thoughtcatalog--2020-05-07--6 Things I Learned From Getting Strung Along By An Almost For Months

1 .
You can ’ t ignore the unacceptable things they do , simply because you want to be with them .
You have to look at the whole package .
If they ’ re sending cute texts and complimenting you and making you feel like the luckiest person in the world , that ’ s great .
But if half the time , that isn ’ t the case , if they ’ re ignoring your messages and flirting with other people and making you feel like you ’ re worthless , you have to take that into consideration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on the good and ignore the bad .
You have to be honest with yourself about how they ’ ve been treating you , not only on their good days , but on all of the days .
2 .
If they tell you they aren ’ t interested in a relationship , believe them .
Don ’ t assume there is some secret meaning behind the words .
And don ’ t take it as a challenge to get them to change their mind .
Don ’ t pour all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth the trouble .
They ’ re doing you a favor by being honest with you about their intentions .
The least you could do is believe them .
Take their words at face value , even if you don ’ t want to believe them , even if it ’ s the last thing you want to hear .
3 .
The highs you get when they treat you right aren ’ t worth all the lows .
You shouldn ’ t put up with months of mistreatment because you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when things are going well with them .
When you ’ re in the right relationship , your emotions won ’ t feel like they ’ re on a roller coaster .
They ’ ll be stable .
You ’ ll be happy and comfortable and relaxed the majority of the time .
If you ’ re always flopping back and forth between being ecstatic and miserable , loving them and hating them , then they aren ’ t worth the trouble .
Someone else can give you those same highs without so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else to determine your worth is draining .
It ’ s not healthy to think highly of yourself on the days when you ’ re given attention and to think poorly of yourself on the days you ’ re being ignored .
It ’ s not right to put your self-worth in the hands of someone else .
You should determine your own worth .
You should set your own standards .
And you should never settle for someone who makes you wonder whether you ’ re valuable , because you are .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything wrong .
You shouldn ’ t blame yourself for falling for someone you didn ’ t end up officially dating .
It happens .
It ’ s not your fault for crushing on them and it ’ s not your fault they decided you wouldn ’ t work out together .
Some people just don ’ t fit .
It doesn ’ t mean you ’ re unlovable .
It only means you ’ re meant to be loved by someone else .
6 .
You don ’ t have the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do all the right things .
You can be there for someone through it all .
You can act like the perfect partner .
But no matter well how you treat someone , they don ’ t owe you anything .
You can ’ t control whether they want to be with you .
You can ’ t force them to change their mind .
You can only control your own actions .
You can walk away when you aren ’ t being treated right .
You don ’ t have to settle @ @ @ @ @ @

1. You can’t ignore the unacceptable things they do, simply because you want to be with them. You have to look at the whole package. If they’re sending cute texts and complimenting you and making you feel like the luckiest person in the world, that’s great. But if half the time, that isn’t the case, if they’re ignoring your messages and flirting with other people and making you feel like you’re worthless, you have to take that into consideration, too. You can’t focus on the good and ignore the bad. You have to be honest with yourself about how they’ve been treating you, not only on their good days, but on all of the days.
2. If they tell you they aren’t interested in a relationship, believe them. Don’t assume there is some secret meaning behind the words. And don’t take it as a challenge to get them to change their mind. Don’t pour all of your energy into convincing them you are worth the trouble. They’re doing you a favor by being honest with you about their intentions. The least you could do is believe them. Take their words at face value, even if you don’t want to believe them, even if it’s the last thing you want to hear.
3. The highs you get when they treat you right aren’t worth all the lows. You shouldn’t put up with months of mistreatment because you’re excited about the occasional week or two when things are going well with them. When you’re in the right relationship, your emotions won’t feel like they’re on a roller coaster. They’ll be stable. You’ll be happy and comfortable and relaxed the majority of the time. If you’re always flopping back and forth between being ecstatic and miserable, loving them and hating them, then they aren’t worth the trouble. Someone else can give you those same highs without so many lows.
4. Allowing someone else to determine your worth is draining. It’s not healthy to think highly of yourself on the days when you’re given attention and to think poorly of yourself on the days you’re being ignored. It’s not right to put your self-worth in the hands of someone else. You should determine your own worth. You should set your own standards. And you should never settle for someone who makes you wonder whether you’re valuable, because you are.
5. You didn’t do anything wrong. You shouldn’t blame yourself for falling for someone you didn’t end up officially dating. It happens. It’s not your fault for crushing on them and it’s not your fault they decided you wouldn’t work out together. Some people just don’t fit. It doesn’t mean you’re unlovable. It only means you’re meant to be loved by someone else.
6. You don’t have the power to control other people. You can do all the right things. You can be there for someone through it all. You can act like the perfect partner. But no matter well how you treat someone, they don’t owe you anything. You can’t control whether they want to be with you. You can’t force them to change their mind. You can only control your own actions. You can walk away when you aren’t being treated right. You don’t have to settle for getting strung along anymore.


thoughtcatalog--2020-05-08--Everything My Mother Taught Me About Life Before She Passed Away

