dharmacurious

One of my best friends is a vegan, married to a vegan, and raising two kids who are chegans (like, mostly they're vegan, and sometimes they eat some chicken nuggets at Grandma's). Through him, I have met dozens of vegans. The most I've ever heard a vegan "go on" about veganism is if they're specifically asked about it. Occasionally, you'll hear them bring it up in discussions around related things (like if you're talking about climate change, they may mention that animal farming is a massive contributor, or something to that effect). But mostly, it's just a diet and they do their own diet thing.

The real issue is when someone asks "hey, wanna go to x restaurant tonight?" And they reply "lemme check the menu and make sure I can!" And then the person who originally asked the question wants to pretend like they're Christ on the cross because they're being so put out by the audacity of this filthy hippy to want to eat somewhere they can actually eat, instead of just sitting there and drinking water while everyone else eats.

My first ever time flying was a trip to Mexico from Knoxville, TN. On the return trip, we got a layover in Detroit, and our flight was grounded due to a mechanical problem. They offered to let us stay overnight in a hotel plus a 200 voucher, or we could take a different flight into Knoxville, with no voucher. My brother was super sick and just wanted to get home, we we took the flight.

This plane was tiny. Like, 30-50 seats? Fucking miniscule. It had ashtrays built into the armrests, and if you needed to use the bathroom you'd have to ask the flight attendant to move, because her jump seat was attached to the bathroom door. It rattled like a smokers chest cough, and I swear I thought it was going to give up the ghost and just drop out of the sky.

But the seats were very comfortable, and I was at the back in a single seat without a neighboring seat, so I got to chat with the flight attendant the whole time haha

:( God, that's awful. It's making me wonder if they're going to do it to me when I get my next scan. I haven't had one since I was 14 (34 now...), and I was in Virginia then. Doc told me a couple years ago I should probably get a scan sometime soon to confirm everything is okay. It'll either be in Tennessee or South Carolina this time around.

Do they use the mesh one that hardens in place on you?

Also not defending chester Cheeto. But I'm curious why they make you do the cage. That thing absolutely terrifies me, and I was so glad they never made me use it when they were scanning my brain because of my chairi malformation. Maybe it's because it's my brain stem they're looking at?

At any rate, I'm so sorry you have to go through that. I can't imagine. Literal nightmare fuel

Tried to figure out how to post this comment a couple times without it sounding like proselyting my own view point. Can't manage it. So I'll just add this here: that's not what I'm doing! I'm not attempting to convince anyone of anything. Lol.

I'm a nondualist. Panentheism, to be more specific. I believe that existence is God's way of experiencing. In other words, we are not just ourselves, and not just reincarnated as the next thing down the line, or spending eternity in heaven. But that every creature, every rock, every thing that has ever or will ever exist is you. You are Ghandi, and you're also your own mother. You're hitler, and you're Stalin. You are God. And in between, after, and before, when you're in that state of being without limitations, without boundaries and illusions of duality and separateness, you are fully aware of every thing you have been and will be. You understand all.

It brings me comfort. It has allowed me to come to peace with the fact that I will die some day. It hasn't given me peace for the people I have lost, but I try to remember them as the forms of God I love best, and the forms of God that knew me best. One day I will be gone, and I will dissolve back into the divine, and I won't be so sad about losing those forms and those people, because I will be with them, as them, and know them better than I could ever have in this form.

As a little aside, another way I like to look at this is through a Betty White quote. She once asked her mother what happens after we die, and her mother told her it was a secret. So whenever Betty lost someone she would say to herself "they learned the secret today"

The secret is that you get to learn everything, at least as far as I believe.

Damn, didn't even consider reverse image searching it haha. Thank you!

Do you mean Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz? Upon googling, that looks pretty different than above.

... Yeah. I'm blocking you. You're deeply awful.

Jesus Christ. Is there some kind of medication you're supposed to be taking that you haven't? Or perhaps a medication you're not supposed to be taking that you have taken too much of?

Re read what I said. I specifically said if they had that interest. My original comment was mostly agreeing with you that if they had that interest is when the concern kicks in. Seriously. You're so busy attempting to defend yourself that you've blinded yourself to the fact that no one was attacking you. Fucking chill.

Firstly, that is how memory loss works. If they're a person who has a prexisting interest or history in a thing, in a moment of confusion they may well forget that it's not a good idea for them to go do that thing again.

Secondly, I'm not making it about me. I'm using myself as an example.

Thirdly, there's no "again" here. This was our first interaction about this.

Finally, the person who asked the question is clearly concerned about this aspect. You making this about YOU and YOUR assumptions on their history, personality, and general ethos does not help a person who is genuinely seeking help. Perhaps try answering their question ("how do I ensure I am on a no-purchase list for firearms?") instead of attempting to make this more than it is and making this a "the psychology of gun owners" debate?

Same boat, OP. Same boat. I have wanted to be a dad since I was tiny. Like, so bad. And it will likely never happen for me. I'm 34, and I get told by all my friends with kids how great I am with them, how good an uncle I am. And that's nice. But it hurts. It hurts a lot.

Perhaps they've been a gun owner in the past. I'm as lefty as they come, and I have owned guns in the past, and plan on having a gun again. There are people who hunt, who live in areas with bear and other dangerous animals, and there are those who have worked in fields where firearms are something you have. I have worked armed security. I enjoy going to gun ranges (though, as a general rule, I no longer do that. Too many dipshit right wing stains on humanity hang out there). I lived in a very rural area until April, and we would often target shoot out in the back yard. Owning a gun in the US is so normalized that if OP is in the US, and anywhere outside of major urban centers (and even then...), it is very possibly a concern that if they are not in their right mind, just popping down the local gun store (and there is almost always at least one local gun store around) or pawn shop, and pick up a 9mm or a .38 special. If I ever got a dementia diagnosis, this would also be a major concern for me. I would give my power of attorney to whoever I trusted most, and make sure the state was alerted that I should not be trusted with a weapon again. I've never considered this aspect until now, but OP is exactly right. It's far too commonplace a thing not to worry that in an episode you won't just go do that in the States. Our gun culture is absolutely insane.

Also, before the accusations fly:

There have been no children in the home The guns are in lock boxes Ammunition is stored separately I am not a "but the home invasions!" Nutjob