“Eliza has no use for that foolish romantic tradition that all women love to be mastered, if not actually bullied and beaten. ‘When you go to your woman,’ says Nietzsche, ‘take your whip with you’… But to admire a strong person and to live under that person’s thumb are two different things.”

I've tried.

Being in a relationship should add something good to your life, not drain you or cause stress. It takes constant work for you and your partner (or partners) to find happiness together. Here are ten tips on how to maintain a healthy relationship.

This hurts. Knowing you like someone and never dreaming you'll have the courage to admit it for fear of losing their friendship. Each time you talk to them, whether it be face to face or through a text, you can't help but imagine what it'd be like to be with them. And you smile. But then that smile cracks as you realise that it's just a fantasy, that its never going to happen - or that the possibility that in it happening, then brings misfortune. So you try not to show it, try not be so clingy or so attentive that it become obvious. But you know you can't be the opposite, otherwise then they'll start asking questions, "How come you don't talk to me any more?" or, "Don't you care about me? Why don't you listen to me like you used to?". You have no choice to be in the middle, trying to find some balance between not too much or too little. Sometimes you want those feelings to go away, so you can go back to normal. But then you think, how can I want them to go away when even though I don't want to admit these feelings, ever, they can make me feel so good sometimes? It hurts, but it doesn't. You want the feelings to go, but you don't. The balance you try to find slips all over the place, making you wonder if it'll never grip and you'll just fall off one side or the other, and you'll possibly lose that friend forever.

When will we emerge from all of this? No one knows for sure yet. Weeks, maybe months? But someday in the hopefully not-so-distant future, we will open our front door and we will no longer be fearful of the unseen. We will no longer have to quickly leave our homes to grab our necessities and run back to escape the unknown. We will not wrestle with anxiety as we pep talk ourselves before we leave our homes and head for work (for those essential employees who still must leave their homes to go to work.) We will no longer fearfully anticipate what awaits us when we turn on the television or pick up our cell phones. We will no longer be forced to choose between our health and our family's health or financial stability for our families. Unfortunately for some families those are one in the same depending on what you stand to lose without financial stability.

Ahhh, 2018... Lots of ups and downs, mostly downs but I made lemonade from the lemons that I was given but it wasn't lemonade I'd drink. I got booted out of the house I was living at the time with my family, I didn't have anywhere to stay so I ended up staying with my grandmother and my uncle, a good friend of mine from high school died, and I lost a really good friend of mine because she got married. My life drastically changed but the only good things that I had going for me were that I was going to community college to finish getting my degree and my best friend at the time, we'll call her... Josie.

In a 55th Street Playhouse Chantal Akerman is stealing half the ticket sales a night as a cashier at a porn theater. It’s 1972 and I’m not even a thought in my parents’ minds. Yet what Chantal does twenty years before I come screaming into this world would forever change the course of my adult life.

Amidst the great ‘rona pandemic, people far and wide have been encouraged to practice “social distancing,” that is; avoiding large crowds and limiting physical contact with others so that the disease can be easier to contain. For some, this has been an easy transition with little bumps.

On the day that this picture was taken, I flipped off a black homeless man. He was sitting on the sidewalk, and had a dirty red blanket around his shoulders. In his hand was a rattling plastic cup containing a few coins. Anyone who might have seen this insensitive gesture would probably think of me as a cold, heartless bitch.

It all started so innocently.

I’m a Starbucks Mom. I’ve been the crying towel, listening to my son, daughter and their respective crews in Virginia and Colorado for months. Now I’m here to address the issue of the legion of Karens, Sharons, Beckys, and Chads (KSBC) who make the lives of employees miserable.

Look, let’s get straight to it. We don’t have enough time anymore. Between keeping up with the voting habits of celebrities and participating in the latest viral internet trends, there’s not a lot of room left for us to get to the bottom of a lot of really serious issues. Unless it’s compacted and served via drive-thru, there really isn’t any way to stay up to date on the inexcusable things people are getting up to in the world. Hence, I humbly present The Official 2020 Guide to All Things Annoying.

