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taehyungiejiminie95 · 4 years

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Yoongi - Arranged Marriage

You had tried screaming. You had tried crying. You had trying running away. You had tried fighting. You had tried begging, bargaining, threatening, everything you could possibly think of to stop this from happening, but your parents simply wouldn’t listen. Deep down, you know they love you and only want what is best for you, but this is not how you envisioned them showing it. Seriously, an arranged marriage? To some random business partner’s kid? Were they joking?

No, apparently, as you found out the hard way. Your wedding day was not what you dreamed it would be as a young girl. You barely even had a say in the proceedings – although as you had no say in your husband, this is hardly surprising. At the last minute, you nearly ruined your make up crying in your mother’s arms, pleading with her not to do this. You hadn’t even met the man and you already hate him! Anyone who goes along with this is a terrible person in your eyes and you had no desire of meeting them, let alone marrying them.

Mint green hair. Bad first impression. He couldn’t even give you enough respect to have a reasonable hair colour on your wedding day! Insane. It made you hate him even more. The ceremony passed torturously slowly, and you didn’t look him in the eyes at all in fear you’d burst into tears all over again. You barely managed to choke out your vows, and your hands shook uncontrollably as you exchanged rings. In the blink of an eye but also after an eternity, you were pronounced married, and your new husband (you nearly retch at the thought) pressed a gentle kiss to your lips to seal the deal.

You barely exchanged words for the rest of the night, other than such comments as ‘excuse me’, or ‘no thank you’. All in all, it was just as much of a horrible experience as you expected. You knew then you would never forgive your parents for handing you off in such a way, no matter how lovely they think he is, or whatever good it does for your family’s business and reputation. When your husband opened the car door for you so you could go back to the hotel where you were to be spending the night, you didn’t so much as thank him. At least he had the sense to book a night somewhere with two separate bedrooms, and all you could do was pray he didn’t hear your sobs when you closed your bedroom door behind you, tearing your dress off as you found yourself unable to hold back the tears anymore.

A few weeks passed in much the same way. You didn’t speak to your new husband, and you spent most of your time locked up in one bedroom or another just crying. The two of you were going to the Caribbean for a ‘Let’s Get to Know Each Other’ honeymoon, but you didn’t leave the hotel. When you left your room to use the bathroom, you found warm food on a silver platter, probably put there by room service. So that’s what you did for a week. You probably saw your husband three times in total over that 2-week holiday. Once on the plane out, once on the plane back, and once you accidentally ran into him when you were going back to your room from the bathroom. He had looked at you with wide eyes, filled with a concern you were sure was faked. By the time he had managed to stutter out an apology, you had locked the bedroom door again.

You’re going to have to talk to him soon. You’re married now, just try to make the most of it.

The words ring inside your head now as you sit in what you assume to be one of the guest bedrooms at your new house. You know it’s what your mother would say to you, but you try to cast it out of your head. You haven’t answered any of her texts or calls since the wedding. Nevertheless, though, whoever’s advice it is, it’s right. You’ve sulked for nearly a month now, and you’re getting a bad case of cabin fever locking yourself up all day. It’s becoming hard to remember the last time you felt the sun on your face. With the new resolve that you may be overreacting a tad, you get up and dressed into presentable clothing. Even now you have no desire to seek out your new husband, so you decide to start by walking around the garden. The two of you have been (very generously) gifted a large estate as a wedding present from your families. It has a few acres of land, with ample room to get lost in if you so wish. And you do so wish.

It’s bright outside, and you wince a little as it stings your eyes. You get over the sensation quickly and set off towards the orchard section of the grounds. It’s very well cared for, and when you reach the freshly mowed grass, you can’t help kicking your shoes off to venture further. As a young girl, you loved the feeling of grass tickling your feet, and it brings a ghost of a smile to your face. In hindsight, you always knew this was going to happen. You parents had an arranged marriage, all of your friends too, and the fact has never been hidden from you. It just feels… wrong. It feels like everything was stolen from you. The first date; the first stolen kiss under the moonlight; the butterflies and the shaky knees when he picks you up from your house; meeting his family and being adored by them; him meeting your parents and being given the age-old ‘DAD TALK’; a surprise proposal at a meaningful place; the giddiness of telling everyone, of planning a perfect wedding with the perfect man. Love. You feel like love was stolen from you,

“Your mother told me that the blossom trees are your favourite,” You hear a low voice utter from behind you. You nearly jump out of your skin as your lurch around to see who had followed you so quietly out here. It’s him. Of course, its him. Who else could it have been? With his stupid green hair and his too-expensive tailored suit, “I can see why. This time of year is perfect for them,” He offers you a shy smile. You can see he’s standing at a respectful distance, hands carefully folded in front of him. Very non-threatening. You want to scoff, but something in his face looks a little wary. Nervous,

“Is that why you had them put in? Thought it might soften the blow of a glorified kidnapping?” You question plainly. There’s no venom or harshness in your tone, but the man’s face falls ever so slightly anyway. You should feel bad, but you don’t. He’s as much a part of this as your parents, you’re sure, “It doesn’t,” You turn away and look back to the tress that rustle gently in the summer breeze, “But they are calming. I’ve always thought so,” You add quietly. The most you’ve ever said to your husband. A little longer than your vows, which you had kept blunt and bare. You hear the man shift behind you, his polished shoes making noise on the fallen blossoms as he walks to stand in your eyesight again,

“Look,” He sighs, his composure cracking ever so slightly, “I know this isn’t what you wanted. Your father explained it to my parents very simply that you did not want to wed. I get it. I wasn’t all for having my life picked out for me either,” Your eyes meet his with shock. You didn’t know. You thought he wanted this just as much as they did, “But this is the hand we’ve been dealt. If you want to ignore me and hide away from me, be my guest. By all means, do it. But I’m prepared to make the effort to get on with you. I don’t expect you to fall for me or even particularly like me, but if we can just…” He breaks off to roll his eyes and move his hair out of his face, “If we can just talk to each other once in a while, maybe have dinner on occasion, that would make this a hell of a lot easier,” You blink as his rant apparently ends, and his words hang in the air, filling your ears. You take your time to process it, thinking about what he’s asking. Re-evaluating your assumptions about him. He’s stuck in this situation just as much as you are, but he’s not sulking or crying or hiding. He’s trying to swallow down the truth and get on with it. Could you do the same? Do you want to do the same?

After a while, he assumes you’re just not going to respond. You have this blank look on your face, so he sighs again and makes to stride away. Out of the corner of your eye, you watch his purposeful steps, his head held just a little too high, as if he’s hiding something. Maybe hurt at your rejection. All he wants is to make this easier for the both of you. As he reaches the edge of the lawn, you find the words to call out,

“Dinner sounds nice. I’m in the mood for Italian,” Your husband turns around with a shy smile and nods,

“I could go for some Italian. Come to the dining room at 7. You don’t have to dress up or anything,” You don’t have to dress up? Hmm… maybe you can get along with your new husband. Maybe. It depends what kind of Italian food he gets for you.

