#Ceiling Installations
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
#Ceiling#Ceiling Installation#Ceiling Installation service#Ceiling Installation services#Ceiling Installation work#Ceiling Installations#Gauteng#south africa
0 notes
Text

*ೃ༄˚ੈ✩‧₊˚
#flowers#fake flowers#fake grass#ceiling#installation#interior#decor#internet archiving#flickr#old web#old internet#2005
139 notes
·
View notes
Text
What’s happening to boys?
Into the Wilderness: Part 37

Is a trend emerging? Nice boys, raised by dedicated mothers, taught to respect women and see the world’s inequality toward women. Boys who made room in the school yard for girls to join ball games. Teens and young men who knew and honored the meaning of “no.” Twenty-something male adults who attended and graduated college, befriending 20-something young women as equals, study partners, friends. Suddenly, are they all losing themselves?
The latest lost boy was a son to me. He needed a place to live so I opened my home- we had an entire unused apartment in the basement. He could stay with us over the summer while he sorted out school and work. He stayed longer.
When he came home from school or work, he’d sit at the kitchen island and talk while I prepped dinner. We’d talk about politics, country music, life mistakes, parenting, sports, cats, food… and hundreds of other subjects. I always invited him to join us for dinner. And he did, shoveling multiple platefuls with gusto that expanded my Greek mama’s heart by two sizes like the Grinch’s. He loved curries and bold flavors, so I expanded my repertoire. I made butter chicken, keema, Gochujang buttered noodles, Korean meatballs. He ate the leftovers for lunch, saving them from the trash (girls don’t eat like boys). He always cleaned up too, rinsing and stacking dishes, scouring the pots.
He became a family member. On the wall, we have a magnetic Scrabble game. Before he’d leave for his early morning run, he’d put a word on the board. When I returned later from teaching Jazzercise class, I’d add mine; my daughter would add hers. We tallied the scores on the side.
We also sent each other Instagram reels. Recipes we wanted to make, silly cat videos, lots of pug and beagle videos. When I got a gas griddle for the deck, we made patty melts and sausage with peppers and onions. One day, he made authentic Asian dumplings. He even made the dough. He made chicken shawarma, and I learned to make it too. He came to Jazzercise and brought his friends with him. And he was really good! I’d get him up on stage to dance with me.
He bought me sourdough bread in the city, macarons, honey from the Middle East. He brought me flowers for International Women’s Day. He gave me a glass that said, “Mama needs some wine.” He called me Mama. He was another “honey,” the universal name for everyone in my house.
I had met him through my daughters who were attending the same college. He was part of their friend group for at least two years. He lived with us for over a year. He celebrated every holiday with us. He was family. He had been estranged from his mother who lived half of the globe away. His “tiger mom” had beaten him into excellence. I, then, would heal him with love.
He was the son I never had.
I’m using past tense. I’m sure by now you’re getting a sense of what’s to come. I wish life gave similar forebodings as writing.
Actually, warnings were there. He stopped coming to dinner. No more words filled the Scrabble board. He left before the sun came up and returned way after dark. I figured he was busy- work, school, sports. He’s an elite runner who trains for hours daily. He had goals. I figured he was working hard to live into them.
But I knew something was wrong. Suddenly, he didn’t call me Mama. He ate McDonalds rather than home-cooked food. His increasing absence nipped at my heels like an angry chihuahua (angry Chihuahua is redundant). He just slowly disappeared- first in closeness, then in relationship and finally in presence. Poof! He was gone!
He was gone, and we were left with charges on credit cards we couldn’t explain, hundreds in EZ Pass fees and a damaged car. How could we have been so stupid?
Or was I stupid? What happened to him? Searching online, lots of people are asking this question. “Nice guys finish last,” the saying goes. But this nice guy wasn’t. He was doing well in school, he had a scholarship for track, he had lots of friends- nice friends! He had a wonderful girlfriend he professed to love. He had us- his new, American family who adored him. I adored him.
On YouTube, videos made by young men tell other young bros to “stop being nice to women.” The Andrew Tate epidemic is strong- and men are listening. Incel culture is flourishing. They are buying the “women are the problem” argument, blaming women for every fault, rejection, blockage they experience. It’s part of the current American belief that men deserve anything they want. Their desires should come to them without effort. It’s their birthright. Sorry, guys, no one gets anything without work. The equation is easy: work on yourself rather than blaming others.
