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pencil "lead" is pretty much all graphite. can't get lead poisoning from that.
I realized life was no joke when...
- Thread in 'General' Thread starter Started by sooperhooper,
- Start date
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My dad had a stroke last month
I stayed with him every night at the hospital for a week
Sat right next to him, helped him go to the bathroom, etc.
It made me realize how fragile and fleeting life is
He was playing tennis for 2-3 hours everyday, super fit and healthy
Now he has a tough time bending down to pick up something off the floor
This ordeal really affected my family -- it made everyone pursue their dreams faster
I've been sober since July 3, the day he had the stroke
This changed me forever
I stayed with him every night at the hospital for a week
Sat right next to him, helped him go to the bathroom, etc.
It made me realize how fragile and fleeting life is
He was playing tennis for 2-3 hours everyday, super fit and healthy
Now he has a tough time bending down to pick up something off the floor
This ordeal really affected my family -- it made everyone pursue their dreams faster
I've been sober since July 3, the day he had the stroke
This changed me forever
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Very good read man. Similar story with me this past summer. Quickly flipped me right into reality and what actually matters.
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how old is ur dad if u dont mind me asking
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Whenever something major happens to your parents its always something confusing. It “humanizes” them. It reminds you they won’t always be there.
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start thinking about all the times they were right
and u didnt listen
and if u made them proud
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From a selfish perspective for me it was more of a “you better get better because I’m not ready for this to happen”.
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My dad had a serious asthma attack when me and my bro were 11 and 12. He looked after my dad while I called 911. He was in a coma for 3 days while my aunt and uncle looked after us. I kept asking if he was home yet and they kept telling me he'll be out soon. I didn't think it was a big deal until the second night, I started to worry after that. Than I finally visited him in the hospital and he was mostly out of it other than some eye movement responses. He eventually got better and I'm impressed with the medical advancements pertaining to asthma treatment nowadays. But, it still worries me if I hear him weezing or losing breath. Thank God he jogs and works out to counter-balance it a bit. I feel for those of you guys who lost a parent or close loved one, I would be a different guy had I lost him back then.
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damn
whats ur ethnicity
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This thread is too real. Thanks for sharing NT. Life is precious. Eat, love, laugh, and be genuine. Came back in because my uncle was in a car, stopped on train tracks because a truck in front of him didn’t move, and his car got smashed by the train. Somehow he has survived.
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I gotta catch up on the new posts
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August 2005..........Man that month changed my life forever
In the middle of the month I was supposed to start my second year in college. But I found out I was placed on academic suspension. So I had to sit then entire semester out. The previous semester I was a full time student, but I gave up on 3 classes and stopped going to them ( I didn't know that you had to drop the classes so they wont count against you). If that wasn't bad enough a week later I was laid off from my job due to budget cutbacks. The savage part is that I had been training this new employee for the past 2 weeks only to find out that I was training my replacement. That s*** hit me hard. I was on the bus headed home sobbing like a kid. I couldn't go to school and couldn't earn anymore money. So all the while I had been trying to figure out a way to break the news to my parents. I hate being in a situation where I have to be a burden on others. So about a week has past and I was going to tell my folks this coming weekend. The plan was I was going to cook for them and try to gently break the news to them I was going to be outta school and a job. So the weekend came and I was nervous as hell. I kept thinking about all the possibilities that could happen: either they would put me out the house or they could be understanding and let me stay there until I got back on my feet.
Well..........That convo never happened. Unfortunately this was the weekend hurricane Katrina hit my city New Orleans. To this day I still can't quantify what it was like watching the city you've lived in your entire life under water like that on the news. Depression set in, hopelessness started creeping around, despair was right around the corner, and the feeling of massive loss was not far behind. We evacuated to Baton Rouge and stayed there for the next 6 months until it was safe to come back home. We lost a lot of material possessions but was thankful that none of my family was missing or hurt. I can say that such an experience will force you to grow up real fast when faced with the prospect of losing everything you've ever had.