Being in a relationship should add something good to your life, not drain you or cause stress. It takes constant work for you and your partner (or partners) to find happiness together. Here are ten tips on how to maintain a healthy relationship.

It's no secret that relationships aren't always easy or perfect. We go through ups and downs and it gets difficult at times. However, just because relationships aren't easy doesn't mean that they aren't worth it. It just takes a lot of love, a lot of work, and a lot of patience to keep them going. It's also important to appreciate your partner for who they are and what they do for you. So here are ten things that you should always thank your partner for.

Let’s face it, the world is suffering a crisis that most of us have never experienced before and we are all wondering what this is going to look like when the dust finally settles. We are feeling out of control as we helplessly watch a virus ravage our population. We watch as the economy comes to a screeching halt while the stock market tumbles inevitably into a bear market. Many of us are worried about what this will do to us financially. 401k’s, pensions and all other retirement and investment accounts are at risk and we have no guarantee that the market will recover like it has in the past. But I am not here to talk to you about your retirement or financial statement as I am not a financial expert by any means. Instead, I am here to talk to you about your most valuable asset.

That bastard, the liar that broke my heart and all the promises he made... My ex boyfriend. His name was Eli. In all honesty, the day I found out his name I should've ran for the hills. His name is basically saying that E (his once upon a time nick name) lies. Anyways let's get to how this story connects to figurative fear.

The world around you is dark and gloomy.

There are so many people that keep their abusive relationships a secret when it’s happening to them. It could be out of fear for not only themselves but for the abuser, or they might keep it a secret because they don’t know how to get out of the situation, so they just deal with it while sinking into a deep pit of depression.

Today I am excited to share with you three subscriptions that are excellent for having a date night at home!  With many of us being stuck in self-isolation, going out on a date is pretty much out of the question; but with these three subscriptions, your date night is brought straight to your door.  Practicing self-care through quality time with your significant other is so important, especially if you are isolated together, so try out one of these subscriptions below and start planning your next date night in!

I am a 21 year old fresh outta college girl, and I cannot do anything casual? Is something wrong with me? I believe that if you're not planning to get married, you are planning for a heartbreak. But that's just too serious. However, I get deeply offended if any guy just tried to be friendly or go out with me for just casual sex. No! I can smell your bullshit miles away, i know you're complimenting me to get me to bed, and knowing all this and finding out that maybe everyone thinks like this, deeply saddens me.

As we're all 'trapped' inside clinging to our sanity and crumbs of eaten chips consumed out of boredom, we have the opportunity as well to strengthen bonds with the people we live with.... or break ties afterward hahaha.

There is no denying that January is a busy month for divorce. Of late, it has become a national holiday for those who are determined to have their marriage dissolved quickly and with no fuss. This is not a normal state of affairs. Marriage should be dissolved in calm and comfortable surroundings, with friends and family around, so that you can enjoy the New Year in peace.

New Year’s Eve can be the occasion of celebration for divorced couples. Many people wonder why this is, and the first holiday where the transition of marriage is occurring is during the holiday season. The short answer is that the seasons change, and at some point, even those who are happily married may need to take a break. The reasons for this can be myriad, but the most common complaints seem to be lack of communication and inability to solve problems together.

The sound of silence was truly deafening.

When you love someone, you want to offer her something that can make her happy. According to this practice, the most precious thing you can offer your beloved is your presence. — Thich Nhat Hanh

Ahhh, 2018... Lots of ups and downs, mostly downs but I made lemonade from the lemons that I was given but it wasn't lemonade I'd drink. I got booted out of the house I was living at the time with my family, I didn't have anywhere to stay so I ended up staying with my grandmother and my uncle, a good friend of mine from high school died, and I lost a really good friend of mine because she got married. My life drastically changed but the only good things that I had going for me were that I was going to community college to finish getting my degree and my best friend at the time, we'll call her... Josie.

True friendship is vibe changing.

In a 55th Street Playhouse Chantal Akerman is stealing half the ticket sales a night as a cashier at a porn theater. It’s 1972 and I’m not even a thought in my parents’ minds. Yet what Chantal does twenty years before I come screaming into this world would forever change the course of my adult life.