I understand that not every single person in this world has been as lucky as I have been to have a parent that showed up for them in a full and beautiful way .
My mother held all of my broken pieces back together and she inspired me beyond words .
She always encouraged me and loved me for who I was .
She was known for doing this with all of of my friends , too — she became a beacon for a lot of human beings in this lifetime , a shoulder to lean on and everyone knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so , in a way , this is me allowing for her to continue doing that .
This is me putting her heart into the world , in the hopes that it helps you to feel loved today , in the hopes that her lessons and her wisdom can help you to connect with your own .
1 .
Your looks are the least interesting thing about you .
I know that in this day and age , we tend to associate beauty with goodness , or worthiness , or value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , you can be the most beautiful human being in a room , but if your energy is off , it doesn ’ t matter .
You still have work to do .
You have to trust me when I say that you are so much more than your appearance .
And I know it can be difficult to believe that when you ’ re living in an age of comparison , in an age that sometimes makes you think you have to be perfect in order to be loved .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s flesh .
That ’ s weightless .
It isn ’ t impressive to turn a head or to turn someone on .
What ’ s impressive is being able to inspire someone .
What ’ s impressive is being able to connect .
Take care of your mind , take care of your heart .
It is what people are going to remember about you .
My mom spent her whole life trying to be smaller for those around her , and not one person revered her for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person stood and shook my hand and said “ your mom changed my life because she was just so physically beautiful.
” But they did stand beside me and hug me and tell me that my mom did the same for them .
They did tell me that my mom ’ s presence , that her soul , that the way in which she crashed her heart into those she met — that is what lasted within them .
That is the legacy she left .
It was all soul .
It had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like .
So now , I want you to think about all of the people you have cared deeply for in your life , and all of the human beings who have affected you , or changed you , or grown you .
Think about all of the people who have made you feel seen , the people who have made you laugh from deep within your chest , the people who have left you with memories you have tucked into your heart , the people who have left you with the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Think about all of the people you cherish , all of the people you want by your side , all of the people who make you feel safe and grounded ad foolishly curious and happy in a bewildering way And now think about how you didn ’ t associate any of those moments , or feelings , or memories , with what they looked like .
They didn ’ t affect you because they were good looking .
They touched you , and inspired you , because they were good people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharing your heart with the world .
That is what holds weight when it is all said and done .
People will forget about the clothes you wore , they ’ ll forget about who you were externally .
But they will remember what you taught them , what you have made them feel .
And that is the real beauty in life .
2 .
You can not love somebody into loving you , or being ready .
Not everyone you feel something deep and meaningful with is going to be ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in love with someone who can not love you back at the moment , please , understand that this is not a reflection of your goodness , this is not a reflection of your worth .
Sometimes life weathers people in different ways .
We are all on this Earth just trying to figure ourselves out , just trying to mend the breaks in our souls , just trying to deal with what is heavy within us .
Sometimes , we ’ re ready and another person is not .
Sometimes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not .
Sometimes , we pour ourselves into another human being and they can not contain all that we are .
Sometimes , we fight , and another person surrenders .
Sometimes , we choose to make things work , and another person decides that they can not choose that same reality .
And that is okay .
I need you to understand that that is okay .
Because at the end of the day , if someone does not meet you where you are , you can not keep asking them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reciprocate your love , if someone can not give you what you truly deserve , you have to understand that aching for them to do so before they are ready is a form of self destruction .
Your heart is a vast and tender thing , you can not keep trying to shrink it into what someone else needs .
You can not keep pouring your love into a vessel that can not contain it .
You can not keep pouring your love into a soul that has not opened their eyes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not keep pouring your love into a heart that is closed off to it .
It will only leave you empty .
You have to walk away .
You have to let this person grow on their own terms , because you can ’ t love someone into their potential .
You can ’ t love someone into being ready .
They have to do that on their own .
And I know how hard it is to walk away from someone you deeply care for .
I know how hard it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , to close your heart off to all that it sees in another human being .
But in walking away you will learn how to pour all of the love that you were giving to the wrong person , back into yourself .
And you will learn how to pour it into all that you desire in life , you will learn how to pour it into your growth , into your art , into your hope .
You will learn how to stand up for your feeling , how to stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you teach yourself that you deserve to be loved , without having to beg for that love , without having to chase that love down , you open yourself to the kind of beauty that chooses you just as freely as you choose it .
You open yourself to the kind of people who see you and immediately know that you are a rare and beautiful thing .
You open yourself to new beginnings , to a future that unfolds in ways that don ’ t hurt or break you down , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show you just how worthy you are of having your heart held .
3 .
Your person is going to be your person for life — make sure that you have someone by your side who loves you in your dark days just as much as your light ones .
My parent ’ s chose one another , every single day .
Not just when life was shiny and beautiful , not just when they were young and had no issues and it was easy to fall in love with the beauty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calm that exists in the world when it hasn ’ t weathered you yet .
My parents chose one another and when they did start to experience hardship , when they did start to struggle , they still chose one another .
They were a team if I had ever seen one .
They had foundational love .
It wasn ’ t skinny love , it was nourished , it was something they both walked into and continued to believe in even when things got hard .
And when my mother got sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit home for me .
I saw my father meet her where she was .
I saw the way she reached for him when she was scared , those simple and small moments where you notice the love two people share — I saw it in so many ways as he tried to take care of her .
Just knowing he was in the same room as her calmed her .
He slept by her side every single night when she was in the hospital .
For one year he waited on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned everything he could in order to ensure that he could take care of her , that she didn ’ t have to suffer .
He fought so hard , so fucking hard , for her .
He did not give up once .
He did not turn his back on her .
And I saw how much she appreciated that — how much it softens a person to really connect with the fact that they are loved , unconditionally , pragmatically , how much it means when someone stays .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He held her and calmed her and really made sure that she felt his love .
Please , know that you deserve that .
And someone who does not value you or respect you right now , if someone questions you or makes you feel like your heart is too much right now , when things are relatively easy , when things are relatively simple in life — just know that they are not your person .
You need someone who stands firmly in front of you and knows that they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want to make you a place in their heart , because that is the kind of certainty and love that lasts .
Please , wait for it .
It exists .
4 .
Be the person who cares , have the courage to love deeply .
My mother always said — if you want to know how to change the world in even the smallest of ways , here ’ s how : Every single day — just be the person who cares .
Be the reason why someone else believes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith .
I hope you have the courage to keep loving deeply in a world that sometimes fails to do so .
In a generation that orders up attention like they order up a meal , in a generation that has started to love with one foot out the door , I hope you have the courage to believe that genuine connection still exists .
And I hope you have the courage to stand up for that , to open yourself to it when you start to feel it bloom within the heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the courage to appreciate it for all that it is , to not approach it wearing a mask , to not try to desensitize yourself to it or play it cool .
Please , I hope you have the courage to crash your heart into the people life gifts you .
I hope you have the courage to believe that goodness still exists , that there are those who have the capacity to love the way you do , that there are those who will see you and grow you and teach you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have the courage to fight for connection .
I hope you have the courage to go deeper .
To never exist on the surface of your life , even if it ’ s easier or more convenient .
At the end of the day you should leave this world with a heart that is worn out and soft all over .
A heart that is bruised from loving , and feeling , and caring in the best way possible .
At the end of the day , you should be proud of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the world .
You should be proud of who you are and how you showed up .
You should know that you cared with conviction .
That you never let the things that hurt you in life turn you into someone you weren ’ t .
That you always chose to care .
5 .
Real life exists outside of your phone .
Real life is so much more interesting than anything you will see on social media .
So please , just put down your phone , and pick up your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beings you spend your time with , be present with yourself , be present with the world .
Don ’ t forget to live because you think you ’ re living through your phone .
Trust me when I say — real life is the feeling you get when you support your friends and see them doing the things that make their cells dance .
Real life is 8am , wrapped within the limbs of someone who makes your stomach feel like it is buzzing with an electric kind of happiness .
Real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face and hearing about the first time she saw your father .
Real life is sitting with yourself , in all of your depth and your decay , and not distracting your mind from all that is seeking to be felt within you .
Real life is gritty , it breaks you open , and it is meant to weather you in the most beautiful and meaningful ways , but you will miss all of that if you are looking down .
Always choose to look up .
6 .
You can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so headstrong in this .
She always made sure that I grew up knowing that I was capable of setting myself free from any boundary , or any pain , or any darkened circumstance .
She always made sure to remind me that I was strong enough of weathering the storms , that I was capable of saving myself .
And I know it can be difficult to hear things like that when you are genuinely in the weeds of life , when life feels heavy and dark and you truly do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other side of your grief or your hardship .
But you do .
You always do .
That ’ s the thing — there is no way to give you a guideline or to tell you that you have to do it a certain way .
There is no way to perfect the journey , you just have to keep moving forward within it .
And you will take five steps forward , and 10 steps back , but that is still movement .
That is still growth , and progress .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do hard things .
You can overcome .
You can have hard conversations .
You can bet on yourself and you can prove your doubt wrong .
You can turn every single loss you have ever experienced into a lesson .
You can shape yourself from the debris .
Losing my mother taught me that I can do hard things .
And not because I was strong and unaffected , not because I wasn ’ t breaking down , not because the journey was faultless and it was easy for me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do hard things because I showed up to do them , even if it was imperfectly .
Even if I broke down .
Even if I felt tender .
No matter how soft I felt , no matter how lost I felt , I woke up in the morning , and I did whatever I had to do to tuck light in between my bones , I did whatever I had to do in order to remind myself that goodness existed here , that I was capable of finding it , that things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ okay .
That I was going to be strong enough to live without her , that I was going to be strong enough to become to person I always wanted to be , that I was strong enough to let go , to walk away , to ask for what I needed , to stand up for myself and my heart and the life I wanted to live .
No matter how difficult that was for me .
And so now I get to remind you — you can do hard things .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about right now ?
The thing you think you can ’ t survive ?
The thing you think will never feel calm , the way in which you think the hope will never crack within your chest again ?
I promise , that isn ’ t the case .
Whatever you do , just believe that .
Just do anything you can do to believe that .
Keep going .
Nothing is going to defeat you .
Nothing has the capacity to destroy you , unless you allow for it to .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You ’ re going to look back on these moments in your future and you are going to be so glad that you trusted in your healing .
You are going to be so glad that you chose to believe that there was more for you .
7 .
Life is meant to be lived .
Life is meant to be lived .
You have to chase the things that ignite you .
You have to do the things that bring you joy .
You have to surround yourself with the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the people who respect you and nurture you in ways that make you feel like you are worthy , and accepted , and loved .
You have to do the work to heal yourself , even when it hurts .
Especially when it hurts , so that you do not continue to approach your life within the boundary of what is heavy within you .
You have to put yourself out there , and you can not worry about what other people think , you can not rob yourself of experience or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how you will be perceived .
You have to be unapologetic in the way that you exist here .
You have to believe that your ideas , and your hope , and your being , deserves to take up space .
You have to believe that you have purpose here .
Because , and I say this in the most freeing way — we are all living on borrowed time .
Our existence is finite .
We live as if we are promised the experiences and the potential we are chasing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over what happens to us .
But we don ’ t , and that is liberating , because it is pressing .
It wakes you up when you connect with that .
You are not promised tomorrow .
So how are you going to ensure that you crash your heart into your life ?
How are you going to ensure that you leave this world , whenever it happens for you , with a soul that is tender and full and weathered in the best way ?
With a soul that was never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a soul that was never waiting for the day it was or skinnier , or prettier , or cooler , or more successful , in order to take advantage of the time it was given ?
That is what losing my mother taught me .
That we can not wait to be the people we have always dreamed of being .
We can not wait for life to perfect itself .
There is no right time , there is no perfect circumstance .
We have to leap , even when our legs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for ourselves , not in 3 months , or 5 years , or 10 years , but now .
Because every single day is a blessing .
Every single day is a gift .
We can not lose sight of that .

I understand that not every single person in this world has been as lucky as I have been to have a parent that showed up for them in a full and beautiful way. My mother held all of my broken pieces back together and she inspired me beyond words. She always encouraged me and loved me for who I was. She was known for doing this with all of of my friends, too — she became a beacon for a lot of human beings in this lifetime, a shoulder to lean on and everyone knew that they could count on her heart. And so, in a way, this is me allowing for her to continue doing that. This is me putting her heart into the world, in the hopes that it helps you to feel loved today, in the hopes that her lessons and her wisdom can help you to connect with your own.
1. Your looks are the least interesting thing about you.
I know that in this day and age, we tend to associate beauty with goodness, or worthiness, or value. But at the end of the day, you can be the most beautiful human being in a room, but if your energy is off, it doesn’t matter. You still have work to do.
You have to trust me when I say that you are so much more than your appearance. And I know it can be difficult to believe that when you’re living in an age of comparison, in an age that sometimes makes you think you have to be perfect in order to be loved.
But real love? Thats soul. Attraction, that’s flesh. That’s weightless. It isn’t impressive to turn a head or to turn someone on. What’s impressive is being able to inspire someone. What’s impressive is being able to connect.
Take care of your mind, take care of your heart. It is what people are going to remember about you. My mom spent her whole life trying to be smaller for those around her, and not one person revered her for the way her body looked. Not one person stood and shook my hand and said “your mom changed my life because she was just so physically beautiful.” But they did stand beside me and hug me and tell me that my mom did the same for them. They did tell me that my mom’s presence, that her soul, that the way in which she crashed her heart into those she met — that is what lasted within them. That is the legacy she left. It was all soul. It had nothing to do with what she looked like.
So now, I want you to think about all of the people you have cared deeply for in your life, and all of the human beings who have affected you, or changed you, or grown you. Think about all of the people who have made you feel seen, the people who have made you laugh from deep within your chest, the people who have left you with memories you have tucked into your heart, the people who have left you with the kind of feeling that sticks to your bones. Think about all of the people you cherish, all of the people you want by your side, all of the people who make you feel safe and grounded ad foolishly curious and happy in a bewildering way And now think about how you didn’t associate any of those moments, or feelings, or memories, with what they looked like. They didn’t affect you because they were good looking. They touched you, and inspired you, because they were good people.
Focus on being yourself. Focus on sharing your heart with the world. That is what holds weight when it is all said and done. People will forget about the clothes you wore, they’ll forget about who you were externally. But they will remember what you taught them, what you have made them feel. And that is the real beauty in life.
2. You cannot love somebody into loving you, or being ready.
Not everyone you feel something deep and meaningful with is going to be ready to hold your heart.
If you are in love with someone who cannot love you back at the moment, please, understand that this is not a reflection of your goodness, this is not a reflection of your worth. Sometimes life weathers people in different ways. We are all on this Earth just trying to figure ourselves out, just trying to mend the breaks in our souls, just trying to deal with what is heavy within us. Sometimes, we’re ready and another person is not. Sometimes, we try, and another person does not. Sometimes, we pour ourselves into another human being and they cannot contain all that we are. Sometimes, we fight, and another person surrenders. Sometimes, we choose to make things work, and another person decides that they cannot choose that same reality. And that is okay. I need you to understand that that is okay.
Because at the end of the day, if someone does not meet you where you are, you cannot keep asking them to do so. If someone cannot reciprocate your love, if someone cannot give you what you truly deserve, you have to understand that aching for them to do so before they are ready is a form of self destruction. Your heart is a vast and tender thing, you cannot keep trying to shrink it into what someone else needs. You cannot keep pouring your love into a vessel that cannot contain it. You cannot keep pouring your love into a soul that has not opened their eyes to all that they are receiving. You cannot keep pouring your love into a heart that is closed off to it. It will only leave you empty. You have to walk away. You have to let this person grow on their own terms, because you can’t love someone into their potential. You can’t love someone into being ready. They have to do that on their own.
And I know how hard it is to walk away from someone you deeply care for. I know how hard it is to lay all of that love down, to close your heart off to all that it sees in another human being. But in walking away you will learn how to pour all of the love that you were giving to the wrong person, back into yourself. And you will learn how to pour it into all that you desire in life, you will learn how to pour it into your growth, into your art, into your hope. You will learn how to stand up for your feeling, how to stand up for its value. And when you teach yourself that you deserve to be loved, without having to beg for that love, without having to chase that love down, you open yourself to the kind of beauty that chooses you just as freely as you choose it. You open yourself to the kind of people who see you and immediately know that you are a rare and beautiful thing. You open yourself to new beginnings, to a future that unfolds in ways that don’t hurt or break you down, but rather, build you up, and show you just how worthy you are of having your heart held.
3. Your person is going to be your person for life — make sure that you have someone by your side who loves you in your dark days just as much as your light ones.
My parent’s chose one another, every single day. Not just when life was shiny and beautiful, not just when they were young and had no issues and it was easy to fall in love with the beauty and the joy of youth and ease and calm that exists in the world when it hasn’t weathered you yet. My parents chose one another and when they did start to experience hardship, when they did start to struggle, they still chose one another. They were a team if I had ever seen one. They had foundational love. It wasn’t skinny love, it was nourished, it was something they both walked into and continued to believe in even when things got hard.
And when my mother got sick, that is when this lesson truly hit home for me. I saw my father meet her where she was. I saw the way she reached for him when she was scared, those simple and small moments where you notice the love two people share — I saw it in so many ways as he tried to take care of her. Just knowing he was in the same room as her calmed her. He slept by her side every single night when she was in the hospital. For one year he waited on her, he made her comfortable, he learned everything he could in order to ensure that he could take care of her, that she didn’t have to suffer. He fought so hard, so fucking hard, for her. He did not give up once. He did not turn his back on her. And I saw how much she appreciated that — how much it softens a person to really connect with the fact that they are loved, unconditionally, pragmatically, how much it means when someone stays. He was there with her when she passed away. He held her and calmed her and really made sure that she felt his love.
Please, know that you deserve that. And someone who does not value you or respect you right now, if someone questions you or makes you feel like your heart is too much right now, when things are relatively easy, when things are relatively simple in life — just know that they are not your person. You need someone who stands firmly in front of you and knows that they want to care for you, knows that they want to make you a place in their heart, because that is the kind of certainty and love that lasts. Please, wait for it. It exists.
4. Be the person who cares, have the courage to love deeply.
My mother always said — if you want to know how to change the world in even the smallest of ways, here’s how: Every single day — just be the person who cares. Be the reason why someone else believes in the goodness of people. Give people faith.
I hope you have the courage to keep loving deeply in a world that sometimes fails to do so. In a generation that orders up attention like they order up a meal, in a generation that has started to love with one foot out the door, I hope you have the courage to believe that genuine connection still exists. And I hope you have the courage to stand up for that, to open yourself to it when you start to feel it bloom within the heart of you. I hope you have the courage to appreciate it for all that it is, to not approach it wearing a mask, to not try to desensitize yourself to it or play it cool. Please, I hope you have the courage to crash your heart into the people life gifts you. I hope you have the courage to believe that goodness still exists, that there are those who have the capacity to love the way you do, that there are those who will see you and grow you and teach you more about the world. I hope you have the courage to fight for connection. I hope you have the courage to go deeper. To never exist on the surface of your life, even if it’s easier or more convenient. At the end of the day you should leave this world with a heart that is worn out and soft all over. A heart that is bruised from loving, and feeling, and caring in the best way possible. At the end of the day, you should be proud of your inability to be anything but open to the world. You should be proud of who you are and how you showed up. You should know that you cared with conviction. That you never let the things that hurt you in life turn you into someone you weren’t. That you always chose to care.
5. Real life exists outside of your phone.
Real life is so much more interesting than anything you will see on social media. So please, just put down your phone, and pick up your head. Be present with the human beings you spend your time with, be present with yourself, be present with the world. Don’t forget to live because you think you’re living through your phone. Trust me when I say — real life is the feeling you get when you support your friends and see them doing the things that make their cells dance. Real life is 8am, wrapped within the limbs of someone who makes your stomach feel like it is buzzing with an electric kind of happiness. Real life is kissing your mother’s face and hearing about the first time she saw your father. Real life is sitting with yourself, in all of your depth and your decay, and not distracting your mind from all that is seeking to be felt within you. Real life is gritty, it breaks you open, and it is meant to weather you in the most beautiful and meaningful ways, but you will miss all of that if you are looking down. Always choose to look up.
6. You can do hard things.
My mother was always so headstrong in this. She always made sure that I grew up knowing that I was capable of setting myself free from any boundary, or any pain, or any darkened circumstance. She always made sure to remind me that I was strong enough of weathering the storms, that I was capable of saving myself.
And I know it can be difficult to hear things like that when you are genuinely in the weeds of life, when life feels heavy and dark and you truly do not believe that you will come out the other side of your grief or your hardship. But you do. You always do. That’s the thing — there is no way to give you a guideline or to tell you that you have to do it a certain way. There is no way to perfect the journey, you just have to keep moving forward within it. And you will take five steps forward, and 10 steps back, but that is still movement. That is still growth, and progress.
At the end of the day, you can do hard things. You can overcome. You can have hard conversations. You can bet on yourself and you can prove your doubt wrong. You can turn every single loss you have ever experienced into a lesson. You can shape yourself from the debris.
Losing my mother taught me that I can do hard things. And not because I was strong and unaffected, not because I wasn’t breaking down, not because the journey was faultless and it was easy for me to navigate my healing. But I could do hard things because I showed up to do them, even if it was imperfectly. Even if I broke down. Even if I felt tender. No matter how soft I felt, no matter how lost I felt, I woke up in the morning, and I did whatever I had to do to tuck light in between my bones, I did whatever I had to do in order to remind myself that goodness existed here, that I was capable of finding it, that things were always, always going to be okay. That I was going to be strong enough to live without her, that I was going to be strong enough to become to person I always wanted to be, that I was strong enough to let go, to walk away, to ask for what I needed, to stand up for myself and my heart and the life I wanted to live. No matter how difficult that was for me.
And so now I get to remind you — you can do hard things. The thing, you’re thinking about right now? The thing you think you can’t survive? The thing you think will never feel calm, the way in which you think the hope will never crack within your chest again? I promise, that isn’t the case. Whatever you do, just believe that. Just do anything you can do to believe that. Keep going. Nothing is going to defeat you. Nothing has the capacity to destroy you, unless you allow for it to. So keep going. Please, keep going. You’re going to look back on these moments in your future and you are going to be so glad that you trusted in your healing. You are going to be so glad that you chose to believe that there was more for you.
7. Life is meant to be lived.
Life is meant to be lived.
You have to chase the things that ignite you. You have to do the things that bring you joy.
You have to surround yourself with the people who bring you home to yourself, with the people who respect you and nurture you in ways that make you feel like you are worthy, and accepted, and loved.
You have to do the work to heal yourself, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts, so that you do not continue to approach your life within the boundary of what is heavy within you.
You have to put yourself out there, and you cannot worry about what other people think, you cannot rob yourself of experience or happiness or inspiration because you are scared of how you will be perceived. You have to be unapologetic in the way that you exist here. You have to believe that your ideas, and your hope, and your being, deserves to take up space. You have to believe that you have purpose here.
Because, and I say this in the most freeing way — we are all living on borrowed time. Our existence is finite. We live as if we are promised the experiences and the potential we are chasing, we live as if we have control over what happens to us. But we don’t, and that is liberating, because it is pressing. It wakes you up when you connect with that. You are not promised tomorrow. So how are you going to ensure that you crash your heart into your life? How are you going to ensure that you leave this world, whenever it happens for you, with a soul that is tender and full and weathered in the best way? With a soul that was never asked to make itself smaller, with a soul that was never waiting for the day it was or skinnier, or prettier, or cooler, or more successful, in order to take advantage of the time it was given?
That is what losing my mother taught me. That we cannot wait to be the people we have always dreamed of being. We cannot wait for life to perfect itself. There is no right time, there is no perfect circumstance. We have to leap, even when our legs are shaking. We have to show up for ourselves, not in 3 months, or 5 years, or 10 years, but now. Because every single day is a blessing. Every single day is a gift. We cannot lose sight of that.


thoughtcatalog--2020-08-07--20 People Who Work The Night Shift Reveal Their Experience With The Paranormal

1 .
Not me but a friend used to work as a night custodian for an elementary school , which the building itself was rather old ( built in the 40s maybe ? )
.
He was the 3rd shift guy so he took over from the 2nd shift guy at like 9 pm .
He was basically there to mop the floors and make sure no one broke in .
If he got all of his stuff done , he was pretty much free to do whatever he wanted .
Often after he finished doing his work , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office because there was a small TV to watch .
He said things started off innocently enough .
Lights turning on in classrooms where he knew they had been off previously , cabinets and doors opening and closing on their own .
He didn ’ t pay much attention to it at first .
He was sort of on the fence as to whether he believed in paranormal activities so he just shrugged it off as coincidences .
At first , he would go and check the noises out .
Sometimes he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone in the act , in case there was a way in that he didn ’ t know about .
After a month or so , he gave up looking and just learned to ignore it .
He ’ d ask his boss about it and just get blown off .
Over the coming months , things progressively got worse .
Doors no longer closed on their own , they slammed shut .
He heard noises like children playing , sometimes screaming .
He ’ d find trash cans turned upside down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ him but he would be clearly alone with nowhere for someone to hide and throw things at him .
He ’ d contemplated quitting but he was making good money for being nearly fresh out of high school and he needed the money for family stuff so he stuck with it .
He ’ d come in , rush through his duties for the night as quickly as he could and then go and sit in the office where he ’ d turn the TV to where he could sit facing the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d sit until the morning crew came in at 6 am .
He didn ’ t want to admit that he was scared shitless of being in that school by himself at night so he tried to tough it out and made a lot of excuses to try and explain what was going on .
The last straw for him was the night he was sitting in the office watching TV and felt someone grab the chair from behind and flip him over backward .
There was clearly no one in the room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the room without him seeing them .
He picked up the office phone and called his boss at home in the middle of the night , said he quit and he ’ d come back in the morning to turn his keys in .
He was definitely a believer in the paranormal after that experience .
He said that it wasn ’ t until years later that he found out from someone who ’ d researched the history of the school before it was torn down that there used to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of kids had drowned in over the early years of the school until the administration decided to finally expand the building so they filled the pool in with concrete and expand over top of it .
2 .
I worked at a movie store in college .
I was closing one night and just kind of doing a final walk through .
I kept hearing what sounded like movie cases shuffling .
I looked around thinking maybe someone had came in last minute although I didn ’ t hear the bell ring for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t see anyone .
Then I hear what sounds like a movie fall off a shelf in the kid ’ s section .
I go over and there ’ s a movie laying on the ground and I shit you not it was Casper .
3 .
Worked at a movie theater running the booths upstairs .
The projectors are upstairs ( obviously ) in a long corridor .
At night , after the last showing in each theater , you shut off the lights to that theater and the small one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover the platters to protect from dust .
It ’ s not so bad the first few , because at least the lights of nearby projectors are still on for the theaters that are still running .
But…as you shut each one off one by one , the corridor gets darker and darker and that little viewing window into each individual theater is pitch black .
That dull , steady whirring noise you ’ ve toned out all night is gone and is now replaced by absolute silence and there ’ s hardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lights at the end of each corridor where you sit in between each start time .
It ’ s spooky enough is what I ’ m saying .
But one particular night , I ’ m throwing the covers over one of the platters and I casually glance up into the viewing theater window across the way .
And there ’ s a face .
It ’ s a little boy ’ s face and it ’ s sheet white .
I know what I saw .
I ’ m sure there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nothing supernatural about it , but there WAS a face there and it scared the absolute shit out of me .
It made an already unsettling environment that much more terrifying the rest of the time I worked there .
Also for the record , inside the actual theater , these windows are a solid 8-10 feet above the seatbacks in the highest row .
So , if someone was playing a prank , they ’ d need a ladder and even then they ’ d have nowhere to set it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mine in northern Ontario .
There was a death on the 4200 level a couple years previous to the incident .
It was a normal day underground like any other .
4200 level was big , the drifts were 6×6 feet , but go on for kilometers in every direction .
It was about midnight when we saw the mine rescue team with security rushing down the drift .
Naturally we dropped what we were doing and followed to see if we could help .
We arrived to a guy who was as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t look hurt , but he was shaking uncontrollably .
Mine Rescue approached him and he wouldn ’ t have it .
He would scream , and not just any scream , it was terrifying hearing the screams , like a person so consumed with fear , it had a tone to it that you wouldn ’ t imagine could come from a person .
Eventually he just stopped screaming and just sat there , awake but non responsive .
By now it was 3:30 am and our shift was over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
We managed to get him on a stretcher that we could carry out .
On our way out he kept saying , “ The devil is on 42.
” Over and over again .
About two years later , another incident report was read to us , the exact same thing , exactly the same spot , but a different person .
I don ’ t believe they saw the devil , but it is always in the back of my mind when I ’ m on 42 .
5 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the site of a murder-suicide ( which happened while I was there !
Awful and sad ) .
We didn ’ t have “ shifts ” per se , but I had to work late one night autoclaving equipment for the next day ’ s experiment .
The autoclave room is right next to the lab where the event took place .
I hadn ’ t seen anyone else in the building .
After I started the load , I was about to leave the room when I heard a crash outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw that all the contents of a table in the hallway had been pushed to the floor .
Water bottles , a packet of papers , pens , etc .
Since I was right by the door at the time , I would have seen and/or heard someone running away .
It was against protocol to leave things in the autoclave overnight , so I had to stay an hour and a half to get them out , but nothing else happened .
I left the stuff on the floor , though .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that !
6 .
I was working at a gas station at like 3 AM one night .
A car pulled in to the pump , guy got out and started pumping , and then the car and dude just…vanished .
I was looking right at it , and it just popped out of existence .
I told my boss the next day and she turned white as a sheet .
She ’ d seen the same thing , same exact description , same car , same pump , same guy .
7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , every morning at about 2am there would be the sound of someone running down the main service hallway , followed by the same door at the end slamming .
One time I kept a close eye on the area but when I was distracted for a few seconds the footsteps began but when I got to the area there was nothing .
According to one of the managers that had happened for several years , always at the same time every morning , and most believed it was a ghost of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all the battery powered wall clocks in the unit spun around a few times simultaneously .
That was freaky and everyone in the area screamed .
8 .
I work the night shift in a hotel , it ’ s a pretty old building so lots of weird stuff happens .
What stands out in particular is that there is a very creepy statue , which one night was gone .
I asked the morning receptionist why they had removed it , she seemed confused .
We checked and it was there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the night .
9 .
A patient in one of our hospital rooms kept talking about spirits and demons .
She was discharged a week later .
The next guy who was admitted to that bed told me he sees spirits , and a big black Lab was lying next to the bed ( my black Lab died a couple years ago ) .
Then he said he ’ s very in touch with the spirit world and laughed , “ I see dead people.
” 10 .
Repossessing cars .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a buddy in the same car .
Corner of route 70 and 571 in Lakewood NJ .
A 97-98 Honda CRV Pulls up in the left turn lane .
She had no face .
Like “ No Face ” from that bad 90 ’ s Dick Tracy movie .
11 .
I worked night shift at a hotel .
I also had a day job and the manager was cool and said I could sleep as long as I woke up if someone needed something .
One night , I woke up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a silhouette of a guy… Staring at me through the windows of the Dutch door to the courtyard .
He was really tall ( 6.5 ft ? )
And had a black duster/trench coat and hat .
I jumped up from the couch , put down the remote I had fallen asleep with in my hand and rushed to the door to see what he needed .
He was gone .
And no sign of him anywhere in the courtyard and there were only two long , straight paths .
He couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I forget about it and continue my night .
Fast forward about three weeks and my coworker is telling me about an “ evil spirit ” that lives in one of the rooms ( all the employees knew there were at least 4 haunted rooms there , as well as the elevator .
No , seriously ) .
He started describing a tall shadowy guy .
I cut him off and say , “ Like 6 or 7 feet ?
Black coat and hat ?
” He turns white and stares at me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too ?
!
” I tell him what happened .
And that innocent incident that night all of a sudden got super creepy .
12 .
When a patient buzzed and asked me to “ ask the person behind the curtain to go away.
” Fyi it was dark and everyone was in their beds .
13 .
I was on CQ ( charge of quarters ) while stationed in Germany .
At about 2am , a dachshund came in the building ( summer , so doors were open ) .
I followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and he just vanished when I was about 6 feet away .
It ’ s was unbelievably real .
14 .
Used to work at IHOP .
A cook before my time got shot and died during robbery .
I would always hear someone in the kitchen such as the spatulas clanking but nobody would be in the kitchen .
Once I saw black figure in the back figured it was the cook , when I went outside to the front of the restaurant , the cook was sitting outside smoking .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other coworkers experienced some stories .
One of them said she felt pushed but I can ’ t speak on what I didn ’ t see .
15 .
I work the front gate at a military installation .
The night shift is super dull and quiet where I am at .
For awhile I noticed this dark green old Ford Bronco that would roll up .
When I would stand out the gate shack , the car would do a 180 and leave .
This happened about 2-3 times until I finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ran the numbers to my supervisor .
He asked me if I was sure .
I said I ’ m 100 % certain .
He tells me it couldn ’ t be because the numbers led to a vehicle crash report that involved THE EXACT SAME VEHICLE and plate number to which the driver had died and the vehicle and the vehicle was totaled .
That shit made me want to switch to days .
16 .
I worked at a 7/11 .
One night I kept hearing what sounded like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store was completely empty .
Whenever I ’ d go the the area where I thought it was coming from , I ’ d hear it from somewhere else .
I hope somebody was messing with me but I ’ m not sure .
17 .
Night watch in the barracks at Ft Gordon .
That ’ s a night shift , right ?
Anyway , so many things happened in 3 different rooms that I could write a book .
It completely changed my believe in paranormal activity .
This one took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so this is the one I ’ ll tell .
I ’ m sitting by the stairwell on the 2nd floor and hear someone shouting in a room down a hallway .
I ’ m on duty so I run to the room and swing open the door expecting to see some fighting .
There are several people in this room pointing up to the ceiling next to a wall and telling me , “ They ’ re doing it again !
” I ask them to explain and they tell me that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone lifts up the ceiling tiles and makes funny faces at them at night .
The latrine is on the other side of the wall so I go over to see if anyone is there and there isn ’ t .
So I climb onto a desk in the room to lift up the ceiling tiles to see if they ’ re still up there .
When I lift up the ceiling tiles all I see is a cinder block wall that goes all the way to the floor above .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back of the ceiling tile and the wall .
No way a face was there .
2 of the soldiers freaked out and ran out of the room and slept in the hallway .
This was only the first of many incidents .
18 .
I don ’ t inherently believe in ghosts but if I had a paranormal story it will be this one .
I work in one of the major ERs in my city as a HCA , one of my many tasks is postmortem care on patients who die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 0200 I was called to the room of an older patient who was palliative had passed and the family had finished their goodbyes .
So I went in to start providing care , this usually means removing any tubes , wires , and monitors from the patient , giving them a bed bath , removing any valuables from the body to give to the family , putting them in a gown and shroud .
I like to talk to my patients even if they have passed as it puts me at ease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I explain my actions and talk them through what I ’ m doing because even though they have passed they are still my patient .
While I was proceeding with the bed bath of the patient out of nowhere I felt like I was being watched and then I felt a hand on my shoulder and a mans voice tell me , “ Thank you.
” The hand remained for a moment while I stood there frozen then all the feelings stopped and the room felt empty .
There were no other nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , just me .
I like to believe that the patient I was providing care for was thankful for my explanations and me continuing to talk to them through their care .
19 .
I used to work at a 24hr Subway .
( I know , great start to a paranormal experience story , huh ? )
.
Well one day I was doing the dishes , and my coworker was cleaning the toaster oven and bread oven .
Out of nowhere , around 3:30am , I heard our door chime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , “ Welcome to Subway , ” as I turn the corner .
Nobody there .
Coworker gone .
I thought , “ Okay , maybe he hopped the counter and went for a cigarette outside , ” as he did from time to time .
Heading back to the sink to finish the dishes , I hear the door chime again .
Nobody .
Checked the bathrooms .
Nobody .
“ What…the…hell.
” I ignore the dishes , and stand at the front counter , eyeing the doors .
Couple minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back door where we get our deliveries .
“ Where ’ d you go ?
” I asked him , turning towards the back door area .
“ To take out the trash , ” he replies .
Door chime .
He does the same thing as me– “ Welcome to Subway , ” turns corner to see nobody there but this time the door was wide open .
Our doors are weighted to where they ’ ll close on their own if you let go of them .
Door stayed open for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suddenly slammed .
Not a windy night , and our doors wouldn ’ t even stay open like that on the windiest of days .
Have no idea what caused this , or why it happened on that particular night , but after I got a different job I was told it never happened again .
Told my boss about the incident and we all looked at the cameras .
Nobody could explain it .
20 .
I don ’ t have a story , but here is the one my wife likes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for a couple of years she was working nightshift in the Palliative Care Unit .
Which is the comfort care/end of life unit .
Patients in that unit are expected to die , or to be sent home or to a care home to die .
Anyways , those rooms also had a radio , and according to her it happened a few times that a radio suddenly turned on , and within an hour or so a patient would pass on .
One rather busy night , the radio turned on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stared into the darkness and said “ Cut that out !
I don ’ t have time for this shit !
” and the radio suddenly snapped off .
No patient died during the rest of her shift , but one passed away shortly after she clocked out .