Yoongi gives himself a small smile as he walks away. That wasn’t the biggest victory ever, some of his friends who got an arranged marriage didn’t have this problem at all, but it was something. He lets himself into the kitchen and asks the on-site chef to take the rest of the night off and return the following morning instead. You’ve given him a chance to show you this won’t be a complete nightmare, being married to him and all, and he doesn’t want to blow it. He takes a couple deep breaths as he glances around the kitchen. You can’t go wrong with a bit of homemade lasagne. Another tiny smile plays across his lips as he sheds his suit jacket and reaches for an apron. It really has been too long since he last cooked, and what better time to pick it up again that to win over his new wife, the woman he’s going to spend the rest of his life with?

#bts #bts yoongi #bts suga #bts angst #bts fluff #bts reactions #bts scenarios

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1167

surveys by emptyliketheocean

Brand of cigarettes you smoke? I don’t smoke cigarettes, or at least I never buy my own packs.

Should you be trusted with a person's life? Idk, that’s for them to decide.

How's your life in general? I lost two relatives from Covid this week alone. So, not very dandy. Still in shock. Waiting for it to all finally crash down so I can grieve and mourn properly. Scared of more losses and hoping there aren’t any more to come.

Have you ever put lipstick on anything besides lips? I don’t wear makeup, but when my friends have put some on me in the past there were a couple of times they dabbed lipsticks on my cheeks.

Have you ever picked a fight you knew you would lose? Metaphorically speaking, yeah. I don’t get into physical fights.

What's something you think is crazy about the world? The concept of centibillionaires and the fact that there are multiple ones who exist.

What do you think about religion? I think the only upside to it is how it has helped save lives for some and how it serves as a guide for others to spread good in the world. Like if your religion has given you purpose and strength, that’s great. But ultimately, I’m not a fan and I most definitely don’t think religion is necessary to be a kind person. In fact, I think it works the opposite...most of the homophobes, misogynists, pro-lifers, and sexists I know are from the Christian faith. Cringe.

What about when religion causes violence? Well I definitely have a bone to pick with this lol. The only reason the Philippines is predominantly Catholic today is precisely that when the Spanish arrived, they used violence to forcingly convert Filipinos - who were then living in peace with their own culture, government, and religion system - to Christianity. And now we’re ‘celebrating’ 500 years of Christianity in the country this year, which was always so off to me because why are we celebrating colonization lol????????????? But anyway, yeah, that is another issue I have with religion. I want nothing to do with it.

What color is one of your hats? I have an off-white summer hat but I have literally never used it in public because it’s huge and it’s 100% going to draw attention.

How do you feel? My shoulders are sore and I’m feeling slightly irritated because of them. I’m also starting to get a bit hungry.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for laughing? A few times.

Something that makes you smile: Free food.

What do you think about surveys with lyrics as the title? Surveys with random lyrics usually end up being the ones with interesting questions, so I actually am more likely to check it out.

Do you have any clothes with small holes in them? Maybe one or two.

Do you think the way you live is really okay? I think I am already quite fortunate with what I have considering what others don’t, so it’s definitely been a while since I have complained about anything during this whole Covid situation, living-situation-wise. Even though we’ve lost a few things, like having to sell one of our cars and with my mom being retrenched, we still get by and have a roof over our heads with working water and electricity and a stocked pantry; and I make enough money to hand a portion of it to my parents twice a month and still treat myself with things I want. There is nothing to bitch about.

Do you know anyone other than a cop who has ever owned a cop car? No.

Have you ever felt fire? No, but electricity, yes. I’ve been shocked before but that was also my own fault lol.

Have you ever seen a person light themselves on fire? Jesus no.

Have you ever used crutches when you didn't need them? Yes. I used to horse around with Katreen’s crutches when she injured her legs in 3rd grade, when she wasn’t using them.

If you had 15 beers you would be: Dead.

Are you as bored as I am? No, I’m good.

Why are you taking this survey? I feel like it.

What would you say if a person asked you why your face was so messed up? “How do you want me to react?” Easiest way to shut a person up and passive aggressively tell them to watch what they say.

What would you do if your first love asked you back out? Be very confused and ask why the sudden decision.

What's your home life like? It’s very routine, due to having to stay at home. I work a 9–6 on weekdays, follow that up with dinner, and use a few hours to scroll through social media until it’s time to sleep. Then on weekends I use the free time to recharge by taking surveys and watch videos of whoever and whatever I’m interested in at the moment. Just waiting for all of this to blow over so I can finally do the things I’m meant to be doing.

Do you have a talent that you don't do anything with? I don’t write a lot for myself these days. I do write frequently for work, which is great - press releases, event scripts, all your PR essentials - but I don’t get stimulated enough since everything is written in the same tone. I really should pick up a notebook and pen soon...

Do you know anyone that is a lesbian? Yes. Not that she’s in my life anymore.

What do you think about your mom? I think she tries her best. But I wish she were more emotionally in touch. And that she starts being politically correct.

What do you think about your dad? He’s worked hard and continues to, and I appreciate all his efforts; and I can’t wait to be able to buy him all the things he wants.

Which parent do you respect the most? Who do you think? Hahahaha.

Is there anything someone could lie to you about that you couldn't forgive? I suppose, like cheating.

Who do you love unconditionally? My two best friends.

Pick an element. Oooookay? Zirconium.

Have you ever wasted a great amount of time and felt horrible about it? It always feels that way on weekends these days because there’s only so much that can be done while stuck at home because of Covid. But I do try to justify it by telling myself I already work too hard during weekdays so it’s ok to bum around at home and do nothing, because using the time to recharge is still productive.

What is something that's been said about you that isn't true? My mom has said a lot of hurtful things directed towards me that I internalized for a very long time, but I’ve since gained the strength to no longer let those words get to me.

Who do you want with you when you're scared? Anyone who can be calm while I’m not.

Know any bands that not many people have heard of? Many of the punk bands I listen to are virtually unknown on this side of the planet.

Do you have any advice for people in general? Don’t be racist.

What's something you like to do in the summer? Complain about the heat.

What's something you like to do in the winter? We don’t get winter here, but I’ve always thought I would love snow if I ever saw it, and that I would probably make a lot of snow angels and play snowball fights.

What do you think about marijuana? I don’t have a strong opinion on it as it’s still a very taboo topic where I’m from and I’ve also been lacking on research. I do know people who use it for recreational purposes and I’ve never been against that.

Do you wish anyone death? Just politicians.

Have you ever felt like you weren't getting anywhere with a person? Yes, it felt that way for a long time. I just was too afraid of confrontation to do anything about it.

What do you feel for the person you first fell in love with? Resentment and a whole lot of nothing.

Where are you? I’m in my bedroom.

Are you waiting for something? Hmm, not necessarily.

Who is someone you just think has a hole in their brain? People who still think Covid is a hoax.

A candy you like? Gummy anything.

Does any part of your body hurt at the moment? My shoulders and neck, hence the neck pillow I’ve since put on while taking this.

