No one migrated en masse to Lemmy because making an account here is too much work for someone to just hop on over and check out.

On the plus side, Lemmy doesn’t force you to make an account in order to view it. That’s becoming increasingly rare these days. It used to be normal to lurk for a while and get a feel for a site before taking the jump to making an account, but so many places won’t let you view a damn thing unless you sign up (and then when you have an account, they try to force their app onto you. Because of course.)

At least with Lemmy, newcomers can browse around and decide if making the account is worth it. The choices involved in picking an instance might not draw in crowds, but hopefully it’ll draw in those who actually want to engage with the site. Quality over quantity.

I might try to get a couch with my next paycheck. This is all really good to know, thank you. I’m saving your comment for reference when shopping.

This is what sold my friends on meta.

I haven’t been to Facebook in a while, but I do remember it mostly being shit. I guess some things haven’t changed.

Ah, okay. Hope you like Rocko’s Modern Life!

Okay, who put a camera in my apartment?

Off topic, but I want to say that I appreciate you explaining your downvote. Some of the downvotes on here seem entirely senseless and definitely make one wonder, “Why would anyone downvote that?” When people explain their reasoning, not only are they contributing to Lemmy in a more constructive way, but it helps other commenters gain perspective. Thank you for adding your thoughts.

Sometimes I debate on making a comment, and sometimes I simply don’t have the energy to complete one. But sometimes, I think, “every comment grows Lemmy a little bit more” and decide, fuck it, I’ll say something. People might like it, people might not like it, but you never know what can grow from such a little spark.

I appreciate Lemmy in this regard. We live in a world with many voices trying to drown out each other for a bit of public attention. It’s enough to make some people think their own thoughts aren’t worthy and to stay silent, discounting their potential contributions. Having a platform that’s low-stakes, where people aren’t chasing internet fame, gives many of us an opportunity to express ourselves for the sake of expressing ourselves. Having this outlet is vital for many of us. I’m glad to be a part of this community, and it is truly a community. I have no idea if anyone recognizes me, but I definitely recognize other frequent commenters. It’s almost like we’re neighbors, not in physical proximity, but with a shared gathering space to meet and share our thoughts.

And I love that.

I asked this same question to my older coworkers back when I was 20. The main answer I got was: travel, travel, travel! “Travel before you have kids.” “Travel before you start a long-term career.” “Travel before you buy a house.”

Naturally, being a Millennial, all three of those things became non-issues. 🙃

So let me give some advice for the ages instead, regardless of what the future may hold for you:

• Never stop learning

• It’s okay to not know what you want to do with life

• And, especially in a post-truth, AI-infested world, question everything!

Take the time to learn what logical fallacies are (at least the common ones.) You WILL encounter them, and knowing when you or someone else is using faulty logic can keep you from harm, whether it be from another person (like what we see in politics) or from yourself (like the “Sunk Cost Fallacy,” which might otherwise lead you to stick with bad jobs, bad relationships, and more.)

Tangentially, it’s okay to say, “I don’t know.” Nobody knows everything. Anyone who expects you to know any given thing (unless you’re known to have studied it, of course) isn’t someone worth the admiration of. People with realistic expectations will see you as genuine, and being genuine can carry you far.

I could probably think of more if given the time, but those are the most important things off the top of my head. I’m open to questions in the comments; I’ve lived quite a peculiar life, so I’ve got a range of experiences, from being a homeless vandweller, to being a pilot, to pivoting 90° to working with kids and making art. I’m more than happy to answer any questions that might help people out!

Years before my dog passed, I sat in my bed, with her at my feet, and thought about the days she’d be gone.

I started crying. Then the little sweetheart did what little sweethearts do - she came up to me, snuggled me, and gave me kisses.

I held her and let it imprint into my mind.

When she did pass years later, I thought about that night and how she did her best to comfort me. I imagined her still doing that, if she had been here.

