Are you happy?

[danzibr]

For a little bit about me, I got a PhD and teach upper-level public high school math in a small town (really small, population ~500). I like what I do, but at times feel like I'm wasting my potential. The pay is beans. I have a wife and 2 young kids and... the pay is beans. So today I was walking home from school (I live like 2 blocks away, it's really nice). I thought to myself if I were to speak with a younger version of me, maybe early high school, what would the young me think of my current situation?

Then I thought to myself... I got a PhD, teach upper-level math at a nice small HS, have a beautiful wife and 2 beautiful (if hyperactive) children, and on the side write fiction and design games for fun, and in early 2017 should be debt free and saving lots of money. It really sounded rather nice. I would classify myself as "happy."

What about you, playgrounders?

[Grinner]

Things have improved considerably compared to two years ago. If I can get my act together on a few things I've been neglecting, the outlook will be good.

Then again, recent events could result in a downward turn, depending on how they play out.

Here's to tempting fate. :smalltongue:

[Flickerdart]

I have a graduate education, a six-figure salary at a laid-back job, a wonderful SO, and a great apartment in the best city. I'm not literally doing backflips every day of the week, but I'm pretty happy with my situation.

[Comrade]

No, but I'm slowly (if not so surely) changing that.

[Talar]

Short Answer is no, I am not really happy.

I am in my last year of college at a university which has a hypocritical administration, and in general shares more in common with Donald Trump than is healthy. I am fed up with school in general and fail to see the point of all the hoops I am being forced to jump through. I have an idea of what I want to do with my life, and realize that at some point I will probably die on duty due to my own actions (this thought is my most comforting one of late.) I suffer from depression and have bouts of suicidal thoughts, though I have good handle on all that, so suicide isn't really a concern for me. I guess in general I am at a stage in life where I am going so what? What is the point of all this? And I really am not finding any satisfactory answers to the question.

[Peelee]

I did get to go to the beach this year, so yeah. I'm pretty happy.

Though i wouldn't mind if Flickerdart hooked me up with a job, it seems.

For real, though, I'm going back for my degree (hopefully plural), have a gorgeous, loving wife; just bought a ridiculously nice house in walking distance of the school, which will still be great area once I'm done; and even though the pay isn't great, i have a pretty decent job that lets me take off whenever i need and helps with medical costs.

On the flip side, because of that job, I know more about CPAP machines and masks than I ever wanted to know in your life. But overall, I'm quite happy. Be even happier once i put up some hammocks and dig a pool.

[Taet]

Yes. And I am not only happy. I am not having nearly so many moments where I forget a word and it does not make me very angry, right away, no save, when I do. I have learned how to take someone else's hate and squeeze some happiness for me out of it.

But I wonder how long it would take to explain to younger me that there is such a thing as a store which sells D&D, and that I work there. :smallconfused:

[Zrak]

Yes, which is a problem since I'm supposed to be a sad clown for a living.

[factotum]

Not particularly happy, no--dislike my job intensely and yet feel trapped in it, because if I were to leave the company I work for would collapse; that would have knock-on effects for hundreds of people working for our clients, and I feel a level of responsibility for them. And yet, I know that by any reasonable standard I'm OK--I have a house (which will be paid off in 4 years' time), a car, and eat well enough; it seems churlish to complain when there are people within a few miles of me living under bridges to keep dry and wondering where their next meal is coming from.

(Having said that, if Flickerdart has any more of those jobs going spare, I'm in the queue... :smallsmile:).

[BWR]

No, not happy.

I'm very good at distracting myself from important issues so daily life is mostly ok - I can have happy moments and I have amazing family and a girlfriend who keeps me going - but at core I despise myself.

[Fri]

Just a year or two back I was in clinical depression and really bad ennui, but the past year or two is quite good. I'm not without care, because who does? I wish I have more friends, an SO, more money, but generally I'm satisfied with where I am in my life.

Really, I guess the therapy and antidepressant work well (I'm not on those anymore) but the thing that makes me more satisfied with my life was this.

A year or three before, I just graduated college, and as with almost everyone, I thought I'd be something after college. Be a writer, an artist, whatever, not a cog in the machine, especially people kept saying I was a bright and talented kid since my childhood. I wanted to be a journalist since my childhood. I landed a somewhat cushy job, but I still tried to apply to be a journalist everywhere. The failure of my writing depresses me very much, and I was torn between accepting the job offer I once got to be a journalist, or keep doing my cushy translation job.

But since then I just kinda calmed down I guess. People keep spouting it, but I never actually understood it until now. You are not your job. People keep posting those "philosophical" image macros and posters about how everyone are zombies, and you're waking up in the morning to do jobs you don't like to make money for someone you don't know, etc etc. But I now understand that I'm seeing at least my life wrong.

Sure, some people do their dream job. Some people became a writer or artist and make their job their life. And some people be an accountant and make that job their life. But it doesn't have to be that way.

I'm just doing my job to make money to actually live my life. My job is just way to fund my actual life. My life is what I do beside that. So I work my office job, hang out with my office mates, and so on (I don't exactly hate them or my job, as I said it's pretty cushy), then I use the money I got to fund my actual hobbies, hang out with my closer friends, write in my free time, etc. It's not like I spend more time at work than outside it.

So yeah, since my pay is enough to fund my current way of life, I'm pretty satisfied.

[Fragenstein]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/10/17/article-0-18C6F23000000578-343_306x454.jpg

[Maryring]

No, and I honestly can't remember the last time I was truly happy.

[Jormengand]

No. I'm horribly depressed and frequently consider death.

[Spojaz]

This is a question I feel like I'm really bad at answering.
My first impulse is to say no, because at my 'resting' state I'm pretty discontent with my life, but on further reflection, it is so easy to make me happy. A good song on the radio, running a game of D&D, a dumb joke, a particularly good (or bad) episode of almost any TV show, solving a puzzle, reading a sweet turn of phrase or saying hello to one of my friends spins the needle on the gauge from "everything sucks forever" to "nothing could tarnish this" in an instant. Each of the states I find myself in feels like they will never end, could never end, but in an hour or two it will.

On average, I'm fine.

[Anarion]

I dunno. In some ways, I'm an ungrateful, discontent, and ambitious person. No matter what I'm doing, I tend to always be thinking about the future and beating myself up for not doing enough or not doing something perfectly. On the other hand, I think the world is beautiful, I'm fundamentally optimistic and enjoy problem-solving, and I have wonderful friends and family that support me.