Explain how you got the last bruise you had. I honestly have no clue. I currently have a big black circle on my right thigh that just suddenly showed up, and I can’t recall a time I must’ve hit it somewhere.

Are you tired? A little bit because I got up as soon as I woke up, but I wanted to maximize my free time this Sunday before another work week starts. Last Friday would be our last non-working holiday in a while and we’re not getting another one until August. :(

Explain how you got a scar you have. A distant cousin hurled a glass jar towards me when I was 3, during a family reunion. He initially went for my eye because I guess he wanted to blind me, but he missed and ended up hitting my eyebrow instead. My mom has since banned him from talking to me ever since, and I don’t think I’ve ever even seen him since the incident.

Have you ever owned anything illegal? Illegal copies of movies I’ve torrented, sure.

What do you dream about? The most random scenarios. I’ll get the occasional nightmare, but those only happen when I’m going through a period of depression.

Do you ever daydream? Not anymore these days.

How do you feel about vegetarians? I don’t really think anything of them. There are days I’ll particularly feel for them because there aren’t a lot of restaurants with good vegetarian options where I live, though.

A fruit you like: Avocado, in very limited options.

Have you ever seen a person eat a bug? Only bugs that were already prepared a certain way and meant to be eaten; but I’ve never seen a person that just picked up a bug off the ground and went straight to chewing. I imagine I would freak out and gag.

Something you worry about too much: How much is in my bank account.

How do you feel about smoking? I hate how the smell clings to your clothes and all your things when you’ve been smoking or when you’ve been around people who smoke. I also wince when people pose with their cigarettes just to look badass and cool; but as someone who’s since picked up vaping as a habit, my once-intense hatred for smoking and smokers has since changed lol.

If you had to move out of state, where would you go? I would move to a big city. Somewhere noisier and with a lot of lights and foot traffic and general activity.

What is your favorite vampire-related movie? The Twilight Saga hahahahahaha

Is there a person you keep coming back to? My best friends, I guess?

If you're listening to music...Give me a lyric from the song you're listening to. I’m not listening to anything.

#survey #surveys

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hexhux · 5 years

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My Eighteenth Birthday

Friday, May 3rd, 2019.

An open letter to everyone who has ever loved me. A recap of the year.

Today, I turned eighteen years old. I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to be here. I’m sure many others who suffer from long-term mental illness can relate, but it is not always a given to make it this far. I have so much farther to go, but because this is such a milestone, I wanted to take a moment to step back and give my thanks to those in my life who have offered their hand to me. This life has been as joyous and wonderful as it has been cruel. For all the times I have sobbed my heart out, grieving and ashamed, I have found an equal amount of pure, forgiving laughter. To everyone, thank you so much.

One of the most important things I have learned so far is to appreciate the small things. To the setting sun, to the flowers called weeds, to the soft sheets, to the warm baths - thank you. To the moon, the stars, the midnight sky - thank you. To the emotional movies, to the memes on the internet, to the books I’ve read a thousand times - thank you. These are the things I have cultivated and loved, even when I thought the sun wouldn’t shine on me any longer. To quote one of my favorite movies of all time, Swiss Army Man, “Everything everywhere matters to everything.” It truly does. Forever. Always.

Grandma: you are the most important person in my life. From the very day I was born, you have been there. Through every stomach ache, nightmare, and painful thought, you have pieced me back together. You taught me what love truly was. Dedication. Sincerity. Empowerment. On all the days I could not love myself, you loved me twice as much. I found true friendship with you. You are the most generous, forgiving, and wholly enveloping person I know. Regardless of whether or not I am happy or sad, your face is the one I want to see. You match me in passion, pride, and persistence. I cannot tell you how much I love you because words do not come close to the feeling inside my heart. Thank you for being my best friend, for the advice, the comfort, and all the times you thoroughly read my fanfiction. You have supported my art and my dreams since the beginning. Thank you, mama.

Ethan: Firstly, let me ask a very, very important question, little brother. Do you have a mic? I’m kidding (lmao). I could not have a better brother. You were my first playmate, my partner in crime, and the person who was always by my side. Never once have we stopped playing. Every moment with you is one of belly-aching laughter and jokes. You bring an incredible light to the life of anyone who knows you. You’re level-headed, compassionate, and the funniest person I know. We’re so similar, but even in our differences, we’ve supported one another fully. You are my other half and I love you so dearly that it’s nearly laughable. You’re an absolute buffoon sometimes, but I’d take you over anyone else any day.

Collin: Ah, yes, my stupid woke best friend. You are the sweetest, kindest person I have ever met. The only person who asks retail workers about their day, even if they clearly hate their job. Nobody else has ever made quite such a dedication to getting to know me. You know the most about me, even if admitting that is embarrassing because the vast majority of my secrets are odd and cringe-worthy. We have been through so many challenges, but we have always made it through because we have a connection unlike no other. You are such a beautiful, encapsulating human being. The bond we have is incomparable to any other, and I cannot thank you enough for being my friend. It isn’t often you meet someone who wants all of you, not just the good parts. You have loved me through the misfortune. And I want you to know that I will forever be there for you. It is an honor to know you, Collin.

Nits: We may have met by chance, but there is nothing accidental about our friendship. I have never encountered someone like you before - someone so bold, strong, and gorgeous. That summer we spent every day together, entangled by movies, music, and a growing fondness that would last forever. To be loved by you is such a gift. Nobody deserves you. I have never so desperately wanted to see someone succeed. We are intertwined and will be forever, I truly hope. You have held my hand and helped me through the bad times, just as I’ve held yours. You are an enigmatic, wondrous, and hopeful soul. Thank you for seeing me for who I am, even when I myself didn’t know who that was at times.

Kiesha: Your comfort and reassurance is never-ending. You have such a warm, broad presence. We have known each other for such a long time and have managed to grow in the same direction. So much love, laughter and acceptance has been cultivated between us. I cannot thank you enough for all those nights spent talking on the phone late at night. For all the times you answered my calls when I was crying after a bad dream and needed another person to exist with me. For all the beta-reading, spelling checks, and long-reading sessions. Thank you for being there and for being the Wade Wilson to my Peter Parker.

Nova: I have never met another person so similar to myself. You’ve given me so much comfort in my identity and existence. You are a lovely, sugary sweet human being, even when you’re badass. You have such a fierce and generous energy, which has enraptured me since the moment we met. We met through hard circumstances, but I believe it was worth it because we found each other. I would relive it a hundred times if you were still standing at the end of it. Our love for one another is so nurturing and wholesome, and I wouldn’t give it up for all the money in the world. Thank you for your friendship, generosity, and patience. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you. Probably throw a fit.

Nikki: You are seriously one of the most interesting people I have ever met. You’re so hilarious, so intriguing, and so sincere. I couldn’t ask for a better friend. Your presence is one I’ll never forget and hope to never live without. I will always hold my hand out to you because I know you’d do the same for me. You’re such a supportive, kind, and affectionate person. You don’t give yourself enough credit for how fuckin’ amazing you are. I’m very glad to call you my friend, and I can’t thank you enough for being mine. You matter so much to me. Thank you for all the playlists, passion, and crude jokes.