When will we emerge from all of this? No one knows for sure yet. Weeks, maybe months? But someday in the hopefully not-so-distant future, we will open our front door and we will no longer be fearful of the unseen. We will no longer have to quickly leave our homes to grab our necessities and run back to escape the unknown. We will not wrestle with anxiety as we pep talk ourselves before we leave our homes and head for work (for those essential employees who still must leave their homes to go to work.) We will no longer fearfully anticipate what awaits us when we turn on the television or pick up our cell phones. We will no longer be forced to choose between our health and our family's health or financial stability for our families. Unfortunately for some families those are one in the same depending on what you stand to lose without financial stability.

I’m a 90s baby.

When I started dating for the first time, I was always reluctant to date bisexual folks, I was really intimidated by the idea due to several reasons and myths imposed by society. I had many chances to date some of the most amazing people I ever met, who happened to be bisexuals because of my ignorance and fear of the word bisexual.

Prologue

Prologue

There is one person out there who can make you feel some emotions you have never experienced before with anyone else. The day you cross their path, you feel like it's a no-brainer. You feel like it because of the effect they have on you, and you might experience some pleasant feelings deep inside down. What's the part of your job here? Dare to live them.

1. They are full of inspiration.

Relationships aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes our expectations are crushed after a while of being with a significant other that’s showing toxic traits. The three main expectations in a relationship is to respect one another, to build trust, and to love one another. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen in every relationship. But sometimes, toxic relationships can be hard to identify. There are some behaviors that clearly cross a line—like any kind of abuse, be it physical, emotional, verbal, or financial. Other signs are subtler—but can be just as troublesome.

“Eliza has no use for that foolish romantic tradition that all women love to be mastered, if not actually bullied and beaten. ‘When you go to your woman,’ says Nietzsche, ‘take your whip with you’… But to admire a strong person and to live under that person’s thumb are two different things.”

She woke up to the usual sink full of dishes, dirty clothes basket full to the brim and wondered when it would be something different. She dreamed of waking to a sparkling new home, a dishwasher and a not so full basket and she laughed.

There are plenty of foolish women who imagine that, provided they do not "come to the point" with a lover, that they can without offending their husbands at least, afford a trade in gallantry; and it often results from this way of looking at things more dangerous consequences than if their downfall had been complete. What happened to the Marquise de Guissac, a woman of status from Nîmes in Languedoc, is a sure proof of what we are posing here as a maxim.

I've tried.

This hurts. Knowing you like someone and never dreaming you'll have the courage to admit it for fear of losing their friendship. Each time you talk to them, whether it be face to face or through a text, you can't help but imagine what it'd be like to be with them. And you smile. But then that smile cracks as you realise that it's just a fantasy, that its never going to happen - or that the possibility that in it happening, then brings misfortune. So you try not to show it, try not be so clingy or so attentive that it become obvious. But you know you can't be the opposite, otherwise then they'll start asking questions, "How come you don't talk to me any more?" or, "Don't you care about me? Why don't you listen to me like you used to?". You have no choice to be in the middle, trying to find some balance between not too much or too little. Sometimes you want those feelings to go away, so you can go back to normal. But then you think, how can I want them to go away when even though I don't want to admit these feelings, ever, they can make me feel so good sometimes? It hurts, but it doesn't. You want the feelings to go, but you don't. The balance you try to find slips all over the place, making you wonder if it'll never grip and you'll just fall off one side or the other, and you'll possibly lose that friend forever.

I want my home to have great big bay windows that overlook the water and let the breeze in. I want the great big bay windows in the front of my home facing the sun and the neighbors and only a couple on the side to let light and warmth inside my home . I want to be able to roam freely around my home with it's focus on its modern and clean design and the colors to be warm reds and vibrant golds with the walls covered in a floral and lace tapestry with Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move” playing in the background. I want my home to be with you...I want your smile to be so common among my pieces it's as if it's nailed down like furniture going nowhere or like a portrait painstankinling painted highlighting every detail of your face from your warm soft eyes to your wide sweet smile. I want you to feel at home ,I want us to feel at home , I want us to look out our great big bay windows and focus our eyes on anything serene whether it be the ocean or a lake or a pond or even a puddle and just marvel at its beauty together, focusing on nature and its many wonders. I want you to feel at home ,I want us to be a home and at home.

