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Leaving It All Behind

🕑 Added 2023-09-18 00:58:41 +0000 UTC

Comments

Ruth Merriam

Welp, that just brought back an unpleasant memory from my son's first semester in a Master's program.

Steve H

Are those clothes joining the socks from AJR’s “adventure is out there” song?

Darcy Conaty

The "told my roomie she could give away my stuff" sounds a lot like what a friend's son did in the middle of a bipolar episode. Poor Ayo seems to have a grab bag of dysfunctions.

Ursus Ridens

Wow! Has Jeph ever hit into the experiences of a lot of us! I could, however, cite my recollection of a dorm-mate of my freshman year (long ago in a galaxy fairly far away) who drank himself out of the school -- but later (after a lot of plain, workaday jobs) embarked on a career of political activism and thence became a well-regarded social historian.

Some Ed

It's also important to not undermine that message by making it absolutely clear that they're not loved unconditionally. My parents talked often about unconditional love. In some situations they showed it, in others not so much. They never directly rejected me because I never really told them who I was. But they certainly conveyed pretty clearly that they wouldn't accept the actual me, preferring the idea of a child they had in their heads. But they mostly showed they would reject the real me by rejecting the real my sister. To be clear, I'm not my sister and the specific things they'd reject about me are not the same. But they did state things that they'd reject utterly and she matches some while I match others.

Cogspace

This one cuts deep for me. It's so important to get through to people - before it's too late - that they are loved _unconditionally_. That failure is an event, not a person. That no matter what mistakes they may make or what challenges they may be unable to overcome, we will always be there for them and they need not feel shame in seeking help. One can easily imagine a version of this story where Ayo doesn't get that job, doesn't randomly make a supportive friend, can't summon the will to face her sister, and I would really prefer not to imagine how things might go from there. Someday, we will build a world where everyone is safe and cared for, where the very structures of society exist not to enrich the few, but to enrich us all, to buoy up everyone and help us rise together to humanity's greatest possible apex. Until then, all we can do is plan for that world, take steps toward it as we can, and take care of each other as best we are able. My little brother is in a situation not so dissimilar to Ayo's. His insurmountable struggles are different, but the end result is the same, He needed his big brother's help, and I am grateful that he sought it, and that I am able to provide it. Thank you for writing this story, Jeph. It means more than you know. <3

Orion Rhine

The cracks have appeared. Breakdown is imminent. I feel for Ayo. I have had many such breakdowns in my life. Most recently because of insurance and FDA induced med changes ("GENERIC" CONCERTA ISN'T ACTUALLY COMPARABLE TO CONCERTA YOU FUCKING BILLIONAIRE SHILLS!). At least she has friends and family there to help her ride it out.