Cierra: You are such a beautiful, darling person. We have grown so much together and I could not be happier to call you my friend. Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of having a friend like the teenage girls in the coming of age movies. The type of friendship where you gush about boys, share all of your dreams and uplift each other to the highest degree. I feel so much happiness talking to you, even if it's about nothing at all. You have supported me so thoroughly and have always been such a gentle, soft girl. I am so proud to call you my friend. For all the times we gushed over Tom Holland, thank you.

J: From the very moment we met, we’ve had intense and bold chemistry. You’re so funny and so wise, even if sometimes I want to beat you with a stick. Your love and dedication for me have been such a pleasure. I love that we can spend hours on the phone - talking about everything and nothing at all. You’ve always been there to support me, even in times when I felt too weak to go on. Your love for me has been so enveloping, and I hope you know that I love you just as much. Thank you for giving me the courage to remove toxic people from my life. Thank you for remembering the little things about me. And most of all, thank you for also indulging in my love for oldies beach music. You’re wonderful.

Aisu, Amanda, Sky, and Reez: My wonderful squad! You guys are endlessly supportive, hilarious, and fantastic human beings. Never in my life have I felt so brave and safe with a group of people. It is truly an honor to log onto Twitter and talk to such honest, fantastic friends. No matter what I’m talking about, you guys are always there to encourage me. Through all my writing, my artwork, my strange fantasies - you guys have been there. For all the support of my Kylo Ren fetish, my love for Slenderman, and random infatuations with villians, thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart, I love y’all.

To myself: You’ve made it this far. I know that some days you succumb to the pain, the insecurity, the anguish, but you have truly been so brave. Every time that you’ve fallen, you’ve pushed yourself from the ground and stood on your feet once more. Against all odds, you have made it to eighteen. You are strong. You are smart. You are brave. Even on the days when you wished you were someone else, or gone completely, you have bandaged your wounds and taken care of yourself. I am so proud of you. For once in my life, I am happy to be who I am. I am happy to be you. To inhabit this body. Thank you for never once giving up on yourself, even when you so desperately wanted to. Thank you so much.

I learned so much during my year as seventeen. It hasn’t been easy by any means; there were so many times when I wanted to let go of it all. Recovering from severe depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder has been a long, arduous process. I’ve been in therapy for nearly a full year now, and I’ve come so far in examining my trauma and understanding how to live with it. This year, I’ve done my best to step out of my comfort zone and allow myself to flourish as much as possible. This life can be complicated and heartbreaking, but it’s worth it all. For all the happiness, the love, the sweetness.

Finally, I’d like to list the songs that I’ve played a billion times and have been the biggest comfort.

1. Mariners Apartment Complex by Lana Del Rey

2. O Superman by Laurie Anderson

3. Allentown by Manchester Orchestra & The Front Bottoms

4. I’ll Still Have Me by CYN

5. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

Thank you to everyone. For everything.

“Knowing at last what I am, recognizing it, admitting it, confronting it,” - Anaïs Nin

#tate hyperventilates #friends #long post #18th birthday #mental illness tw

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wickedbananas · 7 years

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Google Questions and Answers: A Case Study

Posted by MiriamEllis

Ever since Google rolled out Questions and Answers in mid-2017, I’ve been trying to get a sense of its reception by consumers and brands. Initially restricted to Android Google Maps, this fascinating feature which enables local business owners and the public to answer consumer questions made it to desktop displays this past December, adding yet another data layer to knowledge panels and local finders.

As someone who has worked in Q&A forums for the majority of my digital marketing life, I took an immediate shine to the idea of Google Questions and Answers. Here’s a chance, I thought, for consumers and brands to take meaningful communication to a whole new level, exchanging requests, advice, and help so effortlessly. Here’s an opportunity for businesses to place answers to FAQs right upfront in the SERPs, while also capturing new data about consumer needs and desires. So cool!

But, so far, we seem to be getting off to a slow start. According to a recent, wide-scale GetFiveStars study, 25% of businesses now have questions waiting for them. I decided to hone in on San Francisco and look at 20 busy industries in that city to find out not just how many questions were being asked, but also how many answers were being given, and who was doing the answering. I broke down responders into three groups: Local Guides (LGs), random users (RUs), and owners (Os). I looked at the top 10 businesses ranking in the local finder for each industry:

Industry Number of Questions Number of Answers LGs RUs Os Dentists 1 0 0 0 0 Plumbers 2 0 - - - Chiropractors 0 - - - - Mexican Restaurants 10 23 22 1 - Italian Restaurants 15 20 19 1 - Chinese Restaurants 16 53 49 4 - Car Dealers 4 5 3 2 - Supermarkets 7 27 24 3 - Clothing Stores 4 1 1 - - Florists 1 0 - - - Hotels 44 142 114 28 - Real Estate Agencies 0 - - - - General Contractors 1 0 - - - Cell Phone Stores 14 3 3 - - Yoga Studios 1 0 - - - Banks 1 0 - - - Carpet Cleaning 0 - - - - Hair Salons 1 0 - - - Locksmiths 1 0 - - - Jewelry Stores 0 - - - -

Takeaways from the case study

Here are some patterns and oddities I noticed from looking at 123 questions and 274 answers:

There are more than twice as many answers as questions. While many questions received no answers, others received five, ten, or more.

The Owners column is completely blank. The local businesses I looked at in San Francisco are investing zero effort in answering Google Questions and Answers.

Local Guides are doing the majority of the answering. Of the 274 answers provided, 232 came from users who have been qualified as Local Guides by Google. Why so lopsided? I suspect the answer lies in the fact that Google sends alerts to this group of users when questions get asked, and that they can earn 3 points per answer they give. Acquiring enough points gets you perks like 3 free months of Google Play Music and a 75% discount off Google Play Movies. Unfortunately, what I’m seeing in Google Questions and Answers is that incentivizing replies is leading to a knowledge base of questionable quality. How helpful is it when a consumer asks a hotel if they have in-room hair dryers and 10 local guides jump on the bandwagon with “yep”? Worse yet, I saw quite a few local guides replying “I don’t know,” “maybe,” and even “you should call the business and ask.” Here and there, I saw genuinely helpful answers from the Local Guides, but my overall impression didn’t leave me feeling like I’d stumbled upon a new Google resource of matchless expertise.

Some members of the public seem to be confused about the use of this feature. I noticed people using the answer portion to thank people who replied to their query, rather than simply using the thumbs up widget. Additionally, I saw people leaving reviews/statements, instead of questions: And with a touch of exasperated irony: And to rant:

Some industries are clearly generating far more questions than others. Given how people love to talk about hotels and restaurants, I wasn’t surprised to see them topping the charts in sheer volume of questions and answers. What did surprise me was not seeing more questions being asked of businesses like yoga studios, florists, and hair salons; before I actually did the searches, I might have guessed that pleasant, “chatty” places like these would be receiving lots of queries.

Big brands everywhere are leaving Google Questions and Answers unanswered

I chose San Francisco for my case study because of its general reputation for being hip to new tech, but just in case my limited focus was presenting a false picture of how local businesses are managing this feature, I did some random searches for big brands around the state and around the country.

I found questions lacking owner answers for Whole Foods, Sephora, Taco Bell, Macy’s, Denny’s, Cracker Barrel, Target, and T-Mobile. As I looked around the nation, I noted that Walmart has cumulatively garnered thousands of questions with no brand responses.

But the hands-down winner for a single location lacking official answers is Google in Mountain View. 103 questions as of my lookup and nary an owner answer in sight. Alphabet might want to consider setting a more inspiring example with their own product… unless I’m misunderstanding their vision of how Google Questions and Answers is destined to be used.

Just what is the vision for Google Questions and Answers, I wonder?

As I said at the beginning of this post, it’s early days yet to predict ultimate outcomes. Yet, the current lay of the land for this feature has left me with more questions than answers:

Does Google actually intend questions to be answered by brands, or by the public? From what I’ve seen, owners are largely unaware of or choosing to ignore this feature many months post-launch. As of writing this, businesses are only alerted about incoming questions if they open the Google Maps app on an Android phone or tablet. There is no desktop GMB dashboard section for the feature. It’s not a recipe for wide adoption. Google has always been a fan of a crowdsourcing approach to their data, so they may not be concerned, but that doesn’t mean your business shouldn’t be.

What are the real-time expectations for this feature? I see many users asking questions that needed fast answers, like “are you open now?” while others might support lengthier response times, as in, “I’m planning a trip and want to know what I can walk to from your hotel.” For time-sensitive queries, how does Questions and Answers fit in with Google’s actual chat feature, Google Messaging, also rolled out last summer? Does Google envision different use cases for both features? I wonder if one of the two products will win out over time, while the other gets sunsetted.

What are the real, current risks to brands of non-management? I applauded Mike Blumenthal’s smart suggestion of companies proactively populating the feature with known FAQs and providing expert answers, and I can also see the obvious potential for reputation damage if rants or spam are ignored. That being said, my limited exploration of San Francisco has left me wondering just how many people (companies or consumers) are actually paying attention in most industries. Google Knowledge Panels and the Local Finder pop-ups are nearing an information bloat point. Do you want to book something, look at reviews, live chat, see menus, find deals, get driving directions, make a call? Websites are built with multiple pages to cover all of these possible actions. Sticking them all in a 1” box may not equal the best UX I’ve ever seen, if discovery of features is our goal.

What is the motivation for consumers to use the product? Personally, I’d be more inclined to just pick up the phone to ask any question to which I need a fast answer. I don’t have the confidence that if I queried Whole Foods in the AM as to whether they’ve gotten in organic avocados from California, there’d be a knowledge panel answer in time for my lunch. Further, some of the questions I’ve asked have received useless answers from the public, which seems like a waste of time for all parties. Maybe if the feature picks up momentum, this will change.

Will increasing rates of questions = increasing rates of business responses? According to the GetFiveStars study linked to above, total numbers of questions for the 1700 locations they investigated nearly doubled between November–December of 2017. From my microscopic view of San Francisco, it doesn’t appear to me that the doubling effect also happened for owner answers. Time will tell, but for now, what I’m looking for is question volume reaching such a boiling point that owners feel obligated to jump into management, as they have with reviews. We’re not there yet, but if this feature is a Google keeper, we could get there.

So what should you be doing about Google Questions and Answers?

I’m a fan of early adoption where it makes sense. Speculatively, having an active Questions and Answers presence could end up as a ranking signal. We’ve already seen it theorized that use of another Google asset, Google Posts, may impact local pack rankings. Unquestionably, leaving it up to the public to answer questions about your business with varying degrees of accuracy carries the risk of losing leads and muddying your online presence to the detriment of reputation. If a customer asks if your location has wheelchair access and an unmotivated third party says “I don’t know,” when, in fact, your business is fully ADA-compliant, your lack of an answer becomes negative customer service. Because of this, ignoring the feature isn’t really an option. And, while I wouldn’t prioritize management of Questions and Answers over traditional Google-based reviews at this point, I would suggest:

Do a branded search today and look at your knowledge panel to see if you’ve received any questions. If so, answer them in your best style, as helpfully as possible

Spend half an hour this week translating your company’s 5 most common FAQs into Google Questions and Answers queries and then answering them. Be sure you’re logged into your company’s Google account when you reply, so that your message will be officially stamped with the word “owner.” Whether you proactively post your FAQs while logged into your business’ account is up to you. I think it’s more transparent to do so.

If you’re finding this part of your Knowledge Panel isn’t getting any questions, checking it once a week is likely going to be enough for the present.

If you happen to be marketing a business that is seeing some good Questions and Answers activity, and you have the bandwidth, I’d add checking this to the daily social media rounds you make for the purpose of reputation management. I would predict that if Google determines this feature is a keeper, they’ll eventually start sending email alerts when new queries come in, as they’re now doing with reviews, which should make things easier and minimize the risk of losing a customer with an immediate need. Need to go pro on management right now due to question volume? GetFiveStars just launched an incredibly useful Google Q&A monitoring feature, included in some of their ORM software packages. Looks like a winner!

Do be on the lookout for spam inquiries and responses, and report them if they arise.

If you’re totally new to Google Questions and Answers, this simple infographic will get you going in a flash:

For further tips on using Google Questions and Answers like a pro, I recommend following GetFiveStars’ 3-part series on this topic.

My questions, your answers

My case study is small. Can you help expand our industry’s knowledge base by answering a few questions in the comments to add to the picture of the current rate of adoption/usefulness of Google’s Questions and Answers? Please, let me know:

Have you asked a question using this feature?

Did you receive an answer and was it helpful?

Who answered? The business, a random user, a Local Guide?

Have you come across any examples of business owners doing a good job answering questions?

What are your thoughts on Google Questions and Answers? Is it a winner? Worth your time? Any tips?

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pinnithin · 7 years

Text

ROTC Story Time: How I Got Sniped

(This one got long but hey a lot of shit happened)

Aaall right last week was Operation Tenderfoot at my detachment, which is one of our last performance-level labs before the sophomore class is sent off to Field Training this summer, so the upperclassmen (called POC, Professional Officer Course) are really bringing down the hammer on us. My class is stressed the hell out.

Basically the setup of Operation Tenderfoot is that there is a four mile trail south of campus which we are to squadron march down and back, and there is a station at either end with exercises for us to do. I could go into detail about how our squadron marching went (not well) but there’s so much shit we fucked up it would take way too long to write it all. Our squadron commander got fired like three times, though. I was very lucky to not be picked to lead the squadron marching (which I was very happy about considering I majorly fucked up FDEs the week prior).