So, yes. Also, no. But possibly maybe?

[enderlord99]

Sometimes. Currently a little bit.

[Ifni]

Yes, I'm happy. I have my dream job (literally - it's the exact job I daydreamed about when I was 13, right down to the place of employment) and I'm getting paid a six-figure salary to do it; I've got a big prestigious research grant that will fund me for the next five years; I have my own lovely condo; I'm very happily single (having figured out a few years back that I'm ace+aro) but with plenty of friends and awesome colleagues; my immediate family members are all wonderful people who are currently in good health; my chronic medical condition responded well to treatment and hasn't given me significant pain in three years. I can cook (almost) all my favorite foods, I get to travel to interesting places on a very regular basis, and I have several hobbies I really enjoy.

(I perpetually need more sleep, but that's my own fault for having poor impulse control late at night, especially when it comes to sci-fi anthologies :smallwink:)

Anyway, knocking on wood now :smallwink:

[RabbitHoleLost]

I am really concerned about some of you.

Despite my BPD, yeah.
My job isn't super awesome, but it's better than the one I had before. I have every weekend off. I can afford to pay my bills.
I'm out. About all of it that needs to be out (bisexual, genderfluid) and the people who need to know I'm poly, know. And they're accepting.
I live nearer my best friend. I'm cosplaying and I'm in a great charity group that I cosplay with. I've got two conventions in the next two weeks.
I'm losing weight healthily. Dieting and working out and even though I hurt everyday, it's a good kind of hurt.

THE FORCE AWAKENS IS IN TWO MONTHS !!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!

I have my downs (I mean, it happens when you're BPD) but overall, I'm doing pretty well :smallsmile:

[Bulldog Psion]

Happier than I was 6 months ago, by a lot; that's not to say I'm happy-happy, but some days I'm almost feeling positive again, and I no longer wish for my erasure from existence. So I'd say that's a big move in the right direction. If (let me tempt Murphy here) things continue to go reasonably well, I might be pretty happy in another 6 months to 1 year. :smallsmile:

My work is going better. Getting more money from it, actually enjoying some of the stuff I'm doing.

My wife and I are getting along better now that we know our (amicable) divorce is quite near in the future. (Okay, this part is still pretty painful, but it's still better than it was.)

I got out from under a couple of really abysmal debts.

My dog, who was sick and I thought was going to die, is better.

I ran into a couple of old friends from years ago and we've renewed our friendship despite not having seen each other for 10 years or more.

So, an upward trend.

EDIT: yes, and the Force Awakens is coming up. It can't be worse than the Phantom Menace, IMO, so it's either going to be "meh, I can take it" or "wow, this is great." :smallbiggrin:

[DataNinja]

EDIT: yes, and the Force Awakens is coming up. It can't be worse than the Phantom Menace, IMO, so it's either going to be "meh, I can take it" or "wow, this is great." :smallbiggrin:

Come on, man! You already tempted Murphy once! No need to do it again... :smallbiggrin:

[Rain Dragon]

I saw the title of the thread and thought 'yeah'.

But the content seems to be about life situation (I think?) and I'm not in a great one. I don't always feel alright either. But on the whole I try to and my life isn't really about my crappy job or other (on the whole really) minor problems.

It also helps at least for me that I don't live in the city and it takes just 2min to walk to a forest to relax. I have good friends, hobbies and idk if it makes sense but most of the time my head is in a good place which a year ago I really couldn't say as often.

To the posters who aren't doing so well now, I hope the best for you!

[Jay R]

Working part time beneath my skills and education.
In debt.
60 and without the savings to retire.
Health slowly sliding downhill.

But actually, yes. I'm happy.

"Then it hit me -- being unhappy was something I'd been doing, and when I stopped doing it, I reverted to my natural state which is happy."
-- Orson Bean.

[Grytorm]

Not really. The last few days I have been feeling better. But driving home the thought of running into a tree still passes through my mind a lot, I still feel terrible about my eating habits. I just have more things to fill the time currently I guess.

[thorgrim29]

I'm not unhappy, I'm comfortable and content, but I can't shake the feeling that something's missing for "true" happiness, probably a relationship and a job that doesn't feel like a career dead-end even though I actually like it. Then again, maybe that's the point, to always have something more to strive for.

[Arutema]

Definitely not. I've been miserable in the last seven years since she betrayed me. Attempts at moving on to someone new have only been met with more lies, to the point where I'm basically incapable of trusting an entire gender.

There's work instability too these last few months, but that's not much compared to the social isolation.

[TheThan]

I don’t quantify happiness by what I have, but by who I have. That is excellent friends and family that I love, and that love me. Everything else is details. I’ve gone through a hard year, I’ve lost a friend to illness, an uncle to ALS and my 80 year old grandfather was recently hospitalized with a mysterious and serious fever (fortunately he recovered and is back on his feet). But I cherish the time I spend with my family and friends and honor those that I’ve lost. I refuse to give into despair, to weakness. I take that line in princess bride “life is pain, anyone that tells you differently is selling something” to heart and I refuse to let that pain beat me.

[Eon]

About 6 months ago someone I had looked up to for the past... 7 or 8 years of my life took their life. I still feel horrible because I couldn't make it to the funeral, but I just couldn't do it. Not because of time, or school, but entirely because the 1.5-2 years prior to the end of his life had mostly been a mix of hating myself and thinking of the best way to end my life, and going to his funeral was just not something I could handle at that point. I still feel horrible for not going, but I can't really change that now, can I?


It did make me realize I needed to get help. I had spent most of my senior year of high school and freshman year at college torn between trying to learn the material and thinking about ending my life, and so over this summer i decided I had to tell someone. Well, I ended up working with a doctor over the summer, and that got me to the point where I could seek out a couple friends who have been helping me along.


I'm still not all there. I still struggle with a lot of things, but I've gotten to the point where I can feel alright about myself. I still hate the past me, truly. But at least I can now focus more on fixing it's mistakes, and I can at least feel okay about my current self. I've got a lot to work on, but hey, gotta start somewhere, right?


Man, that is a long way to say I've gotten happier than I was.

[NovenFromTheSun]

^ Exactally. Anyone thinking about letting themselves die needs to tell someone about it. If there's no one you can trust That you know personally, there's this: +18002738255 for people who work with these issues officially.

