#and to my emotional support water bottles

[livelaughghoul]

not me buying a sticker of Logan’s helmet to put on my emotional support water bottle.

I miss him, chat. I miss my dumb ass Florida Man.

[jojoturnip]

A response to a mother at war, the poem of a friend:

You think of things so cosmically, don't you? I'm not surprised. I've seen your poetry of angels and your notebooks brimming over with theories of the world to compile into your games and campaigns.

There is no problem with that. Maybe that's a part of why I'm drawn to you and others who do the same. I like deep thinkers. I'd like to consider myself one.

There's nothing wrong with having your head in the clouds but don't forget you stand on earth.

I've been asked to hold a science writing workshop for another university's students who want to put science on the ballot (go them!!), so I've been thinking of some of my best writing advice. One piece I think of constantly when I write I found a long time ago scrolling through Pinterest:

"Don't write about the Holocaust. Write about the pair of children's shoes left behind in the street as they were taken away."

That one resonates with me a lot. Maybe it's the Jewish fear. I think it's more than that, though.

I, too, have been torn apart and eaten by the cosmos. I was punctured by the points of stars that promised to light the way. I have known and loved the darkness of man, the darkness of voids. I saw the big picture before I knew what it was.

It isn't pretty. Stepping back and looking at the timeline of my life, it isn't pretty.

Come look closer with me, though. Do you see that smudge? That's where my sister and I used to spray men's shaving cream at each other in the backyard when it was too hot to play like normal in the desert. Oh wait, no, look at this one, it's me hanging up my first houseplant, a rabbit footed fern. Does this one of me playing Minecraft with my cousin even look like me anymore?

No, no, this one you should see. You'll remember it. I had invited my sister, my roommates, my creative writing friends, and you all to the award ceremony for my literary award. You came with me, no one else did. Did you see how close to crying I am? Not from sadness even, just joy that you were there and supported me even though you didn't understand and it wasn't your thing. You were just there.

Don't think me stupid for finding that joy, my friend. The connections of the universe may be hard to conceptualize, but the constellations look nice. Did you hear we're supposed to be able to see the Aurora tonight?

Stepping back, I see all the pain and suffering that you do. And it's true that it overpowers the rest. But isn't it lonely up there? Only seeing the big picture and none of the details that make it worth painting?

I'm no artist. Or ethics professor. I'm not the one to tell you what's right and what isn't.

I study life. Both in botany and in writing. And I'm convinced, even after all the ugly I have pulled my rubber boots up from to stay afloat, that life is beautiful.

My bus driver always waves to other bus drivers we pass. But, when we come across a bus on the same route going the opposite direction, I see the flash of toothy smiles and special waves and salutes, like secret best-friend handshakes. My coworker dug a digital camera out of someone else's trash so I could use it to take pictures of my niece. The girl I complimented in the coffee shop today on her leather jacket beamed and told me how she was pretending it was warmer than it really was.

One of my favorite quotes comes from a source almost as odd as Pinterest, Norman Borlaug's biography. He's the father of the green revolution, and credited with saving more lives than any other person. I read it as a Borlaug Scholar in high school, and it was mostly dry. But he talked about his grandfather a bit, who said,

"Don't look for God in the sky. Look for him in the ground. That's where things grow."

Some of the tulips in the horticulture garden are planted above a hot water pipe, and the soil is warm enough for them to bloom early. They always come up short and have purple anthocyanin stress marks on their leaves, but people stop by to see the early flowers anyway.

I understand where you are, up in the universe, seemingly above it all but feeling swallowed by the vacuum. There's a beauty in that, too, in having a mind that can untangle dark matter. So I'm not here to change you.

But I also know your feet are as gravity-striken as mine. Welcome to Earth, my friend, come dig in the dirt with me. We can find earthworms and seeds and a thousand lives too small for us to see. It does not take away from the big picture, or the acknowledgement of your pain to pay them notice.

I brought you an extra trowel, but I cannot help you find god or hope or love or whatever it is people dig for. You have to want it. Then you have to dig for it.

I'm just digging next to you.

[untitled-tmnt-blog]

I was messing around with mod podge yesterday. My brain had this image of @dandylovesturtles's writing as physical art, and I wanted to give it a try!

The text is all taken from Part 1 of the Emotional Support Water Bottles ("room fic") series.

[onlinecasualty]

do they? not have? water bottles? no this is important. how do these kids consume water on the daily? they are d1 athletes i refuse to think they all just patiently wait in line to use a fountain during practices and games. and i dont even want to think about how little water neil consumes on the run if he doesnt have a water bottle

[2birds1pencil]

my favorite part is the skunk version of a “live laugh love” sticker on the water bottle

[stromer]

he’s so tiny and happy !!!!

[stuckinapril]

studying all day today <33 no human interaction needed it's just me and my books

[fridayiminlovemp3]

do you really think it’s possible for an owala girl and a stanley girl to be in a relationship

[lover-of-mine]

My dad sent me this picture he took of me watching the season 6 finale and I legit have been laughing hysterically for the past 5 minutes. This is like, not even 5 minutes into the episode. I really thought something terrible was about to happen huh? (There's a teddy bear somewhere under that blanket too)

[three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat]

Cleaning is just another one of the cruel evils of this world

[sentimentalnobody]

i <3 terrible quality selfies

[kitsnicket]

.

[perilegs]

i'm such a greenpilled dark jade maxxer but i think ive made people associate me with blue a bit too much. my icon? blue. my blog? blue. my choice of board game pieces? blue. my reason for wanting to be player one in most games? having a blue character. why i want to play as player 2 in super mario for wii? blue toad.

[weallpartyatybcpatricksfuneral]

I'm being influenced to buy an owala by a 40ish year old man who hasn't touched social media since 2014

[cashweasel]

In honor of Mental Health Action Day, I wanted to remind you that you are amazing and deserve to prioritize your well-being. So, I challenge you to take one small step today to show yourself love. Whether it's practicing self-care, connecting with someone, or just stepping outside for some fresh air and sunshine, it makes a difference. You matter, and so does your mental health! Here are some sunflowers to brighten your day 🌻🌻🌻💛 (PS - drink some water) [If you want to share what you did, feel free but no pressure!]

Thank you so much for your kind words!! I look forward to these and I usually like to keep them in my inbox so I can find them again but I wanted to share this one 🥺💗

Didn’t survive an evil exam with an evil professor yesterday so today I slept in then cleaned my room and played hades 2 after looking forward to it all week 😌 matlab and differential equations are NOT getting to me today 👎👎

Hope you’re having a wonderful week doing wonderful things love u 😘

[bereft-of-frogs]

I forgot my water bottle

I am lost