#am i insane? or are the people around me crazy?

[bluespring864]

Tags by @crossedcourt <3

I will now run with them and write an essay because I am always insane about Novandy ;-)

Specifically I want to talk about the "yes i've beaten you on every surface" part. Because I've had a few messages and seen a few comments to the effect of "Wait, they are starting a partnership at the Australian Open of all places?! How many times did Novak beat Andy there?" To which the answer is: Andy lost four of his five Australian Open finals to Novak, three of them rather badly (two in straight sets, one with a fourth set bagel) and he also very narrowly lost probably the most epic match they ever played - according to both of them - which was the Australian Open semifinal in 2012.

While this would be devastating and a cause for animosity for many tennis players I need you to understand that THEY ARE NOT LIKE THAT. At their first meeting at an under-14 tournament, Les Petits As in France in 2001, which concidentally was Novak's first international tournament ever, Andy destroyed him 6-0, 6-1 (Novak: "You gave me one game!") and they still laugh about it to this day. If and when they do press for this new coaching partnership, expect this to come up a few times.

It has always felt to me like their modus operandi was: us against the world (Novak: “Sometimes we catch up for dinner. It’s good to see somebody you grew up with doing so well in professional tennis and it’s great to show to people that top-five players, who are big rivals on the court, can be really good friends as well.”) And it never really changed, even when Novak took a commanding 24-11 lead in the H2H over the years (I am only counting matches played and leaving out the fucking tragic walkover from Andy that prevented their last meeting from happening), after it briefly almost evened out in 2012/2013.

This attitude, of course, is rather impressive from Andy, who could very well be bitter about how differently their careers have gone, considering that they are such similar players who were born only one week apart and that there was definitely much more hype around Andy at the start of their careers (Novak said when they were both 18 and played doubles at, you've guessed it, the Australian Open, that he would and wouldn't like to be like Andy because on the one hand Andy had much more support than him at the time, on the other hand he had the crushing weight of expectations to contend with).

But instead of being bitter, for the last few years of his career you could hear Mr. Murray say things like: “It would be amazing to see him do it [win the 23d Grand Slam] on Sunday. I will be supporting him. And I hope he can do it. Because it is incredible what he has done.” or plainly "I'm happy for him, he deserves it." Or even: "After Wimbledon [2023], everyone was saying it was a changing of the guard, but it wasn't for me." Oh it wasn't for you? You are defensive over the man who has beaten you more than any other in your career being written off too early?

Even during that crazy year of 2016, when they were the two frontrunners in the rankings by miles and Andy was chasing the number one spot, what did he say after losing the only French Open final he ever played? Well, he started it off with "This is his day today. What he’s achieved the last 12 months is phenomenal." and not only told the audience they had been extremely lucky to see Novak make history once again, but also ended with: "I’m proud to have been a part of today."

Us. Against. The. World.

So that's Andy, but what about Novak? Well, not to be outdone he will mention Andy in almost every interview, even when he was very much not asked about him. He will remember the 2013 Wimbledon final which he lost in straight sets to Andy as "a historic, special moment that I cherish" and, on court at the ATP Finals 2016, after his own second half of the year had been rather dismal, he also explained to the crowd that they were part of history that day and that "It was an honour to be on the court and to be a part of the big occasion. Andy is definitely number one of the world. He is the best player. He deserved to win."

If asked about the best matches he has played with Andy he will readily mention the 2012 London Olympics semifinal. We all know how important the Olympics have always been to Novak (if you didn't before 2024, you certainly know now) and this was a semifinal loss at his beloved Olympics in straight sets. Let that sink in.

When Andy retired this year, Novak explained: “He will inspire many generations to come. He inspires me, and we are about the same age." He, who has just finished his career outside of the top 100 and in a doubles match because his body wouldn't even let him play singles anymore, inspires you, who has achieved more than any other in this sport? That's really lovely, Novak. Oh, and by the way, how about Andy becoming world No. 1 and ending Novak's longest stint at No. 1 in his career? Novak's post at the time: "I am really happy to be in the same era with you."

Us. Against. The. World.

So, to make a very long story short: If I was surprised about the coaching news yesterday it was because they actually went for it, not because it seemed outlandish to me in any way. As you can see, it makes perfect sense. I am really glad we are getting another chapter of this story which - according to Novak - is "A script, a long story. A romance, I’ll call it." after we previously were treated to - according to Andy - "Rivals, doubles partners, friends and lovers?" By the way, he still has that Instagram post pinned. Anyway, before I digress, let me conclude this by saying:

You thought their story was over? Think again.

[multi-fandomdisaster]

Oh boy! It's time for me to project myself onto a fictional character!!!

Hear me out: Ted with undiagnosed ADHD

He's gotten...okay-ish at masking it over the years, but he cannot sit still and just focus for the life of him and he has no idea why. It's a damn good thing that his job doesn't really matter all that much in the long run company-wise, because he HARDLY gets anything done because he can't focus on it because it doesn't interest him all that much. His daily rounds of the office where he goes around and bothers everyone else is primarily because he gets bored as shit just sitting in an office chair trying to slave over whatever the heck he's supposed to do that day and he feels like he's gonna go insane if he doesn't move around and talk to people. Having his own office is simultaneously a godsend and a curse, because on one hand he'd occasionally get overstimulated by the sounds of the rest of the office while he's just trapped there at his desk unable to do anything to destress and instead has to pretend like he's working because he's definitely not and he's 100% wasted about an hour and a half instead thinking about the fact that he should be working and isn't, but on the other hand with his own office he doesn't have anyone body-doubling for him anymore so there's literally nothing pressuring him from getting distracted and doing something else. Any time anyone talks to him he has to put all of his mental effort into trying to focus on them that he sometimes misses the entire conversation because he was focusing so hard on focusing on them. He's been banned from clicky pens in the office because he likes the sound and it drives everyone else (especially Paul) crazy. He thoughtlessly drums and taps his fingers on everything from tables to doorframes to his leg to whatever solid object is in front of him and/or in his hand. He's missed a good amount of company events on accident because he forgot the date (the only dates he has actively memorized are his birthday and the day that he lost Jenny), and so every time there's some kind of special event, he tries to make it a habit to write it down over and over again on post-it notes and stick them everywhere around his home and his office. There was more than a couple of times that he entirely forgot to pick Pete up from places because he was either too zoned in on his routine to remember that he was supposed to be doing something different or was like- watching a movie or something and forgot he had a brother entirely.

Do you see my vision? Or am I just going insane?

[shady-shrub]

humans, objects, animals, and others of tumblr.

is there a word for being so angry at a place (school) that it makes you depressed? litteraly incapable of speech or action and the very thought of exploding seems more appealing than taking another step? that your friends are no longer a safe place to go to, but instead a reminder of happiness long ago that is no longer attainable? that all you can think about is death and murder and wanting to leave. you want to go back to a month ago when you would tell hatchetverse lore randomly but now dealing with the crushing weight of reality is too much. to be stuck in a screen because the real world is too much to handle right now and you just cried in math class 3 times? the sounds are too loud so you wear headphones and the lights are too bright so you look to the ground. there's people not following proper hallway rules but also there's only 5 feet of space so oh well. you draw people dying and crying on your assignments and it keeps escalating as the weeks grow longer.

but once youre in the safety and comfort of your home suddenly all the bad feelings go away? you smile??? you actually love life again and suddenly all the assignments aren't as hard as they seemed to be?? the world is brighter and nicer??

and returning to that awful place makes you want to cry and scream and throw up but not in the silly fun way. so youve decided to take days off which is great for your mental well being (waking up smiling? not being over/underestimulated? moving freely and getting to go outside to see the sun??) but your in person classes start to suck because no one in your friend group communicates what was done that day. they do not tell you that there's an assignment due today.

also the teachers have not spoke to me about the drawings at all. yes i know kids doodle but no one else in that class is making the page covered.

im ranting yes. sorry. i just need validation?? someone else give me your story?? hrngnvj my one friend suggested therapy. i would rather not because money and i dunno what i would even say

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

im also floridian. this weather is too suspicious its not meant to be winter weather in march! summer will kill us all

It’s starting to heat up. But then it’s going down again?

LOWS IN THE 60S AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD..? That ain’t right. No. It can’t be. No way.

It’s going to be a constant 102* in June-September because nice things aren’t allowed here and we must suffer. We’re supposed to get our designated 2 weeks of nice weather randomly in dec-feb and THATS IT. We have been too greedy. The end is coming.

*for non swamp dwellers, the actual temp stays between 80-95 mostly, but humidity makes it feel like you’re being steamed alive. Which is fun! (government mandated propaganda)

[naivety]

my sense of urgency for this election was all used up watching a genocide play out live on instagram while my mom continued to talk about which politician might make the housing market better and i tried not to genuinely lose my mind over the dissonance. in all honesty short of bombs dropping on americans' houses my adrenal glands are beyond checked out. i'll show up to the polls and do my part and try to plug into the bare bones direct action i can find in the middle of nowhere deep red county state but god. there are so many posts circulating trying to fear monger me into voting for one genocidal president of this genocidal nation over another and i may as well live on a different planet. i can fathom the urgency but i could not make myself feel it short of being held at gunpoint. which may even be on the ballot but that's how americans have been voting for decades now and each of them regardless of party has worried about the idea of being held at gunpoint while a right of theirs is taken away while there are people who are already being held at gunpoint and their rights have already been taken away by the very people being beamed into my eyeballs as the escape from this hypothetical violence that's already non-hypothetically happened to millions who aren't US liberals because of the america they're trying to save from trump the same america regardless of democrats or republicans or whigs or federalists and does anyone else feel like they're going crazy

[compassmili]

see this is why tumblr is better i literally asked one thing and immediately got so many helpful responses that didn't feel forced or dismissive or like people were just responding because theyd feel bad if they didnt

[spinecurlingmice]

didn't realize how bad my environment affected my mental state until i left it . ... november has been suspiciously nice to me and I've been having less thoughts abt how little I matter and wow. I've been like having more collective good days than I've had like all year.

[lilakennedy]

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

I have literally consistently felt like I'm going insane since late June

[tendercoretroglodyke]

I have some kind of weird evil wizard curse on me where I feel deeply sad and uniquely horrible when my beloved bestie roommate is home but feel Normal and Emotionally Regulated when theyre out like literally what is wrong with me good GOD get that girl some therapy !!!!

[katadastical]

I’ve recently gotten closer to a group of girls in one of my classes and they’re super nice but I’ve been sat here trying to have a normal conversation where I don’t bring up Star Wars, my art acc or gaming and it’s HARD

Like oh yea I like this game rdr2 :)

Acting as if I like it a normal amount meanwhile in every conversation I’m suppressing the urge to talk about Arthur Dumbass Morgan and John Meow Meow Marston the fictional middle aged cowboys

Like oh yea I love Star Wars!

and then I become very aware of my Star Wars wallpaper or my silly little Obi-Wan Kenobi picture in the back of my phone or the fact that in the background of EVERY FaceTime is an A3 empire strikes back poster-

I love my interests but man oh man is my neurodivergent showing I’m probably known as the Star Wars/gaming girl of my year group 😭 😭

[hexados-on-a-string]

spectragus dont get enough credit for being a sun and moon ship but like. destructive sun and moon ship. sun and moon ship but they're the forces of nature the sun and moon actually are. the sun is harsh and relentless and unpredictable in its evil but also it's kindness, the moon is sharp and cold and cruel, a harsh light that doesn't allow you peace, but can also guide you, a light in the darkness. even on nights with a new moon, with no light in the sky, the moon is always reflecting the sun, and it'll be that way until they come to their end.

[pinktinselmonstrosity]

this is so random but one of my flatmates turned the temperature of our fridge down without saying anything/checking and it's PISSING me off... my orange juice has frozen solid?? the chicken i got out to defrost last night is still completely frozen???

[immamapletreekid]

playing pokemon black... started tearing up at skyarrow bridge

[peapod20001]

I wonder how many times I’ve googled whether I’m having a panic attack or an anxiety attack...

[fappellmoan]

things have not been normal. im so tired.