@ OP: This moment is good, a family member is getting married so there's something to be happy about. But besides that, not really. By all means things could be worse, and it's definitely better than some months ago when I had the worst OCD attack of my life. On the other hand there are still thoughts I haven't shook off, and I'm not confident about my classes despite evidence that I should be. But the real thing is that I just don't like the way the world works, on a fundamental level. The problems I see don't really seem to be changeable, which make some people try to twist them into good things.

[Lentrax]

You know, I am so sick of people telling me that I should be happy. That what I have is better than what others do, and I should be grateful for it.

But I hate myself. I hate myself for the things I have had to do. The things I have had to endure, and what I still have to endure.

When I was twelve, I was beaten to the point of death. I survived. I still stand.
When I was twenty, my fiancée was killed in a car wreck. I still stand.
When I was twenty three, I survived war. I have a shard of metal near my knee, and another near my hip that can never safely be removed. And so long as I take decent care of myself, Should be able to be safely be left alone. And yet I still stand.
When I was twenty four, my son was born. Born into a world he never should have been, to a man who an never truly be his father. And he has a very good chance of never talking, or controlling his impulses. I work my ass off to provide what I can for him, for people I hate, for only slightly more than minimum wage.
When I was twenty nine, my own loathing of myself made me take a good hard look at myself in the mirror. I decided to try and make changes in my life. Just to make my life tolerable. Just.

I cannot trust. I do not think I can truly love.

And I doubt that anything in this life or the next can change that.

[Coidzor]

No, I'm depressed and struggling just to get help for my depression, let alone get my life back on some kind of trajectory at all.

The only reason I'm still alive right now is that suicide is morally wrong. Also that I can't actually sign on with a crab boat.

[Velaryon]

I wouldn't say I'm happy, but I'm happier than I have been for the last couple years at least.

I'm still underemployed, but I'm about to start a second job that does use my master's degree next month. Since I'm keeping my current job I'm going to be very busy with work, but at least I'll be making better money and hopefully that will help me improve other areas of my life.

I still live with my parents and sometimes it feels like a prison sentence - even if I become financially secure, they will still both be retired and disabled, and increasingly dependent on me. I sometimes feel like I can't live my own life because they need my help so much. It's been less of a problem since my mom came home from several months of hospitalization and nursing home care, but she still can't get around on her own and my dad can't see well enough to help her or even take care of his own errands.

I have great friends but I don't get to see as much of them as I would like to, and I haven't been able to run my D&D game in more than six months because I haven't had the time or energy to work on it. Every chance I do get to spend time with them now feels a little more special because of this, but I'd still like to be able to do more of it.

I've now been single a little more than two years and I still hate it, but I just don't feel like I have time to look for someone. I still feel the hole in my life where my ex used to be, and I'm still bitter and angry about the way she quit my life without even trying to work out the issues I didn't know were there until after she left (because she kept them all bottled up rather than talk to me). I try to let that go, but it just doesn't seem to work. It's much easier to distract myself with work, friends, or reading a book/watching a movie/playing a game, but whenever I don't have something to do, it creeps up on me even now.

Overall, I feel like my life is beginning to change for the better, but I'm having trouble letting myself trust that feeling and enjoy it deep down inside. But that's still miles better than earlier this year when I felt isolated and exhausted, or last year when I was horribly depressed and didn't know how or if I could go on much longer.

[Alent]

Mhh... "At peace", sure... But happy? No.

I wouldn't describe myself as sad, either, but I border on depression and can't really say I'm satisfied with life on account of how many times a week I have to pretend to be something I'm not for the sake of employment. (I'm an introverted mild-aspie who has to pretend to be a friendly extrovert.)

My parents blame me for not making the family business work (the 2007 economic crash killed it), I hate the family business but can't quit because I still live at home and if I quit my parents will start charging me rent I can't afford to pay, my last attempt at escaping the cycle failed when the shingles KO'd me for three months, all my friends have either moved away or are planing to move away from this town because they want to escape the poverty, and financially I'm the poorest of all my friends.

Counterbalancing that, I'm closer to my dream of making games than I've ever been before; I'm finally going to be making more than $250 a month for the first time in two years; I finally managed to overcome enough of the stress that my creativity came back; I finally talked my parents into moving away from this slum of a town next year; and one of the game designers I look up to, Shouzou Kaga, decided to go indie and is making a new S/RPG for PC. (I thought he'd retired.)

So... yeah, life's a push for me. I'm at peace with it and there's cool highlights, but I wouldn't say I'm happy. When I escape the job I hate, I'll eventually get there, but having things like what happened to me Thursday just keep me from being happy. (I went to a jobsite, found out the problem I was there to fix had already been fixed by an employee, left, fourty minutes later the business' owner got back and he called me to angrily yell at me for failing to fix something that wasn't broken.)

[ICN]

No. But I am cautiously optimistic about the future.

[danzibr]

I've been reading this thread daily, but haven't known how to respond.

My heart goes out to my fellow playgrounders. I wish you all find happiness.

[Amazon]

What is happy? Can someone actually be happy?

[Telonius]

There are good days and bad days. I'd say more "bored" than either happy or unhappy.

[sktarq]

HEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA

no

[AlexanderML]

Last year I went through depression that really hurt every point in my life a bit (more so educationally). I got through all that during the spring and summer. Now I feel like I'm about to slip back into that because none of the problems from last time are gone. I'm terrified of the prospect of going through all that again.

Yet I feel emotionally stronger than before, and believe that I can shake off the bad thoughts and dull feelings in me at any moment.

So my answer is no, but getting there.

[Grinner]

Last year I went through depression that really hurt every point in my life a bit (more so educationally). I got through all that during the spring and summer. Now I feel like I'm about to slip back into that because none of the problems from last time are gone. I'm terrified of the prospect of going through all that again.

Yet I feel emotionally stronger than before, and believe that I can shake off the bad thoughts and dull feelings in me at any moment.

So my answer is no, but getting there.

You might try asking a psychologist about "seasonal affective disorder".

[rs2excelsior]

If you'd asked me a few months ago, yeah. Yeah, I was honestly happy. Now? I'm not unhappy, per se. But I'm going into my senior year of college, and trying to work out what I'm doing afterward is stressful. Plus my first healthy, serious relationship ended (which made me happier in general than I've been in a very long time), and I'm still dealing with the ups and downs from that. But on the other hand, I've got some really wonderful friends and family, and pretty good prospects with respect to education/job. Although given that I'm a senior, I know after this school year I won't see a lot of those friends again, or at least not as much.

