#by the way this post was unequivocally not about any politicians but i appreciate the interpretations..

[porciaenjoyer]

i think musicians should never reveal who they write their songs about.. it alters the experience and is particularly disturbing in some cases

[adambstingus]

A Short List Of People Who Actually Matter

Katya Alagich

1. I thought he was just this sad guy who hung around the bar sometimes and never really spoke and should wash his hair more often. I liked his hat. I liked that he made murder jokes with me and I appreciated the fact that we have the same taste in beer and in denim jackets. We’re friends, I think. When do you actually know that you’ve gone from someone it’s not weird to say hi to on the street to actual friends? I would assume it’s when you start asking for advice and confiding, so if that’s the case we’re friends. But I just want him to be happy. And I think someday he will be.

2. I remember in 7th grade we got into a fight and she said to me, “You know what you did.” I actually didn’t and to this day, don’t. But I also know we got over it and she’s one of those people I can sit in silence with on my laptop and it’s not weird. We have philosophical conversations about the Kardashians and the same taste in wine. She’s smarter than me. She’s smarter than everyone. I feel like she’s one of those people who isn’t just a friend anymore, she’s my family.

3. I don’t know if things will ever be normal or okay again between us. And frankly, I don’t think I even really know what that means. Does anyone know how to go from being something to just being what you were before? Is that even possible? I don’t really like being around him now because I’ve become insanely comfortable in routine and in not feeling like my stomach is going to drop at any second. But I would be lying if I tried to feign that wasn’t a clear indication that somewhere, as much as I’ve tried my absolute best to deny it, he doesn’t matter.

4. Do you ever meet someone and just know at your core that they’re just… than you? That’s him. I frequently hear/say, “Wow, he’s the most put together person I know,” and it’s honestly true. I kind of owe him for putting me back together during a year when I wasn’t sure that was possible. It’s not quite as dramatic as “I wouldn’t be alive if not for him” but I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now. Or happy. Or comfortable. Or functioning. And that’s kind of the same when you think about it.

5. I feel very protective of her. And it’s weird because, we aren’t anywhere near each other anymore or even actively involved in each other’s lives but like, I still feel like she should be asking my opinion about things. But obviously when you’re adults that’s not really how life works. That would be really bizarre if you think about it. A mid-twenty-something asking a late-twenty-something, “Should I date this person?” I realized the other day I don’t really know that much about her life anymore and it’s not exactly a sad feeling, it’s just sort of strange to go from seeing each other literally every day to only figuring out what her significant other’s name is because of Twitter.

6. A lot of the time I think they’re wrong and I really want to lay down the law. I want to list every reason they’re incorrect, powerpoint presentation exactly each misstep and mistake, really nail in exactly where and why and how and every possible reason why they are unequivocally wrong. But then I remember what it’s like to try and carve out a place for yourself. To really try and make something yours and build something for yourself. So as annoying as it is and as “OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS” as it can make me, it’s somehow endearing.

7. She’s likely (meaning: absolutely) one of the most perplexing people I’ve ever met, and even knowing something like, what kind of wine she prefers feels like being let in on a secret. But I really respect her opinions and she’s one of the few people I find completely original in a sea of everybody who just wears the same Madewell sweaters and all want to talk about Taylor Swift. I think she’s better than most of us. I don’t think she gives herself enough credit.

8. For most of my life I’ve had trouble making new friends. I’m difficult to get along with. I’m incredibly blunt. I don’t get my feelings hurt very often or easily so I have to remind myself that not everyone is made out of stone like me. But from the fist time I met her, when we jumped into an Uber to go back to my place after I picked her up from SeaTac, she’s made me feel like she gets me. I’ve never felt like I have to write out a giant explanation of “This Is Why I Am Like This I’m So Sorry” in order to feel understood. She just understands me. And that’s something I never expected to find on Twitter.

9. Most of my role models have always been people I didn’t actually know. Celebrities, politicians, women I saw in interviews but never actually met. Writers I put on a pedestal of “I’ll never be as good as them.” And for a long time, she was one of those writers. Hell, she still is. Whenever she writes something I’m literally taken aback at the way she puts stories together, the way she finds the perfect words to explain herself. It’s remarkable. But I can now say that one of the people I most look up to in the world is also one of my closest friends. Maybe that’s normal for some people, but it feels really special to me.