In the middle of the month I was supposed to start my second year in college. But I found out I was placed on academic suspension. So I had to sit then entire semester out. The previous semester I was a full time student, but I gave up on 3 classes and stopped going to them ( I didn't know that you had to drop the classes so they wont count against you). If that wasn't bad enough a week later I was laid off from my job due to budget cutbacks. The savage part is that I had been training this new employee for the past 2 weeks only to find out that I was training my replacement. That s*** hit me hard. I was on the bus headed home sobbing like a kid. I couldn't go to school and couldn't earn anymore money. So all the while I had been trying to figure out a way to break the news to my parents. I hate being in a situation where I have to be a burden on others. So about a week has past and I was going to tell my folks this coming weekend. The plan was I was going to cook for them and try to gently break the news to them I was going to be outta school and a job. So the weekend came and I was nervous as hell. I kept thinking about all the possibilities that could happen: either they would put me out the house or they could be understanding and let me stay there until I got back on my feet.
Well..........That convo never happened. Unfortunately this was the weekend hurricane Katrina hit my city New Orleans. To this day I still can't quantify what it was like watching the city you've lived in your entire life under water like that on the news. Depression set in, hopelessness started creeping around, despair was right around the corner, and the feeling of massive loss was not far behind. We evacuated to Baton Rouge and stayed there for the next 6 months until it was safe to come back home. We lost a lot of material possessions but was thankful that none of my family was missing or hurt. I can say that such an experience will force you to grow up real fast when faced with the prospect of losing everything you've ever had.
Last edited:
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Damn sorry to hear that bro. Hope he is doing better. My stepdad had one about 2 years ago but thankfully his wasn’t too bad. But yea definitely puts things in perspective.
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Word to pops, hoping for a greater recovery
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I don't like police.
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Props to those that shared stories. Gives you a new perspective on problems.
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This thread was dope OP.
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P4L
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when I was locked up abroad last week, although I did review the jail for my column so I guess it was still kind of a joke.
cliffs:
-attended astrophysics conference as media
-invited to hotel by organizers
-ate lunch at buffet
-credentials questioned by hotel security
-attempted to contact event staff
-phone dead
-security calls police
-spent night in Mexican jail
-lol
It was a productive and fulfilling start to the week…I had been invited to a scientific conference at an Unnamed All-Inclusive Hotel (no hard feelings, guys) and was excited for several days of lectures on one of my favorite subjects.
Little did I know I was in for the experience of a lifetime…but not the one I expected.
After a welcome party at the hotel the previous evening, the morning of the first presentations came. I arrived onsite and took my seat between a senior Cambridge professor and an actual NASA employee, furiously working my purple pen to keep notes on the advanced material.
Lunchtime came, and after a meal of a few mediocre egg rolls and what was possibly the single okayest cheeseburger in paradise, I started to pack up and head back upstairs to take in the afternoon’s lectures.
Started to.
As I moved toward the exit of the cafeteria, an understimulated hotel staffer approached me and asked if I had paid for my meal, accusing me of hamburglary and insisting that I owed the frankly ridiculous sum of $25. I calmly explained that I was an invited guest of the conference taking place, an explanation that apparently did not satisfy the man in the collared shirt.
I reached for my phone to contact the event organizer and clear everything up only to discover that it was dead (sorry my nose isn’t pressed up against the thing all day, I know that is expected of us in 2019). A dispute arose as to who was responsible for settling the tab…I admit, I got pretty worked up over the whole thing.
Apparently I was in need of relaxation…luckily, today I would get it.
Buffet Secret Service produced a phone of his own, which was very much alive. He punched in a few numbers, and in what seemed like seconds a brightly decorated vehicle appeared on the scene. Before I knew it, I was the fortunate recipient of a police escort north of the airport to the neighborhood of Las Juntas, home of La Fisicalia Correctional Spa.
The Vibes: Secured at the wrist to the open-air passenger platform for safety or something, I felt the cool highway breeze whip pleasantly through my hair as we sped up 200 toward our destination for the evening. I made conversation with my security detail on the ride, mostly about current events such as my impending stay at La Fisicalia.