The world as we know it has changed forever . Families all over the world are in lockdown as a precaution against the Coronavirus. Suddenly and without much warning at all , everything that used to drive us and keep us busy doesn’t seem to matter anymore. We are at home , or at least most of us are. Some of us are having to work from home and others cannot work at all. So how are you married folks out there faring? We used to spend more waking hours with our colleagues at work than we ever did overall with our spouses. How is this working out for you? Has this been an easy change for you? How are you coping? Are you finding out or rediscovering your spouse’s annoying habits? Or Are you falling in love all over again? Here are 5 steps that could help you keep calm and stay married.

We planned our wedding in 7 days. When we moved in together my husband brought home 15 pounds of pork. It really looked like he sneaked to the farm and slaughtered a whole pig. We are on a tight budget which means we mainly eat pork. I do not like pork. I did not have experience cooking with pork as my childhood diet mainly consisted of chicken and beef. The first time I made a meal for us, I cooked pork medium rare, just like I would do with steak. It came out looking delicious, but then he cut into it. Every single piece was bloody. I was embarrassed. Luckily, my husband found a quick solution by microwaving the pork for a few minutes. My husband’s love for pork is difficult to break. He turned out to be an expert in meat, spices and cooking. He showed me about 101 ways to cook eggs. He once made lots of meatballs from ground pork and some beef. There were so many that it made me think that he cooked for an army of hungry soldiers. I gave half of it away to my family.

That verse is epic . . . “ it’s like the war of the roses going on in my place” OMG I AM SO TIRED OF THIS HOT OR COLD LUKE WARM, PLAYING ON THE MEDIAN MOTHER FUCKER. Who raised this piece of chocolate, strong build, sexy, womanizing ass boy,?

Dating in my 20s sucked, but mostly because I was being rejected by guys I liked who didn't like me back. Now in my 30s, I'm being rejected by guys I like who do appear to like me back. Confusing, I know. Welcome to dating in 2020.

"You're so sweet, any girl would be lucky to have you."

While working the other day, an older coworker asked me if I had a boyfriend. I told her no, and she then proceeded to tell me that I better hurry because my timer is ticking. She told me I wouldn't be young and pretty forever...

As if we are not already significantly restricted in our day-to-day lives by necessity of living under virtual quarantine, in a cruel display of sarcasm the novel coronavirus also has its say in how we die. Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, was quoted as saying, “Marry or don’t marry, you will regret it either way.” If the coronavirus could speak to the impact it is having on our human population right now, it might say something along the same lines: “Live or don’t live, you will regret it either way.”

Heads bowed down, hands mirrored in unison, concentration not broken - no kids, I’m not talking about the Catholics kneeling in church. I’m referring to you, sitting on your phone. Oddly enough this soliloquy is being written by myself, a millennial and former social media/never-being-detached-from-my-phone addict. I too remember the never-ending and constant yearning of checking if Kim Kardashian really named her baby after a direction or congratulating Veronica (some girl I barely talked to from my 1st grade art class) and her engagement announcement. Even if I was in the middle of an in-person conversation, my mind would immediately falter when I heard the familiar ping of a notification. It was the same when I felt the buzz of my phone’s vibration - all concentration ceased to exist.

As someone who found the concept of a place where anyone can post their thoughts and feeling that differ from the cultural and societal norms intriguing, I was shocked to find that these pages contained large amounts of blatant hate speech under the guise of “unpopular opinions”. When you first look at these pages you see posts such as “Yellow skittles are the best flavor!!” or “Picasso is an over hyped artist and should not be one of three artists any person who does not know about art knows of.” Or even “Billie Eilish is an industry plant and was potentially created in a lab.” Even if you don’t agree with these you can think about it for a moment, shrug, and move on.