I watched videos of guys saying- “I’m a nice guy and no one wants me.” The guys saying this are often kinda creepy. Women usually see this. Most of the time, women know when “nice” doesn’t mean kind. Perhaps “nice” is a pretense while kindness is real. Perhaps men have glossed niceness over misogynistic beliefs, birthright beliefs that show equality really means to them that they are better than women. Their basis is “men are better.” Being nice with this belief is like wearing an expensive Italian suit over tattered, filthy jockey shorts. Eventually, those unders will be visible.
As far as my near-son, I wonder what lived in his heart. Were his efforts about making us like him rather than have a genuine relationship? Real relationships require honesty, hard conversations, discomfort, straight talk. I see now, he avoided all of this, conforming himself to our vision of who he was rather than his real person. I’m pretty sure I would have liked that person as much. I’m pretty sure the facade couldn’t hold, reminding me of Yeats, “The Second Coming”: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”
In my center, I feel a gash, an oozing unhealed gash. I think, “I wonder what X would like for dinner?” Then I realize he’s not here. I’m struggling more than anyone in my family. They have re-centered, reconstructing life without a family member. I still want him to eat the love I poured into my food. I still want the Scrabble game, the dog walks, the late night movies. I want the son I never had.
Please like and share this blog with others. Subscribe to receive it by email and go directly to the Walk the Moon website to peruse the full collection of articles and updates. You can email me from the Walk the Moon website as well.
Source: What’s happening to boys?
86 notes
·
View notes
Text
Love how Nandor canonically wants some guy to rail him while he watches Guillermo pull his pants down.
#WWDITS#wwdits s4e8 go flip yourself#nandermo#guillermo de la cruz#nandor the relentless#poor guillermo someone please call HR#the inherent homoeroticism of swinging really big hammers with your bros#Nandor wants a skylight installed in the bathroom ceiling#so he can “see Guillermo on the toilet haha”#while he's imitating being railed by a “guy friend” against the mancave bar#directly above the bathroom so the skylight would give him a clear view
73 notes
·
View notes
Photo

Layers of perspective ➤ One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor
99 notes
·
View notes
Text
a couple weeks ago an inflated beach ball appeared on the floor of my room and I didn’t question it. I’ve been having fun with this ball for a while now (it is bouncy and I enjoy kicking it around). it was only recently that I actually thought about it (why the hell is there a beach ball in my room?), and when asked my father if he knew about it, he told me that he’d just thrown if into my room, as enrichment. like zoo animal. he thought I’d enjoy it. and he’s completely right I can’t even argue
#wampus rambles#important to note: my room also has a disco ball. laser party lights and a swing set in the ceiling.#all of which was also installed by my father under similar circumstances#it all goes crazy .
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
should i install dead space or dmc trilogy.
#🩸.txt#i havent played dead space in forever because a body fell from the ceiling and scared me#probably wont install until tomorrow sometime maybe
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
What’s happening to boys?
Into the Wilderness: Part 37

Is a trend emerging? Nice boys, raised by dedicated mothers, taught to respect women and see the world’s inequality toward women. Boys who made room in the school yard for girls to join ball games. Teens and young men who knew and honored the meaning of “no.” Twenty-something male adults who attended and graduated college, befriending 20-something young women as equals, study partners, friends. Suddenly, are they all losing themselves?
The latest lost boy was a son to me. He needed a place to live so I opened my home- we had an entire unused apartment in the basement. He could stay with us over the summer while he sorted out school and work. He stayed longer.
When he came home from school or work, he’d sit at the kitchen island and talk while I prepped dinner. We’d talk about politics, country music, life mistakes, parenting, sports, cats, food… and hundreds of other subjects. I always invited him to join us for dinner. And he did, shoveling multiple platefuls with gusto that expanded my Greek mama’s heart by two sizes like the Grinch’s. He loved curries and bold flavors, so I expanded my repertoire. I made butter chicken, keema, Gochujang buttered noodles, Korean meatballs. He ate the leftovers for lunch, saving them from the trash (girls don’t eat like boys). He always cleaned up too, rinsing and stacking dishes, scouring the pots.