So basically I go from pretty happy to crushing despair, depending on when you ask. Still though, I think it averages out somewhere toward happy. We'll see, I guess.

[Cristo Meyers]

Last year I went through depression that really hurt every point in my life a bit (more so educationally). I got through all that during the spring and summer. Now I feel like I'm about to slip back into that because none of the problems from last time are gone. I'm terrified of the prospect of going through all that again.


You might try asking a psychologist about "seasonal affective disorder".

Seconded. I go through the same thing on an almost yearly basis: some years are worse than others but the pattern is the same, down in fall/winter and recover in spring/summer. If you find yourself getting low when winter rolls around again, do some investigating.

As for me, I'm more 'at peace with the fact that happy is never going to be the baseline.'


Sure, some people do their dream job. Some people became a writer or artist and make their job their life. And some people be an accountant and make that job their life. But it doesn't have to be that way.

I'm just doing my job to make money to actually live my life. My job is just way to fund my actual life. My life is what I do beside that. So I work my office job, hang out with my office mates, and so on (I don't exactly hate them or my job, as I said it's pretty cushy), then I use the money I got to fund my actual hobbies, hang out with my closer friends, write in my free time, etc. It's not like I spend more time at work than outside it.

So yeah, since my pay is enough to fund my current way of life, I'm pretty satisfied.

Also, this. All of this. As... romantic the idea of walking out right now, going home, and writing until I make it is, it isn't realistic. In fact it's downright naïve. I may not have my 'dream job', but the one I do have gives me more than enough to make up for it. I'm a well-paid office mercenary, and that's fine by me.

[Orcus The Vile]

I just turned 23(today! yay!) and I have a job in my field and an apartment in a cool part of the city. I got all this things this year. It is overwhelming too much information.

I have a lot of responsibilities that did not use to have. I used to just study, read books and play games.

I'm not sure if I'm able to get used to all this changes. I also regret not doing "fun" things more often when I had more time...
I never went to parties or did things with friends.
But overall I'm very happy with all that is happening thanks for asking.

[genderlich]

I don't know if I know what "happy" is anymore. I'm not depressed and suicidal like before. And I certainly have moments of joy from time to time, usually because of my few friends. But I feel like I'm just coasting along, you know? Just existing, going through life without much purpose or even expectation of change. I'm not sad, not usually anyway, and nothing really bad is going on in my life other than being continually unemployed and not really knowing why I'm in college, but I guess I wouldn't call myself generally happy either. Idk. Does that make any sense?

[Eldariel]

I've lived slow and there's so much I still wish to accomplish and I'm far from satisfied with how things have progressed up to couple of years ago. Now however, I've accepted myself as I am, found a social hobby I love (partner dancing), expanded my circle of friends and finally, just recently encountered a partner with whom we experience mutual infatuation and began a relationship. All things considered, while my studies are causing me gray hair, I'm really short on money for even the basic stuff and I'm constantly behind on deadlines, romance just kinda burns all the grief and stress in my life away so I am indeed happy.

[Trog]

Yup. Life's good. :smallsmile:

[BWR]

I don't know if I know what "happy" is anymore. I'm not depressed and suicidal like before. And I certainly have moments of joy from time to time, usually because of my few friends. But I feel like I'm just coasting along, you know? Just existing, going through life without much purpose or even expectation of change. I'm not sad, not usually anyway, and nothing really bad is going on in my life other than being continually unemployed and not really knowing why I'm in college, but I guess I wouldn't call myself generally happy either. Idk. Does that make any sense?

Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Still, you are improving. Going from depressed and suicidal to 'eh' is a definite ton of steps in the right direction. I hope it keeps getting better.

[Scarlet Knight]

Reading the stories of others reminds me to be grateful. I have a loving family, a steady income, a roof over my head, food in my belly, and good health. I thank God for the life I was given. It may all change on any given day due to sickness, random violence, or any other cause; but while I can, I will be happy today.

[RoyVG]

I have a family that loves me and supports me at all times (except concerning some stupid sh*t I've done in the past), I'll finish my study in half a year hopefully, I'm not worried about money at this point, so that seems all fine and good.

However...

I have little to no friends, I feel lonely more often then not, even in the presence of friends, I feel exhausted, I have no idea what kind of future I'm aiming for, I'm losing faith in ever finding love and a relationship (which, regrettable, is a large factor for my current state of mind), my physical health is at an all time lowest, dietary problems that are psychological in nature and most importantly, I have no motivation to change any of these. There is nothing in life that I feel I'm doing these things for. Not for my friends, not for my family and especially not for myself. This is why I feel I put too much weight on getting a relationship, so I can put those responsibilities towards a good cause.

I'm happy and extremely grateful with the things I do have, but they simply do not outweigh the negative things that are going on in my life, so in general...

No, I am not happy.

[Vizzerdrix]

the short version. No. No, I am not a happy person.

I have a job that pays poorly on average that I hate. I've been doing it for almost 12 years now because I can't think of anything I want to do with my life. This year the raise and pay structure change to be detrimental to long term employees so I'll be getting the tiniest raise yet.

Most of my friends are either married or off wrecking their lives. In some cases both. I don't get to see them much if at all, and in most cases I'm not sure that is an entirely bad thing.

Years of unloading trucks has wrecked my joints. This has had a very negative impact on my health. I'm the heaviest I've ever been and I think I may have diabetes. I honestly do not care enough either way to find out, or commit to changing this.

I will be 34 in less than a month, and I feel older than I should. I have no goals, and no accomplishments to my name. I don't even drive.

I haven't been on a date since I was 16, 17? Somewhere around their. I just don't want to be in any sort of relationship, and part of me thinks that is wrong. Hell, part of me wants kids someday. Less likely to happen, the older I get.

I've been having trouble focusing and organizing my thoughts. I even feel dumber. Things I should be able to comprehend, I can't. An example would be in old Magic decks I made. I remember being a combo player, but now, I can't figure out how my own decks worked half the time. And writing is right out. Just look at this post. I'm spacing my thoughts instead of using a proper structure, I have misspelled far too many simple words ( If you could see the red underlines!) and the entire thing up to this point has taken me about 20 minutes to write. My brain feels foggy.

I know, this could all be fixed. But the thing is, day to day, I don't care to bother with it. I honestly prefer to stick my head in the sand and wait for tomorrow instead of finding solutions. I don't want help. I don't want pity. You asked if I was happy so I thought an explanation for No was due.

[blunk]

Nope. I'm interested in very little that the world has to offer, I can no longer believe any of the lies I used to tell myself, and I see only decades of decay and debasement ahead. And I can't bring myself to completely detach from those who still care about me, so I'm probably going to bring them down with me.

On the bright side, I still enjoy petting cats.

[8BitNinja]

Yes

Levels of happiness: 1 is lowest
1. Barbarian
2. Elemental
3. Dwarf
4. Paladin
5. Elf
6. Human
7. Halfling

That would mean I am a halfling

[Psyren]

Overall yes, though a nice beefy+geeky boyfriend would be nice!


Yes

Levels of happiness: 1 is lowest
1. Barbarian
2. Elemental
3. Dwarf
4. Paladin
5. Elf
6. Human
7. Halfling

That would mean I am a halfling

Why wouldn't Barbarians be happy? They get to crush their enemies, see them driven before them, etc. Also, bar fights!

[Lentrax]

:thog: Thog Smash! Thog Happy!

[DataNinja]

Why wouldn't Barbarians be happy? They get to crush their enemies, see them driven before them, etc. Also, bar fights!

Also: they get the love of the d12! :smallbiggrin:

[Knaight]

Not particularly. Mostly I'm just frustrated with myself for not being good enough at anything. I'm not a good enough student, my social skills aren't up to par, I'm not anywhere near as bright as I want to be, I'm not in particularly good shape, and the less said about my menial minimum wage job, the better. On the bright side, if I can catch up with my standard, all's well.

[TechnOkami]

I wouldn't necessarily say that I am happy, but I am very content with where I am right now. I recently broke up with my girlfriend which has deprived me of a lot of physical intimacy which, frankly, I miss. I long for it sorely, but I cannot force a relationship, and I will not do so. I will be patient, bide my time, and see what happens. In general I have room and board, a student worker job, I play video games, run around with my mom to breweries and events and the like... yeah, I really can't complain. There are certainly things I miss and don't have right now, but I need to be patient. I'm a fairly calm and relaxed person; I can bide my time.

[ranagrande]

Yes, I would say that I am.

My life isn't perfect. I'm mostly broke and homeless, but only mostly. I've never been satisfied with my social life, but it bothers me less now that I have given up on trying to change or improve it.

There are plenty of good things too though. I've got a decent job, better than most of the previous ~100 or so I've had. I also have some other offers lined up in case I get fired this week, which is a thing that might happen.

I have lots of great hobbies that I am able to indulge in, some of which make me feel like I have a positive impact on the world. They also keep me busy, which in turn helps to keep me happy.

There are also a few possibilities on the horizon that I can be excited about.

Mostly though, it's just mental. Whatever situation I find myself in, I choose to be happy. And so I am.

[Insane Trystane]

Yeah, I am. I got to spend time with a really cool guy today, and afterwards he told me I'm a fun person.

The rest of my life's pretty alright, don't get me wrong, but right now, he's the thing making me grin like an idiot.

[Jay R]

No matter how dry a period you're going through right now, tale comfort in the fact that it won't last forever.

Here are the flowers currently growing in the world's driest desert (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-driest-desert-breathtaking-bloom-atacama-180957104/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia):

http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag.com//filer/a5/3c/a53c60c3-0c1d-49c0-824b-dba12cf3452b/42-78505107.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg

[Peelee]

Yeah, I am. I got to spend time with a really cool guy today, and afterwards he told me I'm a fun person.

The rest of my life's pretty alright, don't get me wrong, but right now, he's the thing making me grin like an idiot.

Man, that's a great feeling. Cheers to you!

[nooblade]

I'm 27 but I still feel rather young. I think some Greek philosopher (Aristotle? I don't actually study classics much) said that happiness was something that was decided about your life after you had lived the entire thing. Sounds about right to me. I like having learned about some things and it seems like there are a few hidden worlds ahead.

Not all is well but nothing unbearable. I'm most concerned about not having many friends. Seems like the other people in my life are mostly struggling or getting old or already gone. The few who are following some dreams are really neat, though.

[Florian]

Hm.. Yes, I'm pretty much happy. Part of it may be that I accepted that my expectations on life were pretty much BS, dropped them and stopped worrying. If I was a big fat panda, I'd say "inner peace".

On the other hand, my house is paid off. I quit a six-figure salary job last year, allowed me to take the time for all the mental wounds to heal while enjoying the opportunity to dig into the whole greek and roman classics and with the start of the next year, I'll open my own business and give that a try.

[danzibr]

No matter how dry a period you're going through right now, tale comfort in the fact that it won't last forever.

Here are the flowers currently growing in the world's driest desert (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-driest-desert-breathtaking-bloom-atacama-180957104/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia):

http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag.com//filer/a5/3c/a53c60c3-0c1d-49c0-824b-dba12cf3452b/42-78505107.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg
That is utterly stunning.

[Lentrax]

No matter how dry a period you're going through right now, tale comfort in the fact that it won't last forever.

Here are the flowers currently growing in the world's driest desert (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-driest-desert-breathtaking-bloom-atacama-180957104/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia):

http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag.com//filer/a5/3c/a53c60c3-0c1d-49c0-824b-dba12cf3452b/42-78505107.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg

Amazing. Doesn't change anything in my life though. Doesn't make anything better, or give me hope that people can change.

[Spanish_Paladin]

No, i am not. Perhaps someday

[Pendulous]

I work at Wal-Mart, and am a 31-year-old single male. I'm pretty sure I've uttered the words "I wish I was dead" multiple times a week.

[AlHazred]

Two years ago, I would have said I was happy. I didn't really date much anymore, since I'd had bad luck in that regard; nevertheless, I've got great friends, a decent job, and own my own home. I was happy.

Last year, I met a girl who aggressively pursued a relationship with me, despite the distance. We officially got into a relationship around Christmas last year, and next year she's moving up here to live with me. Now I know what happy can be, and realize two years ago, I was merely content.

It's amazing what the right relationship can do to your perspective.

[Monkplayer]

More than I've ever been.