Upon my arrival at the accommodations, I learned that the establishment was based in part on the sensory deprivation concept that has become popular with some demographics in recent years. I was encouraged to remove all my bracelets, necklaces, and other character design elements to fully immerse myself in the experience.
Although I was initially hesitant, the staff was very convincing in their desire to have me get into the spirit of the setting. I hadn’t actually seen my wrists in years, so it was a unique opportunity for self-examination.
After being processed and photographed (I assume for advertising purposes, happens to me pretty regularly), I was shown to my quarters. A minimalist space was dominated by stately grey tones and empty of every imaginable object except for a molded concrete toilet, which could only be flushed from outside. I thought it showed a commitment to service by the staff.
At first I was told that I would only be provided with hourly lodging–a standard practice in accommodations of a certain caliber–but as the door closed behind me the bellhop informed me that my stay might possibly be extended overnight, allowing me to experience a full rotation of The Earth in the healing embrace of the correctional spa.
A customer service agent later came to confirm this, leaving me to unwind after a short day on the cold concrete floor. She added that I would at least get to enjoy a room to myself while adjacent suites were occupied by 5 or 6 guests. Some call that “solitary confinement,” but I preferred to think of it as VIP treatment.
For full disclosure, I found the lack of certainty regarding the length of my stay somewhat unprofessional for my American sensibilities and asked to speak with the manager in my best imitation of a Midwestern mother. The staff, hearing my concerns, offered me a complimentary Mace facial for my inconvenience, which I declined as I am unfortunately allergic to Mace.
Still, it’s the thought that counts.
The Vices: Left to my own devices without any of my own devices, I discovered other ways to help me make the most of my stay at La Fisicalia. Following the lead of ORLANDO HECTOR, the gentleman who had previously enjoyed a stay in my room and made his mark in three-inch letters on the ceiling, I scrawled out my own in the wall-size guestbook using a button from my cargo shorts. With the lack of distractions, my creativity was unlocked already.
Some time later, I was offered a refreshment: rebottled water. It seemed a bit oily, which I attributed to some kind of health food thing…maybe it was alkaline or charcoal-activated or whatever. In any event, it was a bit too fancy for me so I didn’t drink much.
I pride myself on being able to foster camaraderie in a wide range of scenarios, a skill which served me well during my stay at La Fisicalia. I forged a connection with several large cockroaches that crawled out of the toilet in my quarters during the evening. For hours we played catch with one of my shoes until our game was broken up by a hungry sparrow, who had apparently also caught wind of the cuisine offered at these friendly confines.
Isolation in the chamber was a chance to be alone with my thoughts, a luxury we are rarely afforded in our modern world. I considered that every decision I had made in my 31 years had led me here, and pondered what it meant to start April Fools’ Day at a conference on the furthest reaches of space and end it in this room exploring the deepest recesses of my mind.
My preset wakeup call came at approximately 7am as flights began to depart from the airport nearby, but I found it unnecessary as the excitement of being invited to La Fisicalia hadn’t worn off since the moment I stepped off the shuttle, and I had been unable to sleep.
Some time later, room service arrived: tortillas–dyed grey to match my room’s decor, an inspired touch–along with some kind of food liquid and what could have possibly been eggs. It was probably vegan, which reflected the correctional spa’s focus on a holistic approach.
I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t feeling very hungry.
The daily activity schedule offered plenty of options for passing the time. I meditated. I took a short nap. I performed a bit of karaoke. I used my very limited mathleticism to figure out that a mile was about 1,730 steps for me, and put several of them on my internal FitBit during the day.
I inquired repeatedly about early check-out and was told I would have to wait the full 24 hours. The commitment to their method was admirable, but I was ready to go for a smoke. “There must be some kind of way out of here,” said this joker to a guy next door. He didn’t get the reference, a profound reminder that my reality is only my own.
Some time later, a representative from the front desk came to my room to inform me that my stay at La Fisicalia was at an end. I’m notoriously terrible with hotel check-out times, and so I truly appreciated the reminder…another example of the exceptional caliber of service.