10. I don’t think he really wants anything to do with me anymore. At some point in our lives he went one way, and I detoured along another. But even though that might be the case and even though somehow our paths crossed again after literal years, I hope he knows he mattered. I hope he doesn’t think I just forgot about him. Because I would never want him to feel that. Forgotten.

11. 7 years ago I was in a relationship that was disappearing before my very eyes and I could just feel everything melting in a way that at 20 I didn’t really have the words to express. I was scared, I was lonely even though there was someone sleeping beside me almost every night. I didn’t know what to do with myself. And then this amazing, lovable, high strung, hurricane of a thing entered my life and I’ve never been the same. She’s quite literally the reason I get up every morning and the only thing in this world I think I really love unconditionally. And maybe that’s laughable or dumb but she made my world make sense when I wasn’t sure that was possible. And even if you find it kind of stupid, you have to admit it’s special.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/a-short-list-of-people-who-actually-matter/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/178899349237

[foursprout-blog]

A Short List Of People Who Actually Matter

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/happiness/a-short-list-of-people-who-actually-matter/

A Short List Of People Who Actually Matter

Katya Alagich

1. I thought he was just this sad guy who hung around the bar sometimes and never really spoke and should wash his hair more often. I liked his hat. I liked that he made murder jokes with me and I appreciated the fact that we have the same taste in beer and in denim jackets. We’re friends, I think. When do you actually know that you’ve gone from someone it’s not weird to say hi to on the street to actual friends? I would assume it’s when you start asking for advice and confiding, so if that’s the case we’re friends. But I just want him to be happy. And I think someday he will be.

2. I remember in 7th grade we got into a fight and she said to me, “You know what you did.” I actually didn’t and to this day, don’t. But I also know we got over it and she’s one of those people I can sit in silence with on my laptop and it’s not weird. We have philosophical conversations about the Kardashians and the same taste in wine. She’s smarter than me. She’s smarter than everyone. I feel like she’s one of those people who isn’t just a friend anymore, she’s my family.

3. I don’t know if things will ever be normal or okay again between us. And frankly, I don’t think I even really know what that means. Does anyone know how to go from being something to just being what you were before? Is that even possible? I don’t really like being around him now because I’ve become insanely comfortable in routine and in not feeling like my stomach is going to drop at any second. But I would be lying if I tried to feign that wasn’t a clear indication that somewhere, as much as I’ve tried my absolute best to deny it, he doesn’t matter.

4. Do you ever meet someone and just know at your core that they’re just…better than you? That’s him. I frequently hear/say, “Wow, he’s the most put together person I know,” and it’s honestly true. I kind of owe him for putting me back together during a year when I wasn’t sure that was possible. It’s not quite as dramatic as “I wouldn’t be alive if not for him” but I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now. Or happy. Or comfortable. Or functioning. And that’s kind of the same when you think about it.

5. I feel very protective of her. And it’s weird because, we aren’t anywhere near each other anymore or even actively involved in each other’s lives but like, I still feel like she should be asking my opinion about things. But obviously when you’re adults that’s not really how life works. That would be really bizarre if you think about it. A mid-twenty-something asking a late-twenty-something, “Should I date this person?” I realized the other day I don’t really know that much about her life anymore and it’s not exactly a sad feeling, it’s just sort of strange to go from seeing each other literally every day to only figuring out what her significant other’s name is because of Twitter.

6. A lot of the time I think they’re wrong and I really want to lay down the law. I want to list every reason they’re incorrect, powerpoint presentation exactly each misstep and mistake, really nail in exactly where and why and how and every possible reason why they are unequivocally wrong. But then I remember what it’s like to try and carve out a place for yourself. To really try and make something yours and build something for yourself. So as annoying as it is and as “OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS” as it can make me, it’s somehow endearing.

7. She’s likely (meaning: absolutely) one of the most perplexing people I’ve ever met, and even knowing something like, what kind of wine she prefers feels like being let in on a secret. But I really respect her opinions and she’s one of the few people I find completely original in a sea of everybody who just wears the same Madewell sweaters and all want to talk about Taylor Swift. I think she’s better than most of us. I don’t think she gives herself enough credit.

8. For most of my life I’ve had trouble making new friends. I’m difficult to get along with. I’m incredibly blunt. I don’t get my feelings hurt very often or easily so I have to remind myself that not everyone is made out of stone like me. But from the fist time I met her, when we jumped into an Uber to go back to my place after I picked her up from SeaTac, she’s made me feel like she gets me. I’ve never felt like I have to write out a giant explanation of “This Is Why I Am Like This I’m So Sorry” in order to feel understood. She just understands me. And that’s something I never expected to find on Twitter.

9. Most of my role models have always been people I didn’t actually know. Celebrities, politicians, women I saw in interviews but never actually met. Writers I put on a pedestal of “I’ll never be as good as them.” And for a long time, she was one of those writers. Hell, she still is. Whenever she writes something I’m literally taken aback at the way she puts stories together, the way she finds the perfect words to explain herself. It’s remarkable. But I can now say that one of the people I most look up to in the world is also one of my closest friends. Maybe that’s normal for some people, but it feels really special to me.

10. I don’t think he really wants anything to do with me anymore. At some point in our lives he went one way, and I detoured along another. But even though that might be the case and even though somehow our paths crossed again after literal years, I hope he knows he mattered. I hope he doesn’t think I just forgot about him. Because I would never want him to feel that. Forgotten.

11. 7 years ago I was in a relationship that was disappearing before my very eyes and I could just feel everything melting in a way that at 20 I didn’t really have the words to express. I was scared, I was lonely even though there was someone sleeping beside me almost every night. I didn’t know what to do with myself. And then this amazing, lovable, high strung, hurricane of a thing entered my life and I’ve never been the same. She’s quite literally the reason I get up every morning and the only thing in this world I think I really love unconditionally. And maybe that’s laughable or dumb but she made my world make sense when I wasn’t sure that was possible. And even if you find it kind of stupid, you have to admit it’s special.

[foursprouthappiness-blog]

A Short List Of People Who Actually Matter

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/happiness/a-short-list-of-people-who-actually-matter-2/

A Short List Of People Who Actually Matter

Katya Alagich

1. I thought he was just this sad guy who hung around the bar sometimes and never really spoke and should wash his hair more often. I liked his hat. I liked that he made murder jokes with me and I appreciated the fact that we have the same taste in beer and in denim jackets. We’re friends, I think. When do you actually know that you’ve gone from someone it’s not weird to say hi to on the street to actual friends? I would assume it’s when you start asking for advice and confiding, so if that’s the case we’re friends. But I just want him to be happy. And I think someday he will be.

2. I remember in 7th grade we got into a fight and she said to me, “You know what you did.” I actually didn’t and to this day, don’t. But I also know we got over it and she’s one of those people I can sit in silence with on my laptop and it’s not weird. We have philosophical conversations about the Kardashians and the same taste in wine. She’s smarter than me. She’s smarter than everyone. I feel like she’s one of those people who isn’t just a friend anymore, she’s my family.

3. I don’t know if things will ever be normal or okay again between us. And frankly, I don’t think I even really know what that means. Does anyone know how to go from being something to just being what you were before? Is that even possible? I don’t really like being around him now because I’ve become insanely comfortable in routine and in not feeling like my stomach is going to drop at any second. But I would be lying if I tried to feign that wasn’t a clear indication that somewhere, as much as I’ve tried my absolute best to deny it, he doesn’t matter.

4. Do you ever meet someone and just know at your core that they’re just…better than you? That’s him. I frequently hear/say, “Wow, he’s the most put together person I know,” and it’s honestly true. I kind of owe him for putting me back together during a year when I wasn’t sure that was possible. It’s not quite as dramatic as “I wouldn’t be alive if not for him” but I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now. Or happy. Or comfortable. Or functioning. And that’s kind of the same when you think about it.

5. I feel very protective of her. And it’s weird because, we aren’t anywhere near each other anymore or even actively involved in each other’s lives but like, I still feel like she should be asking my opinion about things. But obviously when you’re adults that’s not really how life works. That would be really bizarre if you think about it. A mid-twenty-something asking a late-twenty-something, “Should I date this person?” I realized the other day I don’t really know that much about her life anymore and it’s not exactly a sad feeling, it’s just sort of strange to go from seeing each other literally every day to only figuring out what her significant other’s name is because of Twitter.

6. A lot of the time I think they’re wrong and I really want to lay down the law. I want to list every reason they’re incorrect, powerpoint presentation exactly each misstep and mistake, really nail in exactly where and why and how and every possible reason why they are unequivocally wrong. But then I remember what it’s like to try and carve out a place for yourself. To really try and make something yours and build something for yourself. So as annoying as it is and as “OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS” as it can make me, it’s somehow endearing.

7. She’s likely (meaning: absolutely) one of the most perplexing people I’ve ever met, and even knowing something like, what kind of wine she prefers feels like being let in on a secret. But I really respect her opinions and she’s one of the few people I find completely original in a sea of everybody who just wears the same Madewell sweaters and all want to talk about Taylor Swift. I think she’s better than most of us. I don’t think she gives herself enough credit.

8. For most of my life I’ve had trouble making new friends. I’m difficult to get along with. I’m incredibly blunt. I don’t get my feelings hurt very often or easily so I have to remind myself that not everyone is made out of stone like me. But from the fist time I met her, when we jumped into an Uber to go back to my place after I picked her up from SeaTac, she’s made me feel like she gets me. I’ve never felt like I have to write out a giant explanation of “This Is Why I Am Like This I’m So Sorry” in order to feel understood. She just understands me. And that’s something I never expected to find on Twitter.

9. Most of my role models have always been people I didn’t actually know. Celebrities, politicians, women I saw in interviews but never actually met. Writers I put on a pedestal of “I’ll never be as good as them.” And for a long time, she was one of those writers. Hell, she still is. Whenever she writes something I’m literally taken aback at the way she puts stories together, the way she finds the perfect words to explain herself. It’s remarkable. But I can now say that one of the people I most look up to in the world is also one of my closest friends. Maybe that’s normal for some people, but it feels really special to me.

10. I don’t think he really wants anything to do with me anymore. At some point in our lives he went one way, and I detoured along another. But even though that might be the case and even though somehow our paths crossed again after literal years, I hope he knows he mattered. I hope he doesn’t think I just forgot about him. Because I would never want him to feel that. Forgotten.

11. 7 years ago I was in a relationship that was disappearing before my very eyes and I could just feel everything melting in a way that at 20 I didn’t really have the words to express. I was scared, I was lonely even though there was someone sleeping beside me almost every night. I didn’t know what to do with myself. And then this amazing, lovable, high strung, hurricane of a thing entered my life and I’ve never been the same. She’s quite literally the reason I get up every morning and the only thing in this world I think I really love unconditionally. And maybe that’s laughable or dumb but she made my world make sense when I wasn’t sure that was possible. And even if you find it kind of stupid, you have to admit it’s special.

[topicprinter]

Below is one of our later posts from our company blog. I have been following this sub for a while, and thought the readers might appreciate it.In the beginning: In late Spring 2015 the Bargible concept was in the early stages of being fleshed out. During this period, much of the process required only pen and paper. Having a background in Financial Research and Portfolio Analysis, I had a good sense about the daunting task of entering into the eCommerce realm. With players as large as Amazon and Ebay, the likelihood that we would make it through the infant stages was infinitesimal. Furthermore, who would be interested in working for a company that had such a slim chance of surviving anyhow?I think this was the reason behind my unorthodox approach. Over the past few years I have perceived this notion of the Tech Wild West, where entrepreneurs think then do. I, contrarily, approached it as a typical Research Analyst would, think, research… think some more, refine research, and then do.Now this probably is not the most time effective way of approaching the entrepreneurial process, and I do not suggest this approach be applied to most startup ventures. However, I really enjoy reading and researching, as well as building. After uncovering quite extensive validation for the Bargible concept, I decided to completely immerse myself. Here are some of the inflection points throughout process.There is no Superman.Instead of freaking out about constraints, embrace them. Let them guide you. Constraints drive innovation and force focus. Instead of trying to remove them, use them to your advantage. -37 SignalsI do not believe in the notion of a lone ranger. I do not know of one politician, business person, engineer, scientist… you get the idea… that acted in the complete absence of assistance. When working alone, especially when building a multifaceted platform, there needs to be some inkling of a team environment where idea generation occurs and opinions are heard.It is my belief that nobody is ever unequivocally correct; there is always another side to the story, and that opposing story must at least be considered.To think that I would be able to build a game platform by myself would have been foolish… I needed a partner. Chad Palsulich came onboard in late August 2015 after returning to California from a year stint living in Germany. He was a friend, adept, and had just wrapped up the development of an iOS/Android game. Bargible now had a start to the team it needed to get moving.Communication is key: (As of December 15, 2016 there are about 400,000 books about communication on Amazon)The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.–George Bernard ShawI had always thought that going and getting an MBA was a little weird. Could management and communication really be that difficult? Well, the answer is, that is a stupid question. Of course clear and concise communication is difficult! Ceteris Paribus, there is a reason why there are some leaders that are considered great, and some that are considered awful.It takes effort to detail out concepts of functionality and features to team members. We struggled with tooling- what tooling should be used for scheduling and communication purposes? How much should be written down? How often should we have meetings and updates?During this time there was actually a fair amount of frustration both on Chad’s side and my own. Our communication stunk. So how did we resolve the issue?Well, the answer is, through trial and error. We tried many different options before landing on written communication. Initially we used Google drive to house Gant Charts, lists, schedules, and ideas. We would then hold semi-weekly meetings where we would review progress and preview upcoming tasks.The team’s communication is ever-evolving, and will most likely remain so into the foreseeable future. It took a few months before we agreed on a combination of Bitbucket, Asana, Slack, and Google.There is no such thing as perfection:One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist. –Stephen HawkingI think this is an apt place to bring up Murphy’s Law. Building a business is chaotic. Though, all of life was created by means of chaotic chemical reactions and atomic mishaps. When building a startup you better love chaos, or at least have the ability to withstand the mishaps.In the beginning, every deadline set, features and functionality implemented, and partnerships made failed in one way or another. Why? Because we were being too strict with our assumptions. Because we didn’t address scoping thoroughly enough. Because we were acting as Cowboys, and expected excellence of ourselves despite the fact that we were not excellent.Instead of requiring perfection, require a process by which you and your team follow to obtain perfection. I believe it is this nuance that distinguishes the Agile framework. It is the standardized, and iterative imperfect framework of the agile process that helps us get close enough to that term, “perfection”.Once the entire team was comfortable with scoping expectations, creating milestones, and flexing requirements, we started working as a team that could work as a singular unit.Now I do not want to pretend like I am an Agile expert, and I am not even to say that it is an absolute solution for us or any other team. It is, however, extremely important to function as one unit of moving parts, instead of many units comprised of one part.Once the whole team was moving in the same direction at the same time, then I recognized that the team should withstand the imperfections.User Feedback should drive process:Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. –Winston ChurchillTo beat on the same drum as every founder before me, and every other hereafter, we build and create for others. Without the people, the products, nations, monies, or anything else, have little to no value. Constructive criticism is what is sought after when involving judgment. It keeps egos in check.Constantly having unofficial tests with uninvolved users helped us validate functionality, but also helped us recognize the importance of design. No matter how great the functionality, or how cool the code base is, the end user’s first impression is always the visual appeal.We obtained our testing audience through marketing the product on the LA Metro, Facebook advertisements, Twitter, as well as AngelList. When it comes to testing, you don’t always have to spend money, you just have to get creative. There are plenty of options out there!Structuring and Positioning- Past, Present, and Future:Engineering, medicine, business, architecture and painting are concerned not with the necessary but with the contingent - not with how things are but with how they might be - in short, with design. –Herbert SimonWhen I was in high school, I grew very quickly. As a result, I had painful tendonitis, and problems with my knees. Like people, businesses have growing pains as they expand. However, when a business grows too quickly in the beginning, these growing pains can cripple the company.Over the period of our development and growth we have needed to adjust growth trajectories, and ideas in order to construct a sturdy structural base. The idea of building something hugely complex is not always great… unless it needs to be hugely complex to be successful (though I doubt that anything needs to be hugely complex in the beginnings). Starting small, and focusing on small, incremental improvements has helped us build a sound structure to expand upon.Of course this is not what investors, peers, and social media wants to hear. They want instantaneous success, and riches. Thinking small will most likely not result in early financing rounds, and it will require you to bootstrap for longer. However, patience and maintaining steady growth has helped us create Bargible the way that we see fit.In the end:These are all perspectives that I have come to realize over the past year of building Bargible. We will be expanding upon all of these points in upcoming posts. Stay tuned for new material. I hope you enjoy our perspective.

[foursprouthappiness-blog]

A Short List Of People Who Actually Matter

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/happiness/a-short-list-of-people-who-actually-matter/

A Short List Of People Who Actually Matter

Katya Alagich

1. I thought he was just this sad guy who hung around the bar sometimes and never really spoke and should wash his hair more often. I liked his hat. I liked that he made murder jokes with me and I appreciated the fact that we have the same taste in beer and in denim jackets. We’re friends, I think. When do you actually know that you’ve gone from someone it’s not weird to say hi to on the street to actual friends? I would assume it’s when you start asking for advice and confiding, so if that’s the case we’re friends. But I just want him to be happy. And I think someday he will be.