Anyway the first station was a PT station so we did squats and burpees and ran a bit but overall it was uneventful. Then we marched all the way back down the trail (more people got fired) to the second station, where we were instructed to gather around Cadet Jakle, a POC cadet who was the deputy commander of the sophomore class last year and is NOTORIOUS for being SUPER INTENSE about everything Air Force. I have a love/hate relationship with the guy because on one hand he’s just a dick for no reason a lot and on the other hand he really knows his people and is good at guessing a person’s limits and knowing just how far to push them before backing off.

So once everyone is gathered around him, Jakle scans the crowd a bit before making direct eye contact with me and saying “Cadet Holman, you will be the squadron commander for this FOB exercise. Get up here.”

Aw, fuck.

I go up there to get briefed and he tells me that we’re in a hostile environment, we need to set up a FOB (Forward Operating Base) and carry out the missions we’re assigned while holding our point. He doesn’t give me a time hack, which is weird, but he does give me two compasses and then steps back to observe.

I’m freaking out on the inside. I’ve never commanded a base exercise before; the most I’ve ever done in these capstone scenarios is lead the medical team, and that was several months ago. But I fell back on what I’ve been taught before and assigned my staff right away, picking a deputy for myself and then commanders for the ECP (Entry Control Point), Security Forces, Medical, QRF (Quick Reaction Force), Engineering, Supply, etc. I tell them to choose their staff at will and my squadron gets to work.

My deputy - god bless my deputy, I would have been lost without him - advises me to get to a secure location on the base and says that he will check in with my staff periodically and report back to me. So I sit tight and watch my squadron distribute out weapons (just some rubber M4s), set up a secure perimeter, plan and construct an ECP, organize the medical tent, and reinforce our armory. Everyone is doing exactly what they’re supposed to do because we’ve done this sort of thing a hundred times before, and I start to relax a little as I realize I can count on my people to do their jobs when I need them to. My deputy is reporting to me every five minutes or so, bringing questions and advice and generally being the best person ever. Things are going pretty smoothly.

So I’m standing around, discussing things with my deputy and my supply commander, when Jakle approaches me and asks, “Cadet Holman, what type of environment is this?”

Cautiously I answer, “...An AEF environment, Cadet Jakle?”

He says, “Yeah, and what else did I tell you? Do you remember?”

I paused and thought for a minute. “...A hostile environment, Cadet Jakle.”

“A hostile environment,” he repeats. “Do you know what that means, Cadet Holman? Do you remember that hostiles want to kill you?”

I don’t really know what to say except for “Yes, Cadet Jakle.”

And then he goes, “So WHY are you all STANDING AROUND? This is how people get shot. Get down and stay secure. I’m NOT going to warn you again.” and he stalks off to go talk to someone else.

So I tell everyone to take a knee or go prone if they’re standing and continue discussing whatever it is that I was discussing with my deputy. A few minutes pass and Jakle comes up to me again, this time with a notebook in his hand.

“Cadet Holman, did you assign an intel officer?” he asks me.

“No, Cadet Jakle,” I answer, realizing that was the only job I had missed.

“Wow, I’ve got some critical intel I’d LOVE to pass off to someone, but it looks like you don’t have an officer for the job so I’ll just hang onto this for now,” he says and just stands there staring at me.

My buddy Justin is the supply officer and his job is pretty much done by this point, so his hand immediately goes up and he says, “Cadet Holman, I can be your intel officer,” he says, so I gratefully assign him the role and Jakle pulls him aside to give him the intel.

The intel given is as follows:

1. There is a supply drop coming. It is in a gray truck. The driver is not to be questioned and the truck is not to be searched. This truck contains essential supplies for your airmen.

2. There is a village 700 meters east of your base that must be contacted in under 20 minutes. There is critical intel about an impending attack on your base there; this information could save many lives but the village must be reached quickly. [coordinates and a bearing are provided]

So I send my deputy to tell the folks at the ECP the deal with the supplies while I go talk to my QRF commander and give him the scoop on the village (and hand him a compass). We’re standing around talking about the mission they have to go on when Jakle comes over and hollers “WHAT did I TELL YOU about HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS, Cadet Holman?” and before I can reply he points to my QRF commander and says “You have just been shot in the head. You can thank your squadron commander’s carelessness for your untimely death,” and he marches off.

Shit. We all immediately take a knee again while poor Cadet Chase lays down on the ground, trying not to giggle as the medical team hurries over with a stretcher to cart his body away.

I look at the rest of the QRF team and ask, “Alright who was his deputy?” And I give the briefing to the newly promoted QRF commander and send him on his way with his team. Then I go back to my post and wait for my deputy to get back to me.

So the QRF team takes off and we’re waiting around for things to happen when I notice Jakle is prowling around the perimeter, pointing to random people and going “You’ve been sniped. You’ve been sniped. And you’ve been sniped.” Looking like he’s having a grand old time. I look on as our medical team becomes increasingly frantic, since they only have one stretcher between the six of them, as the body count piles up. I can’t really do anything about it since we’re all doing what we’re supposed to do; Jakle is just bored and thinks killing people is fun.

Eventually he comes over and goes “Holman can you brief me on the situation?” so I’m like “Yeah we’ve got our QRF team out in the field going to the village to get the intel, our medical team is dealing with the casualties, and the ECP is...” and I have to trail off fucking mid sentence because as I look over at our base entrance, the ECP commander is right in the middle of searching the vehicle that he was EXPLICITLY TOLD NOT TO SEARCH.

Jakle follows my line of sight, sees what’s going on, and fucking flies over there and absolutely tears up my ECP commander. The truck drives off, we lose the supplies, and I prepare myself for the onslaught as Jakle makes his way back over to me and says, “You just lost a critical supply drop because your people didn’t do what they were ordered to do. That’s on them AND that’s on you. Take better care of your airmen next time.” and he stomps away again to go terrorize someone else.

My deputy just sort of shrugs and goes “not your fault, man,” and we continue to go through the motions of listening to questions from the staff and giving appropriate orders as we wait for the QRF team to get back. I’m in the middle of a discussion with my medical officer when Jakle approaches me again and says, “Cadet Holman, a very very highly skilled sniper has recognized you as the commander of this base and has taken you out. You’re dead now.”

Never before has relief flooded through me as intensely as it did in this moment.

I flop down onto the grass and close my eyes while above me I hear Jakle go “Alright who was her deputy?”

My dear, sweet, wonderful deputy says, “I am, Cadet Jakle.”

“Congratulations,” Jakle tells him, “You’re the new commander of this FOB.”

Anyway I get carried away by the med team and lay in the grass for a while until I notice a shadow pass over me. When I open my eyes, Jakle is there looking down at me.

“Hey, I didn’t kill you off ‘cause you were doing a bad job. I just wanted to shake things up a little and see how your people handled it,” he said. “You’re alive again; go grab a weapon and join security forces.”

So I get me an M4 from the armory and sit my little ass down by a tree and hold my point until the exercise has ended.

The FUNNY thing is, this WHOLE TIME, our armory is poorly guarded and close to the border, so another one of the POCs had been periodically sneaking in and stealing our weapons and arming the village that we had sent the QRF team to. So eventually I hear my buddy Justin (who, as you may recall, was once the supply officer) go “where did all of our guns go?”

NOT THIRTY SECONDS after he said that, our base is attacked by 6 or so POCs, armed with OUR OWN weapons, opening fire on all of us. We return fire immediately, but the funny thing is, with those rubber M4s, the only way you can prove that you’re “firing” it is to yell “BANGBANGBANGBANG!!!” as loud as humanly possible while charging at someone. So a couple of my buddies just go fucking apeshit on these dudes. And like. Ten yards away are some poor, longsuffering fishermen just. Trying to have a nice day fishing at the nearby creek. And us idiot cadets are just fucking screaming and pretending to shoot at each other and raising hell. It was ridiculous.

So eventually the QRF team gets back and Jakle calls an end to the exercise and we all huddle up for the debrief. We talked about what went well and how I did personally as the commander (pretty good overall was the general consensus) and then Jakle goes “Alright, who wants to talk about what went wrong?” and someone raises their hand and answers, “Sahd stole all of our extra weapons and armed an entire village with them.” Jakle laughs and looks at Justin and says “That was your responsibility, right?”

Justin shrugs and goes, “I didn’t think we’d have any leftover guns.”

“Yeah, CLEARLY we didn’t have any leftover guns, because Sahd took them all.”

And yeah that’s the story of how I got sniped.

#pin talks #adventures in ROTC #a long story but definitely one of my best

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ryanbitchbard · 6 years

Text

The mIllenial Man

I was walking to the abandoned school house to find a photograph from my ex girlfriend Mary. I was given the photo as a teenager and been meaning to find it for a while. I didn’t have much going for at the time. I would spend my nights digging through nostalgia.

It had been a difficult six months. Since my girlfriend left i have been sort of a bummer. I burned through what little friends I had who would give me company. Apparently, people don’t want to hang with negativity. With no one to hang out with I had nothing to do but come home from work and browse the internet. For the last four months my life had become an endless loop of videos and pointless nostalgia. I just didn’t feel the need to really do anything. Lately I’ve been digging into old photos. Trying to relive old memories. I recently found a picture of the old school house that we would hang in as kids. I planned on going Friday after work. I wanted to find this picture of my old girlfriend. She wrote me a note in the back of it. I really wanted to read what it said. We were so happy back than. I know its not healthy but I haven’t had much to do. I was living for the past. I’m not depressed but I do have huge issues.

I broke the hinges off the door. I walked into lobby. Everything was dark and dusty. This place got run down. It looked as if people hadn’t been there in at least ten years. I remember when it first closed down because of the lead problem. It became a hangout for misfit teenagers. The smell brought me back to that time. I remembered everything. The nights drinking and smoking, the after school hang outs, and the casual hook-ups. I needed to find the picture. It was a Polaroid picture she gave me one night during our senior year. She told me about the note that she wrote in the back. I wasn’t supposed to read it until I got home. It was my valentines present. We left after she thought she heard people walking in and snuck out through the back. When I got home the picture was gone. I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time as I was still dating her. I told myself I would go back to get it after school. I never did. Eventually, we graduated and broke up. We both went to separate schools in different states. The thought of her would enter my mind every now and than but I had moved on. A year after college I moved to Philadelphia and the rest is history.

The room was dark and dusty. I didn’t know if it was possible to find the photo. This is the first time I had been there in fifteen years. I continued to look. Flashes of memories came flooding back every corner I searched. Memories of drugs with people I barely remember. Laughs with people who used to mean so much to me, yet mean nothing now. A tear rolled down my cheek. I was putting in so much effort to relive these times with people I don’t care about. Everything I picked up sent dust flying in my face. The school wasn’t that big and figured if the photo wasn’t in the few places it would have been stolen. I decided to look in other rooms just as a memorial of a by gone era. I entered one of the classrooms. the room seemed different. The room seemed a little more well Kept. Still dusty but a lot less. It appeared that people have been in here recently. “I wonder how after people come in here?”

“More than you think.”

I jumped and ran behind the teachers desk. I didn’t know where that voice had come from. I was terrified. I stayed hidden for a minute than he spoke again.

“Its okey. I’m not going to bite.”

He had an odd accent. He sounded Dutch with a hint of Arab. I cant explain. He had an old way of speaking.

“Are you just going to hide behind the desk? I see your feet. Ive been here long enough for my eyes to get used to the dark.”

I slowly got up. No point in pretending I’m not here. I shined my flashlight. It was just an old guy. He looked elderly and fit at the same time.

“Who are you?”

“Just a guy. I don’t have business here. If that’s what you’re wondering.”

“What’s your name?”

“Everett. That’s the last name I went by.”

I walked towards him. I had questions. Starting with the obvious.

“Why are you here?”

“To die.”

I jumped after hearing that.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“People live and people die. Nothing’s wrong. Seems normal.”

“Are you sick?”

“Nope just dyin.”

“Where are your friends and family?”

“All dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m over it.”

“Why are you so indifferent?”

“I’m not. People live and people die. They died a long time ago. There’d be something wrong with me if I were still upset. Are ya gonna cry about Lincoln.”

“No. But I never met him.”

Everett laughed.

“The guy was a hourses ass. Did good but could be a huge jerk.”

“Are you saying you’re old enough to remember Lincoln?”

“I used to have drinks with him.”

“Shut up!”

I was beginning to think the man was senile. Just a random drifter taking a rest. Although, there was something, oddly, coherent about him. I had a lot of trouble believing he was just a random nut job. The man laughed again.

“Sorry. I forgot to mention I have lived over a thousand years.”

I laughed. Now I was convinced he was insane. No big deal, I thought. I would just humor him and be on my way. I needed some entertainment.

“Really?! What’s that like?”

“I know you don’t believe me. Thats fine. Ive been around to long to care. Ive known so many people, had so many groups of best friends, and have explained this many times. You believe whatever you want.”

“Why have you chosen to die here?”

“Comfort. Its cool in here. I’m not a big fan of summer.”

I felt confused but found him interesting. I had nothing better to do than listen any way. So I just sat near him. It could be a good way to pass the time. I was going to keep engaging.

“What’s your story?”

“Its long.”

“I have time.”

“I won’t tell you all of it as most of my story is shit. Not all stories are worth mentioning. I was born a thousand years ago to Danish farmers. My family was killed when I was five. I had to move on pretty quickly. I was taken by another family who I would eventually call my own. I grew up without parents. I just had a bunch of older siblings.”

“What happened to that family?”

“Most lived to the healthy age of thirty-four. That was the standard age back than. I was surprised when I found myself still alive. When I said goodbye to ma sister Jesé, I was filled with emotion. She drifted off forever. I thought I’d be dead within in a month. At least in the next couple. But I never died. Twenty years later I found myself surrounded by friends and workers. I met an older lady and we decided to migrate to the Middle East. Ten years later my friends started to die off. I thought it would be my time. It wasn’t. I still lived. I I held my friend Tab in my arms for the last time. We kissed and she slowely faded. I still didn’t die.”