These stories from Ask Reddit will make you want to work the morning shift.
1. Not me but a friend used to work as a night custodian for an elementary school, which the building itself was rather old (built in the 40s maybe?). He was the 3rd shift guy so he took over from the 2nd shift guy at like 9 pm. He was basically there to mop the floors and make sure no one broke in. If he got all of his stuff done, he was pretty much free to do whatever he wanted. Often after he finished doing his work, he’d go hang out in an office because there was a small TV to watch.
He said things started off innocently enough. Lights turning on in classrooms where he knew they had been off previously, cabinets and doors opening and closing on their own. He didn’t pay much attention to it at first. He was sort of on the fence as to whether he believed in paranormal activities so he just shrugged it off as coincidences. At first, he would go and check the noises out. Sometimes he’d creep around and try to catch someone in the act, in case there was a way in that he didn’t know about. After a month or so, he gave up looking and just learned to ignore it. He’d ask his boss about it and just get blown off.
Over the coming months, things progressively got worse. Doors no longer closed on their own, they slammed shut. He heard noises like children playing, sometimes screaming. He’d find trash cans turned upside down. He’d have things thrown at him but he would be clearly alone with nowhere for someone to hide and throw things at him.
He’d contemplated quitting but he was making good money for being nearly fresh out of high school and he needed the money for family stuff so he stuck with it. He’d come in, rush through his duties for the night as quickly as he could and then go and sit in the office where he’d turn the TV to where he could sit facing the door and that’s where he’d sit until the morning crew came in at 6 am. He didn’t want to admit that he was scared shitless of being in that school by himself at night so he tried to tough it out and made a lot of excuses to try and explain what was going on.
The last straw for him was the night he was sitting in the office watching TV and felt someone grab the chair from behind and flip him over backward. There was clearly no one in the room and no way for anyone to get into the room without him seeing them. He picked up the office phone and called his boss at home in the middle of the night, said he quit and he’d come back in the morning to turn his keys in.
He was definitely a believer in the paranormal after that experience. He said that it wasn’t until years later that he found out from someone who’d researched the history of the school before it was torn down that there used to be a pool inside the school. A number of kids had drowned in over the early years of the school until the administration decided to finally expand the building so they filled the pool in with concrete and expand over top of it.
2. I worked at a movie store in college. I was closing one night and just kind of doing a final walk through. I kept hearing what sounded like movie cases shuffling. I looked around thinking maybe someone had came in last minute although I didn’t hear the bell ring for when someone enters the store. Didn’t see anyone. Then I hear what sounds like a movie fall off a shelf in the kid’s section. I go over and there’s a movie laying on the ground and I shit you not it was Casper.
3. Worked at a movie theater running the booths upstairs. The projectors are upstairs (obviously) in a long corridor.
At night, after the last showing in each theater, you shut off the lights to that theater and the small one over the projector itself. Then you cover the platters to protect from dust.
It’s not so bad the first few, because at least the lights of nearby projectors are still on for the theaters that are still running.
But…as you shut each one off one by one, the corridor gets darker and darker and that little viewing window into each individual theater is pitch black. That dull, steady whirring noise you’ve toned out all night is gone and is now replaced by absolute silence and there’s hardly any light left anymore. Just the lights at the end of each corridor where you sit in between each start time.
It’s spooky enough is what I’m saying.
But one particular night, I’m throwing the covers over one of the platters and I casually glance up into the viewing theater window across the way.
And there’s a face. It’s a little boy’s face and it’s sheet white.
I know what I saw. I’m sure there’s an explanation for it and there’s nothing supernatural about it, but there WAS a face there and it scared the absolute shit out of me. It made an already unsettling environment that much more terrifying the rest of the time I worked there.
Also for the record, inside the actual theater, these windows are a solid 8-10 feet above the seatbacks in the highest row. So, if someone was playing a prank, they’d need a ladder and even then they’d have nowhere to set it.
4. I worked in a mine in northern Ontario. There was a death on the 4200 level a couple years previous to the incident. It was a normal day underground like any other. 4200 level was big, the drifts were 6×6 feet, but go on for kilometers in every direction. It was about midnight when we saw the mine rescue team with security rushing down the drift. Naturally we dropped what we were doing and followed to see if we could help. We arrived to a guy who was as pale as a ghost, he didn’t look hurt, but he was shaking uncontrollably. Mine Rescue approached him and he wouldn’t have it. He would scream, and not just any scream, it was terrifying hearing the screams, like a person so consumed with fear, it had a tone to it that you wouldn’t imagine could come from a person. Eventually he just stopped screaming and just sat there, awake but non responsive.
By now it was 3:30 am and our shift was over. We couldn’t leave him down there. We managed to get him on a stretcher that we could carry out. On our way out he kept saying, “The devil is on 42.” Over and over again.
About two years later, another incident report was read to us, the exact same thing, exactly the same spot, but a different person.
I don’t believe they saw the devil, but it is always in the back of my mind when I’m on 42.
5. A lab building where I once worked was the site of a murder-suicide (which happened while I was there! Awful and sad). We didn’t have “shifts” per se, but I had to work late one night autoclaving equipment for the next day’s experiment. The autoclave room is right next to the lab where the event took place. I hadn’t seen anyone else in the building. After I started the load, I was about to leave the room when I heard a crash outside. I immediately opened the door and saw that all the contents of a table in the hallway had been pushed to the floor. Water bottles, a packet of papers, pens, etc. Since I was right by the door at the time, I would have seen and/or heard someone running away. It was against protocol to leave things in the autoclave overnight, so I had to stay an hour and a half to get them out, but nothing else happened. I left the stuff on the floor, though. Didn’t want a repeat of that!
6. I was working at a gas station at like 3 AM one night. A car pulled in to the pump, guy got out and started pumping, and then the car and dude just…vanished. I was looking right at it, and it just popped out of existence. I told my boss the next day and she turned white as a sheet. She’d seen the same thing, same exact description, same car, same pump, same guy.
7. While working at a psych ward, every morning at about 2am there would be the sound of someone running down the main service hallway, followed by the same door at the end slamming. One time I kept a close eye on the area but when I was distracted for a few seconds the footsteps began but when I got to the area there was nothing. According to one of the managers that had happened for several years, always at the same time every morning, and most believed it was a ghost of one of the deceased clients.
Another time, all the battery powered wall clocks in the unit spun around a few times simultaneously. That was freaky and everyone in the area screamed.
8. I work the night shift in a hotel, it’s a pretty old building so lots of weird stuff happens. What stands out in particular is that there is a very creepy statue, which one night was gone. I asked the morning receptionist why they had removed it, she seemed confused. We checked and it was there again, I swear it was gone during the night.
9. A patient in one of our hospital rooms kept talking about spirits and demons. She was discharged a week later. The next guy who was admitted to that bed told me he sees spirits, and a big black Lab was lying next to the bed (my black Lab died a couple years ago). Then he said he’s very in touch with the spirit world and laughed, “I see dead people.”
10. Repossessing cars. It’s about 2:30am. Me and a buddy in the same car. Corner of route 70 and 571 in Lakewood NJ. A 97-98 Honda CRV Pulls up in the left turn lane. She had no face. Like “No Face” from that bad 90’s Dick Tracy movie.
11. I worked night shift at a hotel. I also had a day job and the manager was cool and said I could sleep as long as I woke up if someone needed something.
One night, I woke up and saw a guy… Well, more of a silhouette of a guy… Staring at me through the windows of the Dutch door to the courtyard. He was really tall (6.5 ft?) And had a black duster/trench coat and hat.
I jumped up from the couch, put down the remote I had fallen asleep with in my hand and rushed to the door to see what he needed.
He was gone. And no sign of him anywhere in the courtyard and there were only two long, straight paths. He couldn’t even have ran that fast.
I forget about it and continue my night.
Fast forward about three weeks and my coworker is telling me about an “evil spirit” that lives in one of the rooms (all the employees knew there were at least 4 haunted rooms there, as well as the elevator. No, seriously). He started describing a tall shadowy guy. I cut him off and say, “Like 6 or 7 feet? Black coat and hat?” He turns white and stares at me. “You’ve seen it too?!”
I tell him what happened. And that innocent incident that night all of a sudden got super creepy.
12. When a patient buzzed and asked me to “ask the person behind the curtain to go away.” Fyi it was dark and everyone was in their beds.
13. I was on CQ (charge of quarters) while stationed in Germany. At about 2am, a dachshund came in the building (summer, so doors were open). I followed him down the hall to get him out and he just vanished when I was about 6 feet away. It’s was unbelievably real.
14. Used to work at IHOP. A cook before my time got shot and died during robbery. I would always hear someone in the kitchen such as the spatulas clanking but nobody would be in the kitchen. Once I saw black figure in the back figured it was the cook, when I went outside to the front of the restaurant, the cook was sitting outside smoking. There was no current orders either. Other coworkers experienced some stories. One of them said she felt pushed but I can’t speak on what I didn’t see.
15. I work the front gate at a military installation. The night shift is super dull and quiet where I am at. For awhile I noticed this dark green old Ford Bronco that would roll up. When I would stand out the gate shack, the car would do a 180 and leave. This happened about 2-3 times until I finally caught the license plate before it turned. I ran the numbers to my supervisor. He asked me if I was sure. I said I’m 100% certain.
He tells me it couldn’t be because the numbers led to a vehicle crash report that involved THE EXACT SAME VEHICLE and plate number to which the driver had died and the vehicle and the vehicle was totaled. That shit made me want to switch to days.
16. I worked at a 7/11. One night I kept hearing what sounded like a little girl crying, but the store was completely empty. Whenever I’d go the the area where I thought it was coming from, I’d hear it from somewhere else. I hope somebody was messing with me but I’m not sure.
17. Night watch in the barracks at Ft Gordon. That’s a night shift, right? Anyway, so many things happened in 3 different rooms that I could write a book. It completely changed my believe in paranormal activity. This one took place in the middle of the night so this is the one I’ll tell.
I’m sitting by the stairwell on the 2nd floor and hear someone shouting in a room down a hallway. I’m on duty so I run to the room and swing open the door expecting to see some fighting. There are several people in this room pointing up to the ceiling next to a wall and telling me, “They’re doing it again!” I ask them to explain and they tell me that ever since they moved into that room someone lifts up the ceiling tiles and makes funny faces at them at night. The latrine is on the other side of the wall so I go over to see if anyone is there and there isn’t. So I climb onto a desk in the room to lift up the ceiling tiles to see if they’re still up there. When I lift up the ceiling tiles all I see is a cinder block wall that goes all the way to the floor above. There’s only about an inch between the back of the ceiling tile and the wall. No way a face was there. 2 of the soldiers freaked out and ran out of the room and slept in the hallway. This was only the first of many incidents.
18. I don’t inherently believe in ghosts but if I had a paranormal story it will be this one. I work in one of the major ERs in my city as a HCA, one of my many tasks is postmortem care on patients who die in our care. One night at around 0200 I was called to the room of an older patient who was palliative had passed and the family had finished their goodbyes. So I went in to start providing care, this usually means removing any tubes, wires, and monitors from the patient, giving them a bed bath, removing any valuables from the body to give to the family, putting them in a gown and shroud. I like to talk to my patients even if they have passed as it puts me at ease, and shows respect to them. I explain my actions and talk them through what I’m doing because even though they have passed they are still my patient. While I was proceeding with the bed bath of the patient out of nowhere I felt like I was being watched and then I felt a hand on my shoulder and a mans voice tell me, “Thank you.” The hand remained for a moment while I stood there frozen then all the feelings stopped and the room felt empty. There were no other nurses or staff in the area at the time, just me. I like to believe that the patient I was providing care for was thankful for my explanations and me continuing to talk to them through their care.
19. I used to work at a 24hr Subway. (I know, great start to a paranormal experience story, huh?). Well one day I was doing the dishes, and my coworker was cleaning the toaster oven and bread oven. Out of nowhere, around 3:30am, I heard our door chime go off. Out of habit I say, “Welcome to Subway,” as I turn the corner. Nobody there. Coworker gone.
I thought, “Okay, maybe he hopped the counter and went for a cigarette outside,” as he did from time to time. Heading back to the sink to finish the dishes, I hear the door chime again. Nobody. Checked the bathrooms. Nobody. “What…the…hell.” I ignore the dishes, and stand at the front counter, eyeing the doors. Couple minutes later, my coworker comes through the back door where we get our deliveries.
“Where’d you go?” I asked him, turning towards the back door area.
“To take out the trash,” he replies.
Door chime. He does the same thing as me– “Welcome to Subway,” turns corner to see nobody there but this time the door was wide open. Our doors are weighted to where they’ll close on their own if you let go of them. Door stayed open for a couple minutes as we stared… Then suddenly slammed.
Not a windy night, and our doors wouldn’t even stay open like that on the windiest of days. Have no idea what caused this, or why it happened on that particular night, but after I got a different job I was told it never happened again.
Told my boss about the incident and we all looked at the cameras. Nobody could explain it.
20. I don’t have a story, but here is the one my wife likes to tell:
She is a nurse and for a couple of years she was working nightshift in the Palliative Care Unit. Which is the comfort care/end of life unit. Patients in that unit are expected to die, or to be sent home or to a care home to die.
Anyways, those rooms also had a radio, and according to her it happened a few times that a radio suddenly turned on, and within an hour or so a patient would pass on.
One rather busy night, the radio turned on and my wife went into the room, stared into the darkness and said “Cut that out! I don’t have time for this shit!” and the radio suddenly snapped off.
No patient died during the rest of her shift, but one passed away shortly after she clocked out.


