I’ll suggest that to the neighbors. Maybe they’ll trying one-upping each other and the rest of us can just walk down the block like it’s a buffet.

“Some is better than none.” -My motto throughout college.

Usually I was stressed by the number of chapters I had to read, or pages I had to write. Instead of shutting down and not doing anything, I would tell myself to just read a single page or write a paragraph because any amount of work done is better than nothing.

Now I apply it to work and chores.

Too many times did I have them jumping from all directions…

Yikes. Well, at least is was mostly just a fun holiday tradition 😬

Holy moly, that sounds like a very unpleasant basement to have to deal with.

“Whelp, time to do laundry. The fun part is when the creepy mutant spider cricket launches itself at my face, yay!”

Clearly I was very lucky. I highly doubt the tenants ever used the place either. It just belonged to the crickets.

Oof, that sucks.

I kept expecting one to jump from the walls above me as I went downstairs, get into the back of my shirt, and get squished as I try to get it out. It’s happened with house centipedes, and it’s not fun. Especially when their legs keep moving after their dead.

Well, probably not what you’re looking for but I used to work yard maintenance for a property management company.

I was sent to rake and tidy up the back yard of some house. In the back, there was an entrance to a root cellar that was separate from the house and had crappy wooden doors covering it. I was told to open it up and sweep the steps leading down to the cellar.

I don’t have a problem with dark places, or bugs. But that was the first time I’d seen camel crickets. They were big, hump backed and striped. And there were dozens of them. I dutifully swept the steps, from the dead center of them, my eyes darting around constantly trying to gauge whether or not the weird ass bugs were about to launch themselves onto me. They didn’t. They were super chill.

I told my dad about it later and he laughed at me for not knowing what the crickets were because they were so common. I’ve only seen a few more since then, and they still kinda weird me out.

Your mother sounds like an amazing woman. I’m sorry to hear everything she (and you and your siblings) had to go through. It takes incredible resolve to survive all that.

As someone who’s had poor health their entire life, I can absolutely agree that the ‘tender moments’ really make life what it is.

Thanks for sharing.

I’ve noticed over the last few decades that every time I start worrying about WW3, climate change, solar flares, super volcanos, giant meteors etc. that there’s something going on in my personal life that’s causing me stress. Something I feel like I have no control over.

I guess my brain doesn’t want to admit/deal with my own issues, so I focus on something else, something that feels just as overwhelming.

Working on taming the anxiety itself is quite useful, especially if you can’t help the situation you’re currently in.

The things that have helped me the most are: meditating (chakra and mindfulness) which has been great at helping me calm down; finding activities that feel meaningful to me; spending time with the people I care about (making the time); and finding beauty and/or amusement in everyday life.

All of these things take practice and time, which might seem useless if you think that the world will end tomorrow. But even if all you can do is one meaningful/fulfilling thing today, then it will improve your day and help make your last day on earth a little better.

Of course chances are good you’ll wake up tomorrow, and the next day etc., which means you have even more time to live an even happier life.

Good luck my dude.

Mashed, with butter and garlic scapes.

For decades there was a funeral parlor down the street from my house. Right in the middle of a busy residential neighborhood in the city. There’s only on-street parking and they had two spots in front of their building reserved for funerals. Only no one ever parked there. No cars, limos, hearses, anything. A neon open sign turned on every day over their door but no one ever came or went.

My parents had a tenant who was an elderly gentleman with few relatives. When he died, my mom called the parlor to arrange the funeral but no one answered. She left a message on their machine but no one ever called back. We weren’t fully surprised because we’d been calling it a front for years, but mom was unconvinced until then.

The building got fully renovated a few years ago and we actually saw a funeral taking place, so they’ve upped their game.