I had heard rumors that the staff at La Fisicalia had a reputation for taking valuables from their guests while they slept, one which I happily discovered was wholly unfounded. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find all my party apparati safely in my backpack where I had surreptitiously stashed them while being checked in because you can’t be too careful.
Once I had served my time in journalistic endeavour, I gathered my things and headed for the nearest Oxxo to retox myself with a few cold cans. The return trip to town was not included with the excursion, and so after I drank all 3 x 37 pesos on a highway bus stop, I set off for La Chingona for my first meal in about 30 hours because I said I’d catch you there, dammit.
The Verdict: Although the facilities could use some redecorating in my opinion and the amenities don’t quite fit with my interests, I can see La Fisicalia getting a lot of repeat business. In fact, I was intrigued to see that the correctional spa had a community outreach program that offered free day passes and seemed to take a focus on the disadvantaged. Sadly, I’m not sure it’s really for me…probably won’t catch me there again.
Little did I know I was in for the experience of a lifetime…but not the one I expected.
After a welcome party at the hotel the previous evening, the morning of the first presentations came. I arrived onsite and took my seat between a senior Cambridge professor and an actual NASA employee, furiously working my purple pen to keep notes on the advanced material.
Lunchtime came, and after a meal of a few mediocre egg rolls and what was possibly the single okayest cheeseburger in paradise, I started to pack up and head back upstairs to take in the afternoon’s lectures.
Started to.
As I moved toward the exit of the cafeteria, an understimulated hotel staffer approached me and asked if I had paid for my meal, accusing me of hamburglary and insisting that I owed the frankly ridiculous sum of $25. I calmly explained that I was an invited guest of the conference taking place, an explanation that apparently did not satisfy the man in the collared shirt.
I reached for my phone to contact the event organizer and clear everything up only to discover that it was dead (sorry my nose isn’t pressed up against the thing all day, I know that is expected of us in 2019). A dispute arose as to who was responsible for settling the tab…I admit, I got pretty worked up over the whole thing.
Apparently I was in need of relaxation…luckily, today I would get it.
Buffet Secret Service produced a phone of his own, which was very much alive. He punched in a few numbers, and in what seemed like seconds a brightly decorated vehicle appeared on the scene. Before I knew it, I was the fortunate recipient of a police escort north of the airport to the neighborhood of Las Juntas, home of La Fisicalia Correctional Spa.
The Vibes: Secured at the wrist to the open-air passenger platform for safety or something, I felt the cool highway breeze whip pleasantly through my hair as we sped up 200 toward our destination for the evening. I made conversation with my security detail on the ride, mostly about current events such as my impending stay at La Fisicalia.
Upon my arrival at the accommodations, I learned that the establishment was based in part on the sensory deprivation concept that has become popular with some demographics in recent years. I was encouraged to remove all my bracelets, necklaces, and other character design elements to fully immerse myself in the experience.
Although I was initially hesitant, the staff was very convincing in their desire to have me get into the spirit of the setting. I hadn’t actually seen my wrists in years, so it was a unique opportunity for self-examination.
After being processed and photographed (I assume for advertising purposes, happens to me pretty regularly), I was shown to my quarters. A minimalist space was dominated by stately grey tones and empty of every imaginable object except for a molded concrete toilet, which could only be flushed from outside. I thought it showed a commitment to service by the staff.
At first I was told that I would only be provided with hourly lodging–a standard practice in accommodations of a certain caliber–but as the door closed behind me the bellhop informed me that my stay might possibly be extended overnight, allowing me to experience a full rotation of The Earth in the healing embrace of the correctional spa.
A customer service agent later came to confirm this, leaving me to unwind after a short day on the cold concrete floor. She added that I would at least get to enjoy a room to myself while adjacent suites were occupied by 5 or 6 guests. Some call that “solitary confinement,” but I preferred to think of it as VIP treatment.
For full disclosure, I found the lack of certainty regarding the length of my stay somewhat unprofessional for my American sensibilities and asked to speak with the manager in my best imitation of a Midwestern mother. The staff, hearing my concerns, offered me a complimentary Mace facