Strength in the face of Adversity

[Equilibera]

Thanks all for your insights.

12 hours ago, Oregon said:




There are still countries and states who do not see it as illegal.




Take heart in what we do have, in what we are, I would not change being Zoo for the world, and who we share it with, both here on the forum and in person, fellow Zoo's and Zoo friendly partners, friends etc.




I would rather be Zoo and have all the obstacles and problems we do have than be non Zoo and never face any of these problems. 

That's true, and I feel similarly. Being zoo has done much more for me in a positive way than a negative way. There are some zoo-friendly people around, and as long as places like this don't keep disappearing forever, there will always be. I suppose one ray of light in it all is the German amendment to their ban in 2013...I guess it's proof that some folks maybe have some sense after all.

10 hours ago, heavyhorse said:




First you have to come to terms with what's right for you.  If you're full of self-doubt you need to clear that up in your own mind.  I'm afraid no one can data-mine your brain, you alone have to decide.

I wouldn't say I'm totally consumed with self-doubt, thankfully. I had a long phase of that in my teens, and I think it has since mostly righted itself in young adulthood. My negativity can be characterized better, I think, more as this sense of seeing a lot wrong with the world around me and being seriously pessimistic about my role in it. Sort of a lack of faith in things' ability to improve...to the point where I loop right back around and start thinking I'm out of my mind for wanting such a thing to happen at all.

10 hours ago, heavyhorse said:




You seriously need to work on not giving a fat rat's buttcheeks about what other people would think about what they don't even know.

You're seriously right about that. Strategically not giving a fuck. Something to strive for...I guess I ought to go read more Camus.




And, to be clear: I'm not interested in being public. That's about the last thing on my modern to-do list, and something instead for the transhumanist biopunk robofuture that will happen 300 years after I'm dead. I'm just interested in feeling less marginalized, less stressed, more at peace with the world while I'm living in it.

10 hours ago, heavyhorse said:




And yeah, work in small ways toward that remote farm somewhere.  Not go out and sell the house and run for the woods, but each little decision in your life can take you a bit closer to your goal.  What you do, where you work, where your income goes.  Hell, drive a 30 year old truck; what else do you suppose you could do with 30 years worth of car payments?  And car insurance payments?   (I pay $190 every 6  months for car insurance.  Including collision and comprehensive.)  Priorities, man!

This is great advice for everyone, I think, not just zoos looking to own country property. : P I try to be as cognizant as I can of the slow-drip money sinks in life. Learning and getting better at it, I hope.

4 hours ago, silverwolf1 said:




You are more important than "social acceptance" of some sexual orientation or other. Work on yourself and your self first. That is where I started. I then discovered I didn't need the other.

Thanks SW for the encouragement, and for your commitment and perseverance in life. I'm giving it my best...just trying to smooth out the bumps along the way.

1 hour ago, cervids said:




Craving social acceptance is to some degree a human quality.  It is natural.




It is also a bad idea that is best repressed.  Zoophilia and it really don't mix.

I'm well aware, sadly. It is a natural tendency that sometimes, like in this case, does more harm than good.