[Insane Trystane]

Two years ago, I would have said I was happy. I didn't really date much anymore, since I'd had bad luck in that regard; nevertheless, I've got great friends, a decent job, and own my own home. I was happy.

Last year, I met a girl who aggressively pursued a relationship with me, despite the distance. We officially got into a relationship around Christmas last year, and next year she's moving up here to live with me. Now I know what happy can be, and realize two years ago, I was merely content.

It's amazing what the right relationship can do to your perspective.

As someone who was once capital-h Happy in a relationship, I know that now I'm merely content--but for now, content is good. Given the rough patch I was in recently, I'd prefer being content to being happy with risk of heartbreak.

I know that's not really related to what you had to say, I just wanted to put my two copper in that second place ain't bad, in my opinion. But 100% congrats that things are going well for you!

[Drynwyn]

Fallout 4 hasn't come out yet, so no. I'm not happy.

[Blackhawk748]

Im honestly not sure, i have an ok job (it pays my bills and gives me extra money to spend, plus its usually a 4 day work week), my dog is adorable, i own my car, and i should have my house paid off in about 7 years. However i am single and have been for 6 years, and i think its legitimately starting to depress me, and i think my mind is stuck in the "What the F*** is the point???" loop and that is not good either. I guess i would say im "meh" with occasional "sad" which gets overridden with "happy" when im at session.

[flat_footed]

There are ups and downs, but yeah. I'd say I am happy.

[Skeppio]

People that are happy are nothing more than smug fools who love to lord their good fortune over those spat on by fate, and mistakenly attribute good luck and genetics to their own hard work and effort.
So no, I'm not happy, and I eagerly await the day I finally get to die.

[Eldariel]

People that are happy are nothing more than smug fools who love to lord their good fortune over those spat on by fate, and mistakenly attribute good luck and genetics to their own hard work and effort.

Would you like to discuss this topic, or is this perhaps more of a vent?

[Skeppio]

Would you like to discuss this topic, or is this perhaps more of a vent?

I would, but none of you want to.

[AvatarVecna]

I would, but none of you want to.

I want to, or I wouldn't be following your Personal Woes thread as much as I am.

[HalfTangible]

More than I was. The anxiety i've felt every semester has faded over the last few weeks... and two days ago i got 4000 words written in 3 hours worth of work.

[Eldariel]

I would, but none of you want to.

This discussion would probably warrant a separate thread, but if you're still interested come next week, I'll gladly trade my few cents for yours, and hopefully we can both learn something interesting of the world. I find a fresh perspective always welcome, especially if it's outside my understanding.

[TechnOkami]

This discussion would probably warrant a separate thread, but if you're still interested come next week, I'll gladly trade my few cents for yours, and hopefully we can both learn something interesting of the world. I find a fresh perspective always welcome, especially if it's outside my understanding.

She's actually come to a much better mental state and is taking lots of good actions towards a healthier being. Granted she still might want to chat in general about that, but it's up to her, not me.

[The Fury]

In short, no. In long, I feel like maybe I could be happy with my lot in life but enough of my family members seem to think that I should be unhappy so I am. All the while I get confused when confronted with the questions, "What do I want from life? What would make me happy?" I honestly have no clue.

Then there's the fact that I'm going to need to move before next Summer. I live in an area where rent keeps going up, so even if I find a place that's livable there's a good chance that I'll get evicted after a year. I guess I have the option of quitting my job and moving in with my parents in the small town they live in, though there's not really a lot of opportunity there. So I feel like in the near future I'll have to choose between being jobless and being homeless.

Sorry, I'm probably making this out to be a bigger catastrophe than it actually is.

[Bulldog Psion]

It's amazing how much a perspective-altering event caused me to be happier.

About 2 months ago, I badly dislocated my left kneecap while trying to move a box spring solo. Fortunately, my wife, taking a shower, heard my yowls of agony and headed for the phone, so it didn't go long without treatment.

Nevertheless, for weeks, I was staggering around pretty much one-legged, on crutches. Despite physical therapy, etc., it was just impossible to get my leg to start bending again. Nobody could figure out why, there was no damage visible on x-rays and it theoretically should have been bending, but it wasn't.

Then, one day, I massaged my knee and felt something small and softish pop back into place.

Now, about a month after that happened, I can walk 95% normally again. I'm still a little slow going up stairs, but I can hike around at speed, kneel down to get stuff, sit down on the floor and stand up again, etc. For a couple of weeks, I was afraid some weird permanent damage had been done and I wouldn't be able to walk properly; I absolutely love walking outdoors, it's one of my biggest pleasures.

So, with my leg pretty much functional again, I've been in a state of nearly manic optimism for about 2 weeks now. It feels so great just to be back to normal that the problems previously oppressing me now seem relatively trivial and I'm much happier, at least temporarily! :smallbiggrin:

[Bobbybobby99]

By my definition, happiness is just good luck, in sum total through your life. Hmm...

. I'm not starving, am intelligent enough to have over a 4.0 GPA, am reasonably attractive by the words of those I've met, have a wonderful dog, and no dire health problems. I'm also underweight, which is often seen as a good thing.

. My father died recently, I've never met my mother, I probably have schizoaffective disorder, and, while my father was alive, he was a druggie and alcoholic.

Soo... Moderately happy, then?

[Drynwyn]

By my definition, happiness is just good luck, in sum total through your life.

An old term for "good luck" is actually the root of the word "happiness".

[Coidzor]

I'm even less happy than I was last time I posted. Watching someone you care about die will do that though, so that's to be expected here.

Let the record show: Cancer sucks.

[Spider_Jerusalem]

It's strange how having a different native language makes you think about this sort of question whenever they appear, especially if it's a language that separates the verb be in two (one permanent "be", as in "I am a human being" and one related to current state, as in "I am tired").

That said, I wouldn't say I'm happy at the moment, but I'm not especially sad either. Things have been a bit tough during the last couple of years, but hey, I'm still up and going, you know.

You know when people ask you "where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

Well, I'd probably never guess the answer to that. During the last years I worked as a teacher in some small schools, entered a philosophy course at the university, dropped out, played in quite a few local bands, worked as a clown and as a waiter, went back to the university to study linguistics, started learning how to play the guitar, banjo, fiddle, harmonica and tin whistle. I was employed by a big school and got a decent pay, then I felt it was costing my time and my soul (and my happiness), so I quit. I moved and moved back after it didn't go well, saw some riots, became unemployed, wrote a book and somehow managed to keep DMing a decade-long D&D game with some close friends.