Her passing wasn’t easy, but having known how she reacted when I’d already thought about it made the time easier. I know she didn’t want me to be sad. She wanted to make me happy and be a supportive friend. Even in death, I could recall that one night and remember her sweetness trying to pick me up.

To this day, I carry some of her ashes in a necklace over my heart. She used to want to follow me everywhere. Now she always will.

I don’t wish for ignorance, but sometimes I do watch wild creatures and think, “What a life. Find food, find shelter, find partner, lay eggs/babies. Pure biology in control.” Some deep part of me is massively jealous that I can’t give in to what my ancient genes want me to do. Being able to fulfill my basic needs is subject to the whims of capitalism.

Though not having to tolerate parasites and disease without medicine, not having to die right after mating, and having access to modern air conditioning are pretty strong perks of being a human.

If you have to travel for extended periods of time, it’s not a bad idea. It does take a little extra time for your mail to get to you (since it’s being shipped twice.) If that isn’t a problem, I can’t think of any reason it wouldn’t work for travel nurses.

Sigh, I was worried they’d be getting targeted.

I wish I had more to add. But I’m just tired.

I’m curious if credit unions participate in this. I can’t find any information about it.

Back when I vandwelled, I was able to set up a “declaration of domicile” so my legal address was at a mail forwarding center. You can have mail forwarded to a local post office box, or to a different address (if you’re crashing at a friend’s house or something.)

It’s a useful option when you have to move around a lot, since if you move you don’t have to change your address - just change where your mail gets forwarded to.

It does require paying for a PO Box, but IMO it’s worth it.

Though I recommend actually knowing something about the town or city of the forwarding center you use. I once had a job interviewer be from the same town as the one on my license, and had to bullshit as if I actually knew the place (and didn’t merely drive through it on a freeway a couple times.)

I like that you used the “bake em away, toys” callback on a thread with usernames of Watermelon Albert, Ramen Shaman, and Lousy Corn Muffin.

It sounds like y’all are preparing a potluck.

(I lived.)

Phew Thank you for that closure.

To any prospective and new parents stumbling onto this thread: Turn back. NOW.

This thread will give you nightmare fuel. You have been warned.

I accidentally slammed my picky toe into a corner once and I’m pretty sure I broke it. But I was scared to tell my parents, so I just wore socks around the house until it healed.

I don’t think it healed properly either. If I feel the edges of my picky toes, I can feel a difference between my right and left. Using standard anatomical terms of location for clarity, the toe that got injured has a pointier joint on the medial edge, with the distal bone of the pinky turning slightly more laterally than the uninjured toe bone does. It doesn’t hurt today and doesn’t cause me any issues, as far as I can tell.

It still sucks that I’m not the only one who felt the need to hide an injury as a child.

Oof, this happened when my family went tubing down the Delaware River. It was the first time in my life that I was grateful women’s bathing suits include a top, as I got burnt horribly, but I didn’t end up with as much burn as the guys in my party all did. My poor, Canadian boyfriend looked like a tomato at the end.

I know you don’t want to hear “it depends,” but there is no one rule that would cover all art. Some art is made to communicate specific ideas. Some art is made simply out of self-expression, without intent for any particular audience. Both are valid.

If I doodle in my notebook, it’s for the artist (me.) However, I also draw and paint to communicate specific emotions. I made a painting while listening to “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire, with the intent to capture the energy and joy the song sends through me. I don’t expect anyone to immediately connect the image with the specific song, but since it’s a lively concert scene, my hope is that the emotion that inspired the art comes across to an audience.

Sometimes I’ll make something more abstract, intentionally left open to interpretation. I may have my own thoughts about such pieces, but ultimately I want the viewer to find their own meaning.

In reality, everything is up to the audience. There will always be people who interpret things in their own way, independent of the artist’s intentions. We can’t control what others will think, but learning to tolerate and/or accept people who “don’t get it” is a stage all artists have to go through. I’ve come to accept that there is no one perfect mode of communication, so if I intend to communicate something specific, it’s on me as the artist to put effort into making that message clear.