as a kind of exemplar of what can be accomplished online.

We're an imperfect lot around here, at any given normal moment probably 1/3rd of us are ready to strangle another 1/3rd of us ... but not in this thread.

Here? We're all bobbing around in the same icy North Atlantic waters, and we're doing what we can to pull each other into a lifeboat. I'm not looking to see who I'm dragging in, just get in the boat, it's too dark to be particular.
I may reserve the option of whacking you over the head as we head up the gangplank once we're rescued but there's time for that later.

For the time being? Let's just get everybody in the boat and keep 'em there.

And, HEY, you there ... NO DIVING !

[Brian Swartz]

Applause for the analogy Jon.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Applause for the analogy Jon.

Thanks you, I tried.

It's almost certainly better than the faux confusion Zoom (PBS TV show) graphic I rolled with on my other social media.

[miami_fan]

A question for those who said the graduation ceremonies were not that big of a deal for them. Do you feel that way for all ceremonies?

For me, my high school graduation was much more significant for me than either of my college graduations. I walked for my undergrad and just got my masters mailed in. My wife and I got married in a court house and "at some point", we are supposed to have a more formal wedding. Let's just say the formal ceremony is not for me. I am good with what we got . Career wise, my military retirement ceremony was the only ceremony that really hit me emotionally in any sort of way but that also had just as much to do with the folks that I met and helped me throughout my career.

As I think more about it, the ceremony itself is not that big of a deal. If it were just me, I would have probably skipped most of the ceremonies. However sharing those ceremonies with the people who made the journeys with me about is extremely important.