2. I remember in 7th grade we got into a fight and she said to me, “You know what you did.” I actually didn’t and to this day, don’t. But I also know we got over it and she’s one of those people I can sit in silence with on my laptop and it’s not weird. We have philosophical conversations about the Kardashians and the same taste in wine. She’s smarter than me. She’s smarter than everyone. I feel like she’s one of those people who isn’t just a friend anymore, she’s my family.

3. I don’t know if things will ever be normal or okay again between us. And frankly, I don’t think I even really know what that means. Does anyone know how to go from being something to just being what you were before? Is that even possible? I don’t really like being around him now because I’ve become insanely comfortable in routine and in not feeling like my stomach is going to drop at any second. But I would be lying if I tried to feign that wasn’t a clear indication that somewhere, as much as I’ve tried my absolute best to deny it, he doesn’t matter.

4. Do you ever meet someone and just know at your core that they’re just…better than you? That’s him. I frequently hear/say, “Wow, he’s the most put together person I know,” and it’s honestly true. I kind of owe him for putting me back together during a year when I wasn’t sure that was possible. It’s not quite as dramatic as “I wouldn’t be alive if not for him” but I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now. Or happy. Or comfortable. Or functioning. And that’s kind of the same when you think about it.

5. I feel very protective of her. And it’s weird because, we aren’t anywhere near each other anymore or even actively involved in each other’s lives but like, I still feel like she should be asking my opinion about things. But obviously when you’re adults that’s not really how life works. That would be really bizarre if you think about it. A mid-twenty-something asking a late-twenty-something, “Should I date this person?” I realized the other day I don’t really know that much about her life anymore and it’s not exactly a sad feeling, it’s just sort of strange to go from seeing each other literally every day to only figuring out what her significant other’s name is because of Twitter.

6. A lot of the time I think they’re wrong and I really want to lay down the law. I want to list every reason they’re incorrect, powerpoint presentation exactly each misstep and mistake, really nail in exactly where and why and how and every possible reason why they are unequivocally wrong. But then I remember what it’s like to try and carve out a place for yourself. To really try and make something yours and build something for yourself. So as annoying as it is and as “OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS” as it can make me, it’s somehow endearing.

7. She’s likely (meaning: absolutely) one of the most perplexing people I’ve ever met, and even knowing something like, what kind of wine she prefers feels like being let in on a secret. But I really respect her opinions and she’s one of the few people I find completely original in a sea of everybody who just wears the same Madewell sweaters and all want to talk about Taylor Swift. I think she’s better than most of us. I don’t think she gives herself enough credit.

8. For most of my life I’ve had trouble making new friends. I’m difficult to get along with. I’m incredibly blunt. I don’t get my feelings hurt very often or easily so I have to remind myself that not everyone is made out of stone like me. But from the fist time I met her, when we jumped into an Uber to go back to my place after I picked her up from SeaTac, she’s made me feel like she gets me. I’ve never felt like I have to write out a giant explanation of “This Is Why I Am Like This I’m So Sorry” in order to feel understood. She just understands me. And that’s something I never expected to find on Twitter.

9. Most of my role models have always been people I didn’t actually know. Celebrities, politicians, women I saw in interviews but never actually met. Writers I put on a pedestal of “I’ll never be as good as them.” And for a long time, she was one of those writers. Hell, she still is. Whenever she writes something I’m literally taken aback at the way she puts stories together, the way she finds the perfect words to explain herself. It’s remarkable. But I can now say that one of the people I most look up to in the world is also one of my closest friends. Maybe that’s normal for some people, but it feels really special to me.

10. I don’t think he really wants anything to do with me anymore. At some point in our lives he went one way, and I detoured along another. But even though that might be the case and even though somehow our paths crossed again after literal years, I hope he knows he mattered. I hope he doesn’t think I just forgot about him. Because I would never want him to feel that. Forgotten.

11. 7 years ago I was in a relationship that was disappearing before my very eyes and I could just feel everything melting in a way that at 20 I didn’t really have the words to express. I was scared, I was lonely even though there was someone sleeping beside me almost every night. I didn’t know what to do with myself. And then this amazing, lovable, high strung, hurricane of a thing entered my life and I’ve never been the same. She’s quite literally the reason I get up every morning and the only thing in this world I think I really love unconditionally. And maybe that’s laughable or dumb but she made my world make sense when I wasn’t sure that was possible. And even if you find it kind of stupid, you have to admit it’s special.