Straßenkatze [She/They]

“Hey I’m Grump, I’m not-so Grump, AND WE’RE THE GAME GRUMPS!”

Suicide always leaves those of us behind with many questions, more than one takes an ever greater toll on the mind of the one left behind, so I want to first say first and foremost, genuinely: Your emotions are valid, and I know firsthand how much it can make one become overwhelmed.

Yes, suicide hotlines are still a thing. For the LGBTQ+ Youth, there is The Trevor Project, for others 988 services general crisis-level calls. You would need to contact particular crisis centers themselves likely for more details, but I would suspect one would need a degree in Psychology or other therapeutic-esque degrees to work in them.

Other than that, the unfortunate and harsh truth is that if one truly intends to go through with it, you as one person are unlikely to know until it is too late. Some choose the mercy of an out on their own accord, and those serious oft not talk about it unprompted. We have to try to be the best we can for those we cherish, and if something happens in spite of that, we know that we gave them a light, however dim it might have been, before the time. It is not a full solace, but it contextualizes an otherwise very overwhelming feeling.

If only GOG was not so problematic with its restorations. A game designed for X era not running on an X era machine because GOG decided to fiddle around with it and break its compatibility on the system. My Windows 7 machine was not very happy with GOG. More power to them for keeping old games alive and DRM-free, but that was a nightmare dealing with.

Firstly, congratulations on nearly reaching the starting line to the rest of your life. 18 always feels different to different people, but mostly everyone finds that life changes quite rapidly after that level-up.

People here have mentioned getting a job, but I want to offer a bit more actionable advice:

1. Contact a temp agency. You might find a direct employment somewhere if you scour the landscape enough, but temp agencies almost always have a contract in need of someone who is willing to show up. A lot of industries use temp agencies to fill in gaps but also to headhunt, and temp-to-hire is a real possibility that could translate into a career. Do not let anyone try to dissuade you from using a temp agency. Especially for those lacking work experience, they are likely your best bet(that was how I began before I was even out of Highschool a decade ago).
2. The fact you are actually working on a website(HTML from scratch or at least some custom HTML usage I would hope?) is really cool! But let it be a side-hobby until you can get enough of that experience under your belt. If you get well-versed enough in web design, you could always freelance for experience and possibly translate that into an opportunity down the line.
3. Starting a business is a lot a lot of work. It is not something a greenhorn(those new to things) should really be vying for, though the ambition is to be admired, I did not have that kind of thinking when I was your age. More power to you there, but do not get lost in the sauce. Like I mentioned in point 2, perhaps you can translate your apparent passion of web design into something eventually, but first you need capital and stability.

I am not going to offer financial advice since, well, I cannot do that. But the above is general job advice from a girlie on the boulevard, you can take it or leave it. I will opine one thing though: Banks usually have a way to automatically transfer money to a savings account and you can set percentages when setting up direct deposits so you can put money in one per paycheck, if you feel so inclined to do so. That is up to you and your situation though, just mentioning it if you were unaware of that.

Very interesting question honestly. The folks at my work probaby wonder it considering I am always giving enthusiasm even at the start of the work week.

I would not so much call it a “cheat code,” but what helps is to place yourself in this moment in time. What happened did, what happens now is, what happens later is not yet reality. To be fully present in the moment you are, and to embrace that and be in tune with your inner realm, that is how you can live life fully. At least, that is how I see it.

Many worry about the past which is just pointless, many worry about the future which will come regardless of worry and can only be changed by being present in the now. If we lose ourselves in times that are not, we lose the time that is, which is a travesty. “Right now is still special because you are here for it.”

It is a matter of expectations. A person who grew up in X situation believes that Y knowledge is fundamental, while one who grew up in Z situation may of had zero exposure to or need of being exposed to Y knowledge, instead learning T knowledge which they find to be fundamental.

There is a book I have actually, the Book of Basic Knowledge. I would say there is a baseline that makes sense for everyone to know for daily life(basic mental mathematics, how to construct sentences/formulate thoughts, a basic grasp of history to help understand why we are where and who we are, etc.), but some might believe there is “Basic Knowledge,” that is outside the scope of that book, because of the logic I posited above. Or some might think that the book goes beyond Basic Knowledge. And some might just outright disagree with what I think is fundamental to interface with the world(though having lived in it long enough, I think what I put is pretty universally needed).

“If you can stand, you can work.”