“Thats interesting. It sounds like you had an interesting life.”

I felt very self conscious. I think a part of me did believe him.

“Compared to my life you’ve done so much.”

“You seem like a bore. I didn’t mean to offend but I don’t care if i did. Most people I’ve met in the past hundred years have been incredibly boring. It keeps getting worse. Barely anybody gets stabbed anymore. At least in America.”

“We’re at war!!”

“This is not a war. My heart rate hasn’t risen in three decades.”

“Are you just going to sit here for another thousand years?”

“Nope. I’m dyin soon.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’ve never felt like this before.”

He became silent.

“So? Maybe you’re sick?”

“Nope. I know what that feels like. Being sick just makes ya feel broke. Like there is a piece in ya that’s loose. This doesn’t feel like anything’s loose. It feels like the piece is oldd and rusty. Another way to look at it...... Its like when you see your dog growing up. You watch the first time he walks up the stairs. You feel pride. Years later you slowly watch him loose that ability. Thats what this feels like. Like growing backwards.

“That sounds scary.”

“Ive felt worse. This is just different.”

“What advice would you give a young person like me?”

“I don’t know. You’re probably not going to live my life. Most people die pretty early. I guess I would tell you not to waste it.”

“Shut up! That’s so cliche. I want something useful. I don’t need a dumb Disney quote.”

“Okey. Don’t stab your friends in the back. I know the stakes aren’t as high as they used to be but you would all be a lot happier if you had more honor.”

“Okey. I get it!”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-nine.” “Jeeze!! You’d be almost dead if it were a thousand years ago! Get livin!!”

Talking with this ma had become a chore. I knew he was right about my life but I Didnt like hearing from a stranger. I was about to leave when he began again.

“Ya know.... ...your generation is lucky it gets the time it does, but your life would have more meaning you had less time. You guys get eighty years on average but only ten of them are worth talking about. You spend the the rest living in a box. For god sakes!!! Stab one person!! When my first wife died I stabbed my best friend for insulting her. Did I regret it? Yes but I had the gumption to do it.”

“Sounds psychotic.”

“Kind of. But I had fun.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need to live an exciting life.”

“Most people don’t live any kind of life. Ya move to the city, drink at a bar once a week, and call that living. Nothing exciting happens during your time.”

“I’m living through a war.”

“I cut a man with a Sabre! I also got cut with that same Sabre. I remember when the blades became obsolete. China brought guns to the table. I had to learn a new way of fighting.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“Now I’m gonna die. And in all my years I’ve come to realize the futility of it all and that’s what makes it worth it. You’re born to walk the earth in search of meaning, you find meaning, and the meaning is ripped away from you. I used to think I had a curse. Now i feel it to be a blessing. I got to live several lives. Once i got over my existential dread it became an adventure. I made friends who have died but they still mean as much now as they did when alive. Now people live twice as long. I managed to keep my friendships longer within the last two-hundred years.”

“You don’t feel that they’re more meaningless?”

“Nah. Like I said....I got over that dread hundreds of years ago. Although I don’t talk to many people now a days. I enjoy my solitude. Every now and than i’ll talk with a curious person who wants to know my story. Like you. Although, I’m not sure how interested you really are but you’re still here. I enjoy company but taking in the world alone is something I crave now. Ive been, happily, alone for the last thirty years. Just thinkin. Reflecting on my life, other’s lives, and the future of man kind. Sadly, I won’t get to see it.”

We spent the next hour talking about life. Not just his and mine but all of life. He talked of past atrocities and what that meant to him. He brought up the inquisition and how many people were killed. He talked of Genghis Khan and his destruction. I asked him about the twentieth century atrocities and he acknowledged em but lived to long to give it much thought. He seemed romantic and distant to his life at the same time. He talked of people he killed the most.

“My favorite way to kill was through the stomach into the heart. Looking them in the eyes while life drains from them. I hold a special place in my heart for the people I’ve loved and the people ive killed. If i stab you in the heart I you mean more to me than the person I liked. I remember everybody I slaughtered this way. The people I love have a similar place. My favorite was Lenore. I remember every night with her. Every kiss and every fuck. She means more to me than any any other lover or victim of my blade.”

“How did you get over her?”

“She was both my lover and my victim. At the age of forty, after twenty years together, she wanted my head. Out of respect, I accepted the dule. She got me in the stomach but it was I who made the fatal blow. We kissed one last time and it meant more to me than anything.”

“Jesus!!! Thats psychotic!”

“Was more common than you think.”

“Why did she want you dead?!”

“Family issues. Ive moved on. That final kiss was closure for me. After her I took on few lovers and fiends who could match how she made me feel.”

“How do you go on knowing that you may never find another love like that? That any love will just be meaningless compared to what you once had?”

“I don’t look at it like that. Sure she made more of an impact than any person ive had the pleasure of loving or killing, but I don’t think about that while I’m having another experience. I enjoy the times ive had and I don’t let the past make me miserable. They’re little memories I collect during my life, But they don’t define my future. Anyway, its harder to take many people seriously now considering Ive had so many experiences with people. Now I’m just waiting to die. I think that’s all I have to offer today. I think that’s it. If not today than tomorrow. I wish you luck during your life.”

I slowly get up to leave when he touches my shoulder.

“Were you looking for this?”

The man hands me a photo. The photo was of Mary. Its the Polaroid I was looking for.

“Wow! Thank you! I was looking for this!”

“I found it here when I first got here. Just laying in a pile crap. There’s a note in the back. I didn’t read it yet.”

I left the old school house shortly after the man handed me the photo. I got the old photo. Somehow I didn’t feel as excited as I thought I would. As I looked at Mary i felt the way I did when I played old video games from my childhood. Like I was looking for the finale of a rom com instead of an old memory from my past. This wasn’t real.

At this moment I felt like I needed to get my life back to reality. To stop living in the past and to live now. Hang with my friends again and stop being such a drag. I looked at the photo one more time wondering if I should read the note. The wind picked up and the photo went with it. I braced to go catch it than I stopped. I let it go. Whatever the note said it doesn’t matter now. She might not have even remembered. I turned and walk toward my car.

#nastalgia #old #elderly #memories #creepy #death #coping

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tainghekhongdaycomvn · 7 years

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How Is Google's New "Questions and Answers" Feature Being Used? [Case Study]

Posted by MiriamEllis

IndustryNumber of QuestionsNumber of AnswersLGsRUsOsDentists10000Plumbers20---Chiropractors0----Mexican Restaurants1023221-Italian Restaurants1520191-Chinese Restaurants1653494-Car Dealers4532-Supermarkets727243-Clothing Stores411--Florists10---Hotels4414211428-Real Estate Agencies0----General Contractors10---Cell Phone Stores1433--Yoga Studios10---Banks10---Carpet Cleaning0----Hair Salons10---Locksmiths10---Jewelry Stores0----