thoughtcatalog--2020-08-07--The Most Bingeable True Crime Doc In Recent Memory

This is a fun weekend for anyone who hasn ’ t seen any of I ’ ll Be Gone In the Dark on HBO .
The 6-episode look into the extremely dark history of the serial killer , rapist , and former police officer known as the East Area Rapist , Original Nightstalker , Visalia Ransacker and finally as the Golden State Killer finished this week which means it ’ s a premium opportunity to binge the entire series this weekend .
Crime writer Michelle McNamara obsessively followed the case from 2006 until her death in 2016 .
Her research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awesome ! )
book I ’ ll Be Gone In the Dark and the series tells Michelle ’ s story as she tracked the killer and helped lead to his eventual identification and arrest a few months after her book was published .
Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was caught by a cold-case investigator who uploaded the killer ’ s DNA to an ancestry website .
DeAngelo is responsible for at least 13 murders , 50 rapes , and 100 burglaries in California .
You can stream the show anywhere you have an HBO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you now that even if you watch in the middle of the day , you ’ re going to be very creeped out .
To help understand why , here ’ s a voicemail he left taunting one of the women he raped , this is no light viewing experience : Streaming on : Hulu or Prime ( with an HBO Max subscription ) Sinister/Sinister 2 — Netflix .
These movies are some of the most slept on horror movies of all time and they ’ re both free on Netflix right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a true crime writer ( Ethan Hawke ) who moves his family into a house where the previous family was violently murdered .
While you don ’ t hear about these on “ best of ” lists very often , they are both creepy , well-paced , genuinely scary horror movies and back-to-back they make the perfect horror movie date night in for your weekend .
The Lighthouse — Amazon Prime .
I personally did not like this movie but it got “ great reviews ” so if you ’ re into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s free on Prime this month .
A few warnings if your taste is closer to mine : it ’ s in black and white , it ’ s all men , and it ’ s kinda quiet/weird .
You should watch it when you are in the mood to pay attention !
I try to do only one movie that ’ s not on a standard streaming service per week , but NPR called this movie the “ most 2020 ” movie of 2020 so I have to drop in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premieres today .
• None For those horror fans who cut their teeth on Twilight when they were too young for real horror , you should probably know that Stephanie Meyer just released a fifth book in the Twilight universe .
tells the events of Twilight from Edward ’ s POV .
It ’ s out now .
( PS : is also streaming free on Prime this month ) .
• None I matched with a guy on Tinder who doesn ’ t exist .
• We made a list of horror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it out ya pervs !
• One of our writers wondered , is there a Glee curse ?
Happy streaming !
We ’ ll be back next week with another weekend watch guide .

Hey Creepy Catalogers,
This is a fun weekend for anyone who hasn’t seen any of I’ll Be Gone In the Dark on HBO. The 6-episode look into the extremely dark history of the serial killer, rapist, and former police officer known as the East Area Rapist, Original Nightstalker, Visalia Ransacker and finally as the Golden State Killer finished this week which means it’s a premium opportunity to binge the entire series this weekend.
Crime writer Michelle McNamara obsessively followed the case from 2006 until her death in 2016. Her research was published posthumously as the (really awesome!) book I’ll Be Gone In the Dark and the series tells Michelle’s story as she tracked the killer and helped lead to his eventual identification and arrest a few months after her book was published. Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was caught by a cold-case investigator who uploaded the killer’s DNA to an ancestry website. DeAngelo is responsible for at least 13 murders, 50 rapes, and 100 burglaries in California.
You can stream the show anywhere you have an HBO Max subscription. I’ll warn you now that even if you watch in the middle of the day, you’re going to be very creeped out. To help understand why, here’s a voicemail he left taunting one of the women he raped, this is no light viewing experience:
Streaming on: Hulu or Prime (with an HBO Max subscription)
Sinister/Sinister 2 — Netflix. These movies are some of the most slept on horror movies of all time and they’re both free on Netflix right now. Sinister is a supernatural horror film about a true crime writer (Ethan Hawke) who moves his family into a house where the previous family was violently murdered. While you don’t hear about these on “best of” lists very often, they are both creepy, well-paced, genuinely scary horror movies and back-to-back they make the perfect horror movie date night in for your weekend.
Streaming on: Netflix
The Lighthouse — Amazon Prime. I personally did not like this movie but it got “great reviews” so if you’re into that kind of thing you should know it’s free on Prime this month. A few warnings if your taste is closer to mine: it’s in black and white, it’s all men, and it’s kinda quiet/weird. You should watch it when you are in the mood to pay attention!
Streaming on: Prime
—
Honorable mention:
I try to do only one movie that’s not on a standard streaming service per week, but NPR called this movie the “most 2020” movie of 2020 so I have to drop in a plug for She Dies Tomorrow which premieres today.
Streaming on: Amazon
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Other horror happenings


thoughtcatalog--2020-08-07--I Matched With A Guy On Tinder Who Doesn’t Exist

I hate dating apps .
I refused to use them for the first half of my twenties — but I ’ m getting older and I ’ m getting less interested in the club scene , so it ’ s going to be hard to meet someone out in public .
Not to mention the whole quarantine situation .
A few weeks ago , I caved .
I downloaded Tinder .
I matched with a few guys .
I didn ’ t get too attached to any of them , but I did give my number to one .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s what he said his name was .
A nice , normal name .
Too popular to be searched because it was so undeniably bland .
A way to hide in plain sight .
We spent about a week texting back and forth .
Then we escalated to talking on the phone .
The chemistry was there .
It was undeniable .
And Jesus , was he attractive .
He had the bluest eyes .
Shaggy blond hair .
Tanned skin .
Muscles visible beneath his tight t-shirt .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I turned him down because the only reason I ’ ve left my house the last few months was for groceries .
I wasn ’ t risking getting sick to give some stranger a blowjob .
If he was serious about me , he would wait it out .
If he only wanted a hookup , he would move on .
Normally , getting ghosted wouldn ’ t have bothered me much .
It had happened plenty of times in the past .
But back then , I could get wasted at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my friends and move onto someone new .
Stuck in my house , bored and lonely with nothing left to watch on Netflix , it was hard to forget about Michael .
I became obsessed with finding out what happened to him .
I tried my best to track him down on social media , but I didn ’ t have any luck .
I couldn ’ t find any of his pages .
I tried to do a reverse image search on his profile picture and that didn ’ t work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my tech savvy friends to help me track him down .
She refused until I offered to pay her .
She ’ d recently been laid off and needed the cash .
She worked her ass off to find him with the small amount of information I was able to give her .
It took her twenty-four hours to text me a link .
To an obituary .
For Michael Davids .
A 26-year-old male who died in a car crash six months earlier .
To be clear , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t believe in ghosts or spirits or monsters .
However , I do believe humans are monsters .
I do believe some sicko took that poor boy ’ s photograph and assumed his identity in order to seduce me .
I don ’ t know what would ’ ve happened if I had agreed to meet up with him .
( And if it weren ’ t for the pandemic , I one-hundred percent would have met up with him . )
All I know is that I feel lucky to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably not going to use dating apps again anytime soon .

I hate dating apps. I refused to use them for the first half of my twenties — but I’m getting older and I’m getting less interested in the club scene, so it’s going to be hard to meet someone out in public. Not to mention the whole quarantine situation.
A few weeks ago, I caved. I downloaded Tinder. I matched with a few guys. I didn’t get too attached to any of them, but I did give my number to one. His name was Michael Davids. At least, that’s what he said his name was. A nice, normal name. Too popular to be searched because it was so undeniably bland. A way to hide in plain sight.
We spent about a week texting back and forth. Then we escalated to talking on the phone. The chemistry was there. It was undeniable. And Jesus, was he attractive. He had the bluest eyes. Shaggy blond hair. Tanned skin. Muscles visible beneath his tight t-shirt.
He wanted to meet up in person, but I turned him down because the only reason I’ve left my house the last few months was for groceries. I wasn’t risking getting sick to give some stranger a blowjob. If he was serious about me, he would wait it out. If he only wanted a hookup, he would move on.
He moved on.
Normally, getting ghosted wouldn’t have bothered me much. It had happened plenty of times in the past. But back then, I could get wasted at a bar and scream Britney Spears songs with my friends and move onto someone new. Stuck in my house, bored and lonely with nothing left to watch on Netflix, it was hard to forget about Michael. I became obsessed with finding out what happened to him.
I tried my best to track him down on social media, but I didn’t have any luck. I couldn’t find any of his pages. I tried to do a reverse image search on his profile picture and that didn’t work either.
Eventually, I asked one of my tech savvy friends to help me track him down. She refused until I offered to pay her. She’d recently been laid off and needed the cash. She worked her ass off to find him with the small amount of information I was able to give her.
It took her twenty-four hours to text me a link. To an obituary. For Michael Davids. A 26-year-old male who died in a car crash six months earlier.
To be clear, I don’t believe in the paranormal. I don’t believe in ghosts or spirits or monsters.
However, I do believe humans are monsters. I do believe some sicko took that poor boy’s photograph and assumed his identity in order to seduce me. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I had agreed to meet up with him. (And if it weren’t for the pandemic, I one-hundred percent would have met up with him.)
All I know is that I feel lucky to be alive. And I’m probably not going to use dating apps again anytime soon.


thoughtcatalog--2020-08-06--Where Each Zodiac Sign Looks For Comfort

You find comfort in nature because it reminds you there is something bigger than yourself .
You find comfort in traditional meals that your parents used to cook for you .
You find comfort in rewatching familiar TV shows with characters who feel like family .
You find comfort in family members and friends who are going to hold you while you cry .
You find comfort in escapist books that will let you get away for a little while .
You find comfort in working hard because it ’ s one thing entirely within your control .
You find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or blanket because the first step in taking care of your mental health is taking care of your physical health .
You find comfort in your bed because it ’ s the one place where you feel completely safe .
You find comfort in sex because genuine human connection is what keeps you going .
You find comfort in the fact you ’ re not alone and thousands of other people are experiencing the same thing as you .
You find comfort in music that puts the way you ’ re feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You find comfort in your happy memories and your hope that there will be more up ahead .

