-I’m on a Discord server composed with people i know since a dozen years. Despite some heavy drama, this is the most perennial community i’ve ever frequented. We care heavily for eachother and they know some thing i never told to my own mother. We were first on a discussion forum then moved to discord when the site linked to the forum died.
-My sister’s friends. She is so close to them that they all became mine.
My robot vacuum cleaner
My bros I met when I was working at KFC about 18 years ago.
One is an extrovert who adopted me because I was sitting and reading alone in the break room on his first day and who is happy to advise me when I struggle.
The other is another introvert who sometimes goes AWOL for weeks or months but I know always has my back in the end and I can tell him anything.
Lately we’ve been trying to get together every month at least for my mental health and it has been amazing.
Somewhat recently (about 9 years ago I think) one of them gained a partner who’s been an amazing addition to our little found family.
All of us have abusive parents, so we’re all each other’s family.25 years ago I got into playing Unreal Tournament.
I still talk daily with some of the people from that community across several countries. We’ve never met, never will, but we’ve shared stuff that our real families don’t know.
I have come to grips with the fact that I am not capable of maintaining relationships like this. I have no one close to me like this or even casually close. Honestly though, after so many years of failing, not at making friends but at keeping them, I have come to terms that it is not natural for me to have them.
I am very good at making friends but I lose interest after some time and it feels like a burden to keep up the friendship. I am perfectly fine without them though so I can’t see why I should keep trying.
Maybe it’s a condition… Maybe I’m born with it 🤷
Barista and waitresses at this cafe I am a regular at. Even a couple of chefs there. I have come to respect them and they like me, despite my many, many faults.
I have never biologically sired any offspring, but I have over a dozen kids who have looked up to me, who I’ve helped raise, over the years.
Many of them have “outgrew” me and some I’ll never see again, but I don’t think any of them will ever forget me. I certainly won’t forget any of them.
I’m not a teacher or anything like that, I just happened to be in a few right places at a few right times. I’ve had kids call me dad. I’ve had kids tell me they wish I was their dad. I’ve had kids tell me I’d make a good dad. I’ve had kids tell me or their parents they’re completely at odds with whatever their parents say and will only listen to me, and in times like that I’ve had to make some hard calls, basically take them aside and get them to do what their parents ask. I’ve never come between a kid and their parents — while I’m always on the kid’s side, I recognise that the parents have the kid’s best interest in mind. So I help them see that. Unless one of the parents is a complete POS. That’s happened too. Then I just help them see their own value.