It may sound like a lot of stuff, but, then again, I didn't finish anything, most probably due to the lack of focusing on one thing. There's no phrase that says so much to me as "jack of all trades, master of none".

Being a Factotum sounds really nice on paper, and yeah, it made me learn a lot about life and collect lots of good stories, which I think are really something to treasure, but boy, sure it's exhausting when you're out of those inspiration points. I feel... absent, maybe.

[Eldariel]

It's strange how having a different native language makes you think about this sort of question whenever they appear, especially if it's a language that separates the verb be in two (one permanent "be", as in "I am a human being" and one related to current state, as in "I am tired").

It's even more interesting when you're bilingual (especially an early and/or simultaneous bilingual) and can approach it from the perspective of either type of a language (or even better if you're trilingual or more; I'm endlessly jealous of a friend of mine who's learned Finnish, Hungarian and German in childhood). "Switch" to thinking through the other language and suddenly the question seems entirely different. This works for a surprisingly large pool of problems.


An old term for "good luck" is actually the root of the word "happiness".

"Hap" isn't really even archaic. While that particular incarnation has a relatively low frequency and it's certainly not used in the speech act of wishing someone luck (we should collectively start wishing people "Hap to you!" and see if it caught on), the word appears in the expression "mishap" fairly often, and "hap" itself does see some use especially in literature - though also in the context of "happenstance".

[Recaiden]

I am happy.

Currently happy, persistently happy, the state of happiness.

[8BitNinja]

I am very happy

tow people put a comment I made in their signature

[Lentrax]

I feel an intense desire to revise my earlier statement about happiness.

Hell no, I'm not.

Right now I fluctuating rapidly between severely depressed and extremely angry.

Both of which send me further into depression.

So... yay.

[Sholos]

Single (and have been my entire life), working two jobs, no social life to speak of, no car, no health insurance, depressed...

On the plus side, I'm not starving and I'm not homeless.

So am I happy? Not really. But I could be doing a lot worse than I am, so there's that.

[cold1029]

When I was in High School, I remember believing that I would never be happy in life. I struggled with depression, and had an extremely poor self-image. I come from a remarkably high-achieving military family, but I was always content with passing grades and putting in the least amount of effort to pass. Most of my family are anxious planners, but I have always been Laissez Faire. No one ever really expected much for me, and my parents encouraged me to go to art school, since that was something that I enjoyed (nothing wrong with art school, don't get me wrong. I miss it sometimes).

But I didn't stay in art school. Everything really changed when I met my wife. She was, like so many others in my life, completely comfortable with whatever I wanted to do, as long as I was happy. For the first time, I actually was happy, and suddenly I wanted to accomplish something. I'm about to finish Nursing school, I have a child on the way, and I genuinely enjoy the path I have taken. She's also helped me to open up and be who I am. I freely admit that I enjoy D&D and Larping. I'm not afraid to be a nerd. I stopped trying to dress and act like my brother because people liked him (and now people actually like me).

I used to hate the person I was, but now I'm happy.

[DJ Yung Crunk]

Go to bed, Dave Rowntree.

[TechnOkami]

I find that happiness as a consistent state that you either are or aren't is not a very useful way of looking at it. It's rare that I'm actually miserable, but my persistent baseline mood is largely neutral. Happiness is something that comes in small doses and little moments. I'm happy when I take the first sip of coffee in the morning. I'm happy feeling the ache in my muscles during and after a good workout. Re-reading a favourite book whilst curled up on the sofa listening to the rain on the window. Rocking out to an awesome song. Just lying in bed with my girlfriend. These things are fleeting but I'm happy whilst they're happening, and I can bring back that feeling to an extent through thinking about them and anticipating them. Beyond that, I also try to let go of the negative things and not dwell on them (not always successfully).

This, is useful life advice right here.

[Janna]

Just graduated this year, got a stressful work, not happy

[Insane Trystane]

I am currently ridiculously happy. A guy I've liked on and off for about 9 years and I finally kissed last night, and it was everything I could have imagined. Of course, we know we're not good for each other, and live eight hours away from each other, but for one night, we were together.

[Tiffanie Lirle]

In a relationship I'm miserable in but can't bring myself to end, because I'm apparently a massive wuss. Working a job I hate, but I need the money for my savings so I can leave a country that is falling apart at the seems, which nobody wants to talk about because of political correctness.

I'm doing great.

[anti-ninja]

I guess I'd say I am moderately happy if not a bit stressed from latin class.

[Velaryon]

An update on where I'm at (I've spoilered my previous post below in case it's relevant).

I've been at my second job for a little over two months now, and I'm loving that. The higher level of responsibility and trust is very gratifying (to say nothing of the significantly better pay). The first job, however, not so much.

A full-time position opened up that I believe I was perfect for, and just about everyone in that department wanted me for the job too. Everything looked to be going my way: the person in charge of that department was one of the people whose good word got me hired here in the first place, she had given me a glowing review just a few weeks before, the position was only posted internally, and I knew of no other candidates to move up who were even remotely close to me in qualifications.

And then instead of promoting someone, they gave the job to someone else from another department who was basically already at the same level, a big step sideways rather than a promotion. And her current job, if they even fill it (they haven't posted anything yet), is something I have no interest in or qualifications for.

Losing out on what seemed like a sure thing stings, sure. It's my fault that my hopes got dashed because I got overconfident, even though I tried hard to keep myself from believing I had it in the bag. Since I was hired fifteen months ago, I've worked my butt off to show my skills, passion, and dedication to my employers, taken on as much extra responsibility as I can, and tried to make the best possible impression on everyone. During my first annual review they tell me I'm doing an awesome job... then two weeks later I am passed over.

To make things worse, I'm feeling very stifled in my current role. I had unofficially gained some extra hours at another desk (in the department I just didn't get hired in), which I lost when the new fiscal year rolled around last summer because having me over there "wasn't in the budget." I'd helped out at other library events for months when an extra body was needed, only to be told in November that I needed to stop that because it wasn't part of my job. I'd started an additional project for my department at the request of one of the people above me, only to be told during my review that, while they liked my work, they were doing in a different direction with that so they took me off of it. There have been more and more of these kinds of things lately.

In short, every time I try to demonstrate that I can be more than my current position, instead of recognizing or encouraging my growth I get slapped down and told to stop doing more than my job. As a result I'm feeling wasted in my current job, which has mediocre pay and doesn't provide enough hours to give benefits like sick time, vacations, or health insurance. Unfortunately I don't have enough hours at the second job to live off just that, so I can't leave my first job until/unless I get something else lined up.

I've been in worse situations, but whatever happiness I was feeling before is pretty much drowned out by growing frustration and anger. This probably belongs in the Personal Woes thread, but since I just posted there in reply to someone else, I didn't want to double post. Sorry. :smalleek:


I wouldn't say I'm happy, but I'm happier than I have been for the last couple years at least.

I'm still underemployed, but I'm about to start a second job that does use my master's degree next month. Since I'm keeping my current job I'm going to be very busy with work, but at least I'll be making better money and hopefully that will help me improve other areas of my life.

I still live with my parents and sometimes it feels like a prison sentence - even if I become financially secure, they will still both be retired and disabled, and increasingly dependent on me. I sometimes feel like I can't live my own life because they need my help so much. It's been less of a problem since my mom came home from several months of hospitalization and nursing home care, but she still can't get around on her own and my dad can't see well enough to help her or even take care of his own errands.

I have great friends but I don't get to see as much of them as I would like to, and I haven't been able to run my D&D game in more than six months because I haven't had the time or energy to work on it. Every chance I do get to spend time with them now feels a little more special because of this, but I'd still like to be able to do more of it.

I've now been single a little more than two years and I still hate it, but I just don't feel like I have time to look for someone. I still feel the hole in my life where my ex used to be, and I'm still bitter and angry about the way she quit my life without even trying to work out the issues I didn't know were there until after she left (because she kept them all bottled up rather than talk to me). I try to let that go, but it just doesn't seem to work. It's much easier to distract myself with work, friends, or reading a book/watching a movie/playing a game, but whenever I don't have something to do, it creeps up on me even now.

Overall, I feel like my life is beginning to change for the better, but I'm having trouble letting myself trust that feeling and enjoy it deep down inside. But that's still miles better than earlier this year when I felt isolated and exhausted, or last year when I was horribly depressed and didn't know how or if I could go on much longer.

[Frontier]

Let's just say I could always be happier. I'm trying not to let circumstances influence my happiness level.

[Vizzerdrix]

I work at Wal-Mart, and am a 31-year-old single male. I'm pretty sure I've uttered the words "I wish I was dead" multiple times a week.

All of us WalMart slaves wish this. Trouble is, you'll just reincarnate as an unloader and have to do it all again. :smallsigh:

[Whisper Knight]

I guess I'd say I am moderately happy if not a bit stressed from latin class.

Sed lingua latina bella est!

Anyway, like others have said, I think, at a logical level, that happiness is fleeting and should be sought out, and that it can't be a consistent state. Then again, I feel... content with my lot in life. Sure I'm 25 and can't drive 'cause I'm blind in one eye, but my family is loving and supportive of me, my endeavors, and the fact that I'm gay. And I've never had a job, one part being because of my lack of driving, another part being that I'm still studying at university. Which adds another layer of happiness, since I'm heading to Japan this year to get a degree at a semi-prestigious university, where I'll be able to use my language skills daily.

As for my love life, well, it's not great. I think I'm handsome (a common thought upon seeing my reflection is "I'd totally date me"). But I'm also overweight, so I don't have enough confidence to go out and meet people. But, I've had a few girlfriends that I just dated because "that's what you're supposed to do," and one boyfriend with whom I broke up, but I still enjoyed his company, both of which made me realize my sexuality. And feeling that I know myself a little more is quite a good feeling.

So, really, while I don't think happiness can be measured but in moments... I'd say I'm happy.

[danzibr]

@Natheus: English and Latin and Japanese? すごい！

[Dienekes]

Well, today I am planning to go to chipotle for lunch and on my walk to work I saw someone get tackled for trying to rob a store. It was hilarious. So yeah, I'm happy.

[Red Planet]

I don't think I've ever been less happy

[A.A.King]

Frankly, happiness is overrated. There is always something more you want, another dream to chase and another hope to get crushed. Anything great you do get is normal and unexciting in two weeks, making the idea of improving your own situation feel rather pointless

However, I am content with my day to day life, which is all you could really ask for frankly.

[Pluto!]

I mentally sustain myself through the misfortune of others.

Reading this thread, I am satiated.

Edit:
Mid-20s, making upper 5-digits with frequent international and domestic travel for work and for various marathons across the country. I have an apartment by the beach, a beautiful girlfriend employed in a children's shelter and a functional social support network. I've paid off all my debts, I'm in the best shape of my life and my hairline is reversing the hints it made of decline. Plus the sun just came out, so I'm going to go run a half marathon with my shirt off. In January.

[KeeperoftheGate]

For a little bit about me, I got a PhD and teach upper-level public high school math in a small town (really small, population ~500). I like what I do, but at times feel like I'm wasting my potential. The pay is beans. I have a wife and 2 young kids and... the pay is beans. So today I was walking home from school (I live like 2 blocks away, it's really nice). I thought to myself if I were to speak with a younger version of me, maybe early high school, what would the young me think of my current situation?

Then I thought to myself... I got a PhD, teach upper-level math at a nice small HS, have a beautiful wife and 2 beautiful (if hyperactive) children, and on the side write fiction and design games for fun, and in early 2017 should be debt free and saving lots of money. It really sounded rather nice. I would classify myself as "happy."

What about you, playgrounders?

YEAH! +1 all around. I love the happy, and the sharing. That's really cool to see a post like this.

My wife and children are awesome too! Hyper children are the best. If you have a child like "Sadness" from Pixar's Inside Out, then you did something wrong! : )

[KerfuffleMach2]

Well, let's see...

Lost my job in August. Got into a car accident a couple weeks later. Day before Thanksgiving, my car got repossessed because without a job, I couldn't make the payments. My mom died in December. Was trying to get into a company that would have me programming the robots that make cars. No success there yet. Still no income. Savings is slowly going down. My social life is almost nonexistent, because for some reason, most of my friends don't really make much effort to keep in contact with me. Been trying online dating for a month, because that's pretty much my only hope. No success there either.

Overall, I have to say no. I'm not a happy man.

Although, I do have an interview at my local Kroger on Monday. Small glimmer of hope there.