Aries
You find comfort in nature because it reminds you there is something bigger than yourself.
Taurus
You find comfort in traditional meals that your parents used to cook for you.
Gemini
You find comfort in rewatching familiar TV shows with characters who feel like family.
Cancer
You find comfort in family members and friends who are going to hold you while you cry.
For the person who is always googling astrological compatibility when they meet someone new. How You’ll Do Everything Based On Your Zodiac Sign includes an exhaustive analysis of each sign’s personality. You’ll learn which high school clique represents them (Pisces are the cool art kids), who would get eaten first in a scary movie (Gemini, obviously) to how each sign prefers to say ‘I love you’ (for Taurus, it’s with good food). Alternating between silly, sweet, and serious, this book is filled with deep dives into the mind of everyone whose birth chart you can get your hands on. Buy now
Leo
You find comfort in escapist books that will let you get away for a little while.
Virgo
You find comfort in working hard because it’s one thing entirely within your control.
Libra
You find comfort in your favorite dress, hoodie, or blanket because the first step in taking care of your mental health is taking care of your physical health.
Scorpio
You find comfort in your bed because it’s the one place where you feel completely safe.
Sagittarius
You find comfort in sex because genuine human connection is what keeps you going.
Capricorn
You find comfort in the fact you’re not alone and thousands of other people are experiencing the same thing as you.
Aquarius
You find comfort in music that puts the way you’re feeling into words — or a melody.
Pisces
You find comfort in your happy memories and your hope that there will be more up ahead.


thoughtcatalog--2020-08-05--30 Surprising Benefits Of Wearing A Mask (Aside From Saving Lives)

1 .
If I ’ m listening to music no one can tell if I ’ m mouthing the lyrics to all the good bits .
3 .
I can wear whatever color lipstick at work and no one will bat an eyelid .
5 .
Less interaction with people .
I don ’ t have to smile unless I naturally do it and no one likes talking with them on , because it ’ s a hassle so less talking .
6 .
I ’ m an introvert , so it ’ s like getting to hide in plain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retail and I love not having to fake smile at customers .
8 .
I can mouth the words “ fuck you ” constantly to anyone and they ’ re none the wiser .
9 .
I can freely mutter to myself without fear of people seeing my lips moving .
10 .
I ’ m really uncomfortable and self-conscious of my face , especially the lower half .
Honestly I wouldn ’ t mind wearing a mask in public all the time , even if/when this passes .
11 .
No more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees .
13 .
Because I can wear it in a public restroom .
Less smell and I always thought if I could smell it poo particles were getting in my nose and mouth .
14 .
It ’ s so much easier to tell if I ’ ve already talked to someone .
It normally takes me a while to “ memorize ” a persons face but now I can just be like : “ Oh that person has a green mask with polka dots .
I saw them yesterday.
” They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was actually thinking of buying one before all this started .
15 .
I have a plain white pretty intense face mask that I decided needed some decoration .
I drew the MCR logo on it in pen .
It came out very good in my opinion !
People constantly ask where I bought it .
But that ’ s what I like , the compliments and the connection I ’ ve made with people because we like the same band .
16 .
My mouth has a natural frown .
It doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I get “ What ’ s the matter ?
” comments a lot .
Look at my eyes , it ’ s all good .
18 .
It makes negotiations and awkward conversations at work so much easier !
They can ’ t read my face nearly as well , so I feel way more confident .
I love it .
19 .
A few of my patients said it covers their bad teeth and they feel like they can laugh and smile more with other people without feeling self-conscious .
20 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ m sticking my tongue out at them .
21 .
I like all of the patterns you can get !
I ’ m 100 % behind it being a permanent fixture on my face !
23 .
Makes me look more masculine , it hides my face which in insecure about and makes my jaw seem more sharp and pronounced .
It also brings more attention to my eyes which I ’ m more confident about .
24 .
My nose was running the other day it was incredibly embarrassing but I remembered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a CVS with a mask on .
25 .
My facial hair grows in all patchy but I ’ m too lazy to shave .
26 .
Deadpan humor has never been easier .
27 .
I never realized how many emotions I unintentionally show when not wearing a mask .
Now people can ’ t tell what I ’ m thinking .
28 .
I have resting bitch face and it only gets more obvious when someone says something stupid to me , and I deal with a lot of stupidity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the overall wtf ?
face I ’ m giving them .
29 .
People are less likely to recognize me at the Trader Joe ’ s my sister worked at , and I don ’ t have to partake in small talk I ’ m not interested in .
I love Trader Joe ’ s , just hate being distracted from my mission .
30 .
I used to smile at people when I passed them in public and it would make them smile back at me .
Now I still smile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covering my face .
When I walk away I always remember and think that the person thinks I was staring at them .
I think that ’ s pretty funny so I enjoy wearing a mask out in public .

Ask Reddit proves wearing a mask is good for more than the obvious reason.
1. If I’m listening to music no one can tell if I’m mouthing the lyrics to all the good bits.
2. I haven’t worn makeup in months.
3. I can wear whatever color lipstick at work and no one will bat an eyelid.
4. It covers my adult acne.
5. Less interaction with people. I don’t have to smile unless I naturally do it and no one likes talking with them on, because it’s a hassle so less talking.
6. I’m an introvert, so it’s like getting to hide in plain sight.
7. I work in retail and I love not having to fake smile at customers.
8. I can mouth the words “fuck you” constantly to anyone and they’re none the wiser.
9. I can freely mutter to myself without fear of people seeing my lips moving.
10. I’m really uncomfortable and self-conscious of my face, especially the lower half. Honestly I wouldn’t mind wearing a mask in public all the time, even if/when this passes.
11. No more allergy attacks when I walk by the trees.
12. Extra sun protection.
13. Because I can wear it in a public restroom. Less smell and I always thought if I could smell it poo particles were getting in my nose and mouth.
14. It’s so much easier to tell if I’ve already talked to someone. It normally takes me a while to “memorize” a persons face but now I can just be like:
“Oh that person has a green mask with polka dots. I saw them yesterday.”
They’re also really cute and I was actually thinking of buying one before all this started.
15. I have a plain white pretty intense face mask that I decided needed some decoration. I drew the MCR logo on it in pen. It came out very good in my opinion! People constantly ask where I bought it. But that’s what I like, the compliments and the connection I’ve made with people because we like the same band.
16. My mouth has a natural frown. It doesn’t reflect my mood, but I get “What’s the matter?” comments a lot. Look at my eyes, it’s all good.
17. People stop telling me to smile.
18. It makes negotiations and awkward conversations at work so much easier! They can’t read my face nearly as well, so I feel way more confident. I love it.
19. A few of my patients said it covers their bad teeth and they feel like they can laugh and smile more with other people without feeling self-conscious.
20. They can’t tell I’m sticking my tongue out at them.
21. I like all of the patterns you can get! I’m 100% behind it being a permanent fixture on my face!
22. Chubby face.
23. Makes me look more masculine, it hides my face which in insecure about and makes my jaw seem more sharp and pronounced. It also brings more attention to my eyes which I’m more confident about.
24. My nose was running the other day it was incredibly embarrassing but I remembered nobody could tell because I was at a CVS with a mask on.
25. My facial hair grows in all patchy but I’m too lazy to shave.
26. Deadpan humor has never been easier.
27. I never realized how many emotions I unintentionally show when not wearing a mask. Now people can’t tell what I’m thinking.
28. I have resting bitch face and it only gets more obvious when someone says something stupid to me, and I deal with a lot of stupidity. This way they can’t actually see the overall wtf? face I’m giving them.
29. People are less likely to recognize me at the Trader Joe’s my sister worked at, and I don’t have to partake in small talk I’m not interested in. I love Trader Joe’s, just hate being distracted from my mission.
30. I used to smile at people when I passed them in public and it would make them smile back at me. Now I still smile because I forget that a mask is covering my face. When I walk away I always remember and think that the person thinks I was staring at them. I think that’s pretty funny so I enjoy wearing a mask out in public.