The Hermit

I’ve just did a rough total of my 3 cards and it is a little under $4,000. I’m now on a mission to reduce it asap. I feel quite ashamed. Will be trimming all unnecessary expenses starting now. 1 month ago

Miracle: statistically unlikely but beneficial

Well I need one now. Everything’s up in the air. I’ve been in this city for 7 months and will likely have to move again. I like it here but my partner doesn’t. He is dissatisfied with his job and the weather and wants to move back to Sydney. My finances are in a precarious state and I am contemplating selling my apartment because am having trouble paying bills. I need to get to Sydney somehow in a couple of months to farewell a very good friend who is emigrating. But I don’t have much in the way of $$.

Can miracles happen?

One happened to me some years ago. I am hoping for another one (if it’s not too much to ask). I’ve looked at my astrology transits and they seem surprisingly good (can you tell I’m desperate). Will wait to see if it pans out. 5 months ago

Last week I gave up a seat on the tram for an older gentleman. I don’t think very much of it, it’s just basic manners. Sometimes I see young people sitting on buses and trams and an old person is standing and looking frail. It’s sad really.

I usually find it’s women who give up their seats to old people and pregnant women. The men just typically sit there. 5 months ago

Today I helped an old lady by lifting her wheelie shopping bag onto the bus step for her so she could get in without using the ramp. She smiled and looked happy.

Yep, I’m a specialist in helping old ladies. This is the second one in recent memory. Some months ago I helped an old lady off the bus by carrying her incredibly heavy shopping bags. She looked very grateful and thanked me profusely.

Some old ladies can be really nice. Have come across a couple of rude old crones though. 5 months ago

I’m having money woes again. I thought i had made extra in the last few months but it just seems to get spent. So I’ve now clamped right down on spending which seems to be working.

I’m not sure how long I can sustain myself working freelance. My partner has suggested I get a part-time job which seems sensible. However I can’t actually commit to anything since I have two projects to finish before Xmas, then we’re travelling interstate to see the inlaws at Xmas. It will all be happening when I come back, that’s for sure.

In the meantime, I guess I have to not spend very much and work as hard and fast as I can. 6 months ago

I’ve been working so hard I didn’t have time to log into 43 things :-( I worked solidly for a couple of months and made $800. Alas, along came 3 forgotten bills for $1500 and wiped it all out.

However it looks like I have more work lined up so I’m not too worried, I just hope all the clients are happy and I can manage my time more effectively.

I’m hoping in a couple of months I can accomplish this goal. I seem to be doing well but it’s just very slow. 8 months ago

It’s happening pretty quick…just reinvesting my current loans, pretty good! 9 months ago

I agree. Every time I read about another child abuse case I think, ‘if only’.
I think the societal expectation is tremendous, there is this unspoken assumption or something. I’ve had people who’ve met me for the first time ask, “How many children do you have?” without first checking that I actually have any kids.
I can only hope one day expectations will change, however I wonder how bad things will get if they don’t. 10 months ago

I have put a lot of thought into this, probably a couple of decades’ worth :-) Probably because my parents were insistent that I produce grandchildren and didn’t stop harassing me about it. (Had to go no contact with them, but that’s a whole other story.)

I used to second guess myself, thinking, should I have had children? Would it have made me a better person? I think the bottom line is I can be a better person with or without children. I don’t need to have them to prove anything to anybody, certainly not in these precarious times.

I’m really happy now because I see that I have done the right thing for myself, and hopefully for society in general. I’m not sure that everyone will see it that way though, but I have no doubt that I’ve done the right thing. 10 months ago

Sorry to hear about the migraines. Daily headaches would really suck. Any chance of visiting a trained Chinese medical practitioner?
Conventional Western medicine is not very useful in treating migraines. I think the Chinese system really gets to the root of the problem.

You may wish to read more about it. They may use a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine etc.

I learned about Chinese medicine when I was going through some ‘ladies problems’ involving my uterus. Western medicine was no help at all. I saw a Chinese practitioner and he pretty much saved my life. If you ever decide to go this route, make sure you find a good practitioner, they should have had years of training, similar to a Western trained physician.

I don’t know if it is due to your wisdom teeth but if they’re impacted they may cause pain. One of mine was impacted and I would get headaches every time I went for a walk (due to increased blood flow, I think) and eventually had to have all 4 wisdom teeth pulled. No more headaches! 10 months ago

I was walking home very slowly carrying heavy groceries, feeling very tired, when I heard some children noises behind me. The path was very narrow so I had nowhere to step aside easily so walked a bit further where it widened. I was in a hurry to get home but stepped aside, stopped and turned around so they could pass. Saw two little girls on tricycles and their mom some way behind. She thanked me and I smiled at them. When they reached the traffic light to cross the road, it went green immediately and they were able to cross right away instead of waiting. If I hadn’t given way they would have to wait a few minutes for the next green light. This made me relieved and a little pleased. 10 months ago

I’ve only got $200 as buffer however am expecting payments and have work lined up for a while (assuming the clients pay). I just have to knuckle down and work really hard for a while. 10 months ago

Well I paid off my outstanding credit card bill from last month, it blew out quite a bit due to the interstate move. I think everything is under control now. I do have work lined up so now is my chance to save up and get ahead in the mortgage.

I just have to stop spending money on luxuries. Have determined not to keep buying lunch from takeaways and will eat at home.

Hope I stick to it. 10 months ago

I’m in my early 40s now and it is unlikely (but not impossible) to fall pregnant. I am charting my ovulation temperatures and being really careful to make sure it does not happen.

I never felt a desire to be a mother, and always assumed it would kick in one day by magic; I’m still waiting for this mysterious urge or ‘biological clock’ ticking but it’s not happening and it never will. I can’t think of a single reason for me to have a child. I’m not in a very luxurious financial situation, I lack a stable extended family support system, my bf is not interested in being a parent and we are both over 40, with schizophrenia in his family (his elder brother is a paranoid schizophrenic who has never had a job, is on benefits, and has no compunction propagating HIS genes, 8 times now!) The bottom line is that I would be of more use to society if I devoted my time, money and energies to other causes, rather than ensuring my genetic lineage continues. There is this overpopulation/overconsumerism problem that we’re having so it’s not like the world needs me to breed.

Parenthood is an enormous responsibility and not everyone is cut out for it. The sad fact is that so many children are born into a life of poverty, abuse, neglect etc. It’s heartbreaking. I hope that one day every single child who is born will have all the love and attention he/she needs. Wouldn’t it be a better world if every child was loved and cared for?

I will leave this goal up until I reach menopause. That may be a while away but I’ve come to realize this is one of the most important things I’m doing, or not doing with my life and I think it’s important that everyone realizes it’s a choice and you don’t have to have children just because it’s the done thing. That was how I used to think, but not any more. 10 months ago

I could not sleep last night, due to thinking about this. Normally I’m asleep within a few minutes but it made me quite excited. It’s about a musician and his life story, however it will require a fair bit of research on my part. 10 months ago