He became a family member. On the wall, we have a magnetic Scrabble game. Before he’d leave for his early morning run, he’d put a word on the board. When I returned later from teaching Jazzercise class, I’d add mine; my daughter would add hers. We tallied the scores on the side.
We also sent each other Instagram reels. Recipes we wanted to make, silly cat videos, lots of pug and beagle videos. When I got a gas griddle for the deck, we made patty melts and sausage with peppers and onions. One day, he made authentic Asian dumplings. He even made the dough. He made chicken shawarma, and I learned to make it too. He came to Jazzercise and brought his friends with him. And he was really good! I’d get him up on stage to dance with me.
He bought me sourdough bread in the city, macarons, honey from the Middle East. He brought me flowers for International Women’s Day. He gave me a glass that said, “Mama needs some wine.” He called me Mama. He was another “honey,” the universal name for everyone in my house.
I had met him through my daughters who were attending the same college. He was part of their friend group for at least two years. He lived with us for over a year. He celebrated every holiday with us. He was family. He had been estranged from his mother who lived half of the globe away. His “tiger mom” had beaten him into excellence. I, then, would heal him with love.
He was the son I never had.
I’m using past tense. I’m sure by now you’re getting a sense of what’s to come. I wish life gave similar forebodings as writing.
Actually, warnings were there. He stopped coming to dinner. No more words filled the Scrabble board. He left before the sun came up and returned way after dark. I figured he was busy- work, school, sports. He’s an elite runner who trains for hours daily. He had goals. I figured he was working hard to live into them.
But I knew something was wrong. Suddenly, he didn’t call me Mama. He ate McDonalds rather than home-cooked food. His increasing absence nipped at my heels like an angry chihuahua (angry Chihuahua is redundant). He just slowly disappeared- first in closeness, then in relationship and finally in presence. Poof! He was gone!
He was gone, and we were left with charges on credit cards we couldn’t explain, hundreds in EZ Pass fees and a damaged car. How could we have been so stupid?
Or was I stupid? What happened to him? Searching online, lots of people are asking this question. “Nice guys finish last,” the saying goes. But this nice guy wasn’t. He was doing well in school, he had a scholarship for track, he had lots of friends- nice friends! He had a wonderful girlfriend he professed to love. He had us- his new, American family who adored him. I adored him.
On YouTube, videos made by young men tell other young bros to “stop being nice to women.” The Andrew Tate epidemic is strong- and men are listening. Incel culture is flourishing. They are buying the “women are the problem” argument, blaming women for every fault, rejection, blockage they experience. It’s part of the current American belief that men deserve anything they want. Their desires should come to them without effort. It’s their birthright. Sorry, guys, no one gets anything without work. The equation is easy: work on yourself rather than blaming others.
I watched videos of guys saying- “I’m a nice guy and no one wants me.” The guys saying this are often kinda creepy. Women usually see this. Most of the time, women know when “nice” doesn’t mean kind. Perhaps “nice” is a pretense while kindness is real. Perhaps men have glossed niceness over misogynistic beliefs, birthright beliefs that show equality really means to them that they are better than women. Their basis is “men are better.” Being nice with this belief is like wearing an expensive Italian suit over tattered, filthy jockey shorts. Eventually, those unders will be visible.
As far as my near-son, I wonder what lived in his heart. Were his efforts about making us like him rather than have a genuine relationship? Real relationships require honesty, hard conversations, discomfort, straight talk. I see now, he avoided all of this, conforming himself to our vision of who he was rather than his real person. I’m pretty sure I would have liked that person as much. I’m pretty sure the facade couldn’t hold, reminding me of Yeats, “The Second Coming”: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”
In my center, I feel a gash, an oozing unhealed gash. I think, “I wonder what X would like for dinner?” Then I realize he’s not here. I’m struggling more than anyone in my family. They have re-centered, reconstructing life without a family member. I still want him to eat the love I poured into my food. I still want the Scrabble game, the dog walks, the late night movies. I want the son I never had.
Please like and share this blog with others. Subscribe to receive it by email and go directly to the Walk the Moon website to peruse the full collection of articles and updates. You can email me from the Walk the Moon website as well.
Source: What’s happening to boys?
86 notes
·
View notes
Note
which matty au is the freakiest and why is it actress au
i fear that it’s regret me by like a country mile but i respect your vision… actress au matty is a secret freak though like you’d never expected him to be into the stuff you get up to with him lol
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
fun part of domestic relationships is how it takes a while to adjust to your new situation at first before eventually settling into a routine and learning to adapt to their living habits, but then every so often you like.....forget where you are and regress to a time from before the move, resulting in your brain developing thoughts like "there's a realy hot girl sleeping in my bed right now chat are we cooked 🫣 what do i do should i try rizzing her up what if she doesn't vibe with my epic swag energy." and then you remember you moved in with this person because you love her and have been dating for nearly five years now. and you're currently wearing the ring she bought for you which you have not taken off since the day you got it. like holy shit
#first few weeks of waking up looking at a ceiling that isn't the one in my childhood bedroom were insane#need to install some extra ram or something in my brain cause this lag is unbelievable#poast
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
An AU of an OC belonging to @breadbox-draws that we wanted to get a little experimental with. We've known about this guy for a relatively short amount of time but he's already skyrocketed to such an utter delight every time we see something new with him in the tags
(Sketch of this piece under the read more)
#NSR#No Straight Roads#Encore Edition#NSR OC#This Thing#something something in the lightshow he's putting on about RGB combining into white light#POV he installed a camera in the ceiling specifically to get this exact shot
23 notes
·
View notes
Text

the aftermath of my game of solitaire was a perfect opportunity to get a picture of the photos in my new deck of playing cards from the “long room” of the trinity college library!!
#mine#studyblr#libraries#dark academia#trinity college#they were like €6 max and they’re the best cards i’ve ever had#sturdy and beautiful and wonderful yay!!#and i got them in the gift shop after i had one of the best exhibit experiences of#my life — the book of kells experience is unmissable genuinely#even if you’re normal about books but especially if you’re autistic about books you have got to go#if you’re ever anywhere near dublin make a point of attending cause it’s absolutely wonderful#it started with exhibits about illuminated manuscripts and the history of record keeping in ireland and the making of writing materials like#ink and vellum. then some case studies in the making of the book of kells and related manuscripts. then you get to view the actual book#then you visit the library’s long room. a beautiful sight there’s statues and arched ceilings and everything you can see on these cards#as well as more exhibits including recent acquisitions and also artifacts like the oldest extant irish harp which the emblem is based on!!#and an art installation of a huge projection of earth from nasa images which is called gaia. it wasn’t my favorite part at all but it was#cool enough that if it were anywhere other than the coolest place ever i would have liked it a lot#anyway then there’s a whole exhibit about the book conservation process as well as some soundscapes and videos about childrens books and all#and eventually you make it to the gift shop and buy playing cards and it’s been the best two hours you’ve had in forever. highly recommend#ANYWAY IM NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR TRINITY COLLEGE. it was just great. the end#ALSO. sorry for making an ass of myself with academia tags idk why the internet is like this. reverting to my middle school roots apparently
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
What’s happening to boys?
Into the Wilderness: Part 37

Is a trend emerging? Nice boys, raised by dedicated mothers, taught to respect women and see the world’s inequality toward women. Boys who made room in the school yard for girls to join ball games. Teens and young men who knew and honored the meaning of “no.” Twenty-something male adults who attended and graduated college, befriending 20-something young women as equals, study partners, friends. Suddenly, are they all losing themselves?
The latest lost boy was a son to me. He needed a place to live so I opened my home- we had an entire unused apartment in the basement. He could stay with us over the summer while he sorted out school and work. He stayed longer.
When he came home from school or work, he’d sit at the kitchen island and talk while I prepped dinner. We’d talk about politics, country music, life mistakes, parenting, sports, cats, food… and hundreds of other subjects. I always invited him to join us for dinner. And he did, shoveling multiple platefuls with gusto that expanded my Greek mama’s heart by two sizes like the Grinch’s. He loved curries and bold flavors, so I expanded my repertoire. I made butter chicken, keema, Gochujang buttered noodles, Korean meatballs. He ate the leftovers for lunch, saving them from the trash (girls don’t eat like boys). He always cleaned up too, rinsing and stacking dishes, scouring the pots.
He became a family member. On the wall, we have a magnetic Scrabble game. Before he’d leave for his early morning run, he’d put a word on the board. When I returned later from teaching Jazzercise class, I’d add mine; my daughter would add hers. We tallied the scores on the side.
We also sent each other Instagram reels. Recipes we wanted to make, silly cat videos, lots of pug and beagle videos. When I got a gas griddle for the deck, we made patty melts and sausage with peppers and onions. One day, he made authentic Asian dumplings. He even made the dough. He made chicken shawarma, and I learned to make it too. He came to Jazzercise and brought his friends with him. And he was really good! I’d get him up on stage to dance with me.
He bought me sourdough bread in the city, macarons, honey from the Middle East. He brought me flowers for International Women’s Day. He gave me a glass that said, “Mama needs some wine.” He called me Mama. He was another “honey,” the universal name for everyone in my house.
I had met him through my daughters who were attending the same college. He was part of their friend group for at least two years. He lived with us for over a year. He celebrated every holiday with us. He was family. He had been estranged from his mother who lived half of the globe away. His “tiger mom” had beaten him into excellence. I, then, would heal him with love.
He was the son I never had.
I’m using past tense. I’m sure by now you’re getting a sense of what’s to come. I wish life gave similar forebodings as writing.
Actually, warnings were there. He stopped coming to dinner. No more words filled the Scrabble board. He left before the sun came up and returned way after dark. I figured he was busy- work, school, sports. He’s an elite runner who trains for hours daily. He had goals. I figured he was working hard to live into them.
But I knew something was wrong. Suddenly, he didn’t call me Mama. He ate McDonalds rather than home-cooked food. His increasing absence nipped at my heels like an angry chihuahua (angry Chihuahua is redundant). He just slowly disappeared- first in closeness, then in relationship and finally in presence. Poof! He was gone!
He was gone, and we were left with charges on credit cards we couldn’t explain, hundreds in EZ Pass fees and a damaged car. How could we have been so stupid?
Or was I stupid? What happened to him? Searching online, lots of people are asking this question. “Nice guys finish last,” the saying goes. But this nice guy wasn’t. He was doing well in school, he had a scholarship for track, he had lots of friends- nice friends! He had a wonderful girlfriend he professed to love. He had us- his new, American family who adored him. I adored him.
On YouTube, videos made by young men tell other young bros to “stop being nice to women.” The Andrew Tate epidemic is strong- and men are listening. Incel culture is flourishing. They are buying the “women are the problem” argument, blaming women for every fault, rejection, blockage they experience. It’s part of the current American belief that men deserve anything they want. Their desires should come to them without effort. It’s their birthright. Sorry, guys, no one gets anything without work. The equation is easy: work on yourself rather than blaming others.
I watched videos of guys saying- “I’m a nice guy and no one wants me.” The guys saying this are often kinda creepy. Women usually see this. Most of the time, women know when “nice” doesn’t mean kind. Perhaps “nice” is a pretense while kindness is real. Perhaps men have glossed niceness over misogynistic beliefs, birthright beliefs that show equality really means to them that they are better than women. Their basis is “men are better.” Being nice with this belief is like wearing an expensive Italian suit over tattered, filthy jockey shorts. Eventually, those unders will be visible.
As far as my near-son, I wonder what lived in his heart. Were his efforts about making us like him rather than have a genuine relationship? Real relationships require honesty, hard conversations, discomfort, straight talk. I see now, he avoided all of this, conforming himself to our vision of who he was rather than his real person. I’m pretty sure I would have liked that person as much. I’m pretty sure the facade couldn’t hold, reminding me of Yeats, “The Second Coming”: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”
In my center, I feel a gash, an oozing unhealed gash. I think, “I wonder what X would like for dinner?” Then I realize he’s not here. I’m struggling more than anyone in my family. They have re-centered, reconstructing life without a family member. I still want him to eat the love I poured into my food. I still want the Scrabble game, the dog walks, the late night movies. I want the son I never had.
Please like and share this blog with others. Subscribe to receive it by email and go directly to the Walk the Moon website to peruse the full collection of articles and updates. You can email me from the Walk the Moon website as well.
Source: What’s happening to boys?
86 notes
·
View notes
Text
#Ceiling#Ceiling Installation#Ceiling Installation service#Ceiling Installation services#Ceiling Installation work#Ceiling Installations
0 notes
Text
Tile fixing contractors in Dubai
Msakin Technical Services provide services related to the installation, repair, and maintenance of tiles in various settings, including residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. These contractors specialize in ensuring that tiles are properly and securely fixed to surfaces, such as walls and floors. Tile fixing contractors are experts in installing various types of tiles, including ceramic, porcelain, marble, granite, and more. They can install tiles in a wide range of patterns and designs, depending on the client’s preferences.
Dubai’s construction and real estate sectors are known for their high-end and luxurious properties, and tiles are commonly used for their aesthetic appeal and durability. Therefore, professional tile fixing services are in high demand to ensure the proper installation of tiles in these upscale spaces.
#Villa Renovation Services#Office Design & Renovation#Kitchen Renovation#Bathroom Renovation#Painting Services#Tiles Work#Floor Installation#Gypsum False Ceiling#Waterproofing Services#Woodwork And Cabinetry#Wallpaper Fixing Work#Handyman Services#Plumbing Services#Electrical Services#AC Maintenance Services
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
The problem with having a 30 year old apartment is everything starts breaking at the same time
#stove went yesterday and today a new water leak was potentially found#also I'm showering by lantern light because the bulbs went in my bathroom and the fixture takes fucking custom bulbs#“just get knock offs on amazon”#I'm not buying knockoff bulbs to install in a ceiling fixture that's fucking dangerous
3 notes
·
View notes
Photo

Brandon Lattu, 'Banqueting House' (2003) - A distorted sculptural form captures the opulence of London's historic ceiling and facade in playful contours.
#brandon lattu#sculpture#ceiling#white#facade#gray#architectural#banqueting house#london#distortion#multicolor#contemporary#2003#installation
27 notes
·
View notes
Text
What’s happening to boys?
Into the Wilderness: Part 37

Is a trend emerging? Nice boys, raised by dedicated mothers, taught to respect women and see the world’s inequality toward women. Boys who made room in the school yard for girls to join ball games. Teens and young men who knew and honored the meaning of “no.” Twenty-something male adults who attended and graduated college, befriending 20-something young women as equals, study partners, friends. Suddenly, are they all losing themselves?
The latest lost boy was a son to me. He needed a place to live so I opened my home- we had an entire unused apartment in the basement. He could stay with us over the summer while he sorted out school and work. He stayed longer.
When he came home from school or work, he’d sit at the kitchen island and talk while I prepped dinner. We’d talk about politics, country music, life mistakes, parenting, sports, cats, food… and hundreds of other subjects. I always invited him to join us for dinner. And he did, shoveling multiple platefuls with gusto that expanded my Greek mama’s heart by two sizes like the Grinch’s. He loved curries and bold flavors, so I expanded my repertoire. I made butter chicken, keema, Gochujang buttered noodles, Korean meatballs. He ate the leftovers for lunch, saving them from the trash (girls don’t eat like boys). He always cleaned up too, rinsing and stacking dishes, scouring the pots.
He became a family member. On the wall, we have a magnetic Scrabble game. Before he’d leave for his early morning run, he’d put a word on the board. When I returned later from teaching Jazzercise class, I’d add mine; my daughter would add hers. We tallied the scores on the side.
We also sent each other Instagram reels. Recipes we wanted to make, silly cat videos, lots of pug and beagle videos. When I got a gas griddle for the deck, we made patty melts and sausage with peppers and onions. One day, he made authentic Asian dumplings. He even made the dough. He made chicken shawarma, and I learned to make it too. He came to Jazzercise and brought his friends with him. And he was really good! I’d get him up on stage to dance with me.
He bought me sourdough bread in the city, macarons, honey from the Middle East. He brought me flowers for International Women’s Day. He gave me a glass that said, “Mama needs some wine.” He called me Mama. He was another “honey,” the universal name for everyone in my house.
I had met him through my daughters who were attending the same college. He was part of their friend group for at least two years. He lived with us for over a year. He celebrated every holiday with us. He was family. He had been estranged from his mother who lived half of the globe away. His “tiger mom” had beaten him into excellence. I, then, would heal him with love.
He was the son I never had.
I’m using past tense. I’m sure by now you’re getting a sense of what’s to come. I wish life gave similar forebodings as writing.
Actually, warnings were there. He stopped coming to dinner. No more words filled the Scrabble board. He left before the sun came up and returned way after dark. I figured he was busy- work, school, sports. He’s an elite runner who trains for hours daily. He had goals. I figured he was working hard to live into them.
But I knew something was wrong. Suddenly, he didn’t call me Mama. He ate McDonalds rather than home-cooked food. His increasing absence nipped at my heels like an angry chihuahua (angry Chihuahua is redundant). He just slowly disappeared- first in closeness, then in relationship and finally in presence. Poof! He was gone!
He was gone, and we were left with charges on credit cards we couldn’t explain, hundreds in EZ Pass fees and a damaged car. How could we have been so stupid?
Or was I stupid? What happened to him? Searching online, lots of people are asking this question. “Nice guys finish last,” the saying goes. But this nice guy wasn’t. He was doing well in school, he had a scholarship for track, he had lots of friends- nice friends! He had a wonderful girlfriend he professed to love. He had us- his new, American family who adored him. I adored him.
On YouTube, videos made by young men tell other young bros to “stop being nice to women.” The Andrew Tate epidemic is strong- and men are listening. Incel culture is flourishing. They are buying the “women are the problem” argument, blaming women for every fault, rejection, blockage they experience. It’s part of the current American belief that men deserve anything they want. Their desires should come to them without effort. It’s their birthright. Sorry, guys, no one gets anything without work. The equation is easy: work on yourself rather than blaming others.
I watched videos of guys saying- “I’m a nice guy and no one wants me.” The guys saying this are often kinda creepy. Women usually see this. Most of the time, women know when “nice” doesn’t mean kind. Perhaps “nice” is a pretense while kindness is real. Perhaps men have glossed niceness over misogynistic beliefs, birthright beliefs that show equality really means to them that they are better than women. Their basis is “men are better.” Being nice with this belief is like wearing an expensive Italian suit over tattered, filthy jockey shorts. Eventually, those unders will be visible.
As far as my near-son, I wonder what lived in his heart. Were his efforts about making us like him rather than have a genuine relationship? Real relationships require honesty, hard conversations, discomfort, straight talk. I see now, he avoided all of this, conforming himself to our vision of who he was rather than his real person. I’m pretty sure I would have liked that person as much. I’m pretty sure the facade couldn’t hold, reminding me of Yeats, “The Second Coming”: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”
In my center, I feel a gash, an oozing unhealed gash. I think, “I wonder what X would like for dinner?” Then I realize he’s not here. I’m struggling more than anyone in my family. They have re-centered, reconstructing life without a family member. I still want him to eat the love I poured into my food. I still want the Scrabble game, the dog walks, the late night movies. I want the son I never had.
Please like and share this blog with others. Subscribe to receive it by email and go directly to the Walk the Moon website to peruse the full collection of articles and updates. You can email me from the Walk the Moon website as well.
Source: What’s happening to boys?
86 notes
·
View notes
Text
tw small creature in my house (unwelcome)
THERE IS A BABY SCORPION ON THE CEILING OF MY CLOSET
Why
Why
Why
Why
Why
#good thing loml has his vacuum for work in the kitchen from installing the new dishwasher today#so he can get it#he has lived here for like 15 years cumulatively and never ever seen a scorpion inside#why is there a scorpion IN MY HOUSE#on the SECOND STORY#on the INSIDE OF MY CLOSET#on the CEILING#like bro.#how did you even get there#i'm Very Concerned#ls*#i have nightmares about small creatures in my house so i have a very strict sorry no creatures in my house rule
2 notes
·
View notes
Text


I put together a cover for my book. A nice-looking cover this time, too, not just some scrap newspaper.
#… instead of drawing#as I wait for the repair guys finish with the ceiling cover install#before I go do tax-based errands#first day off and there so much going on.
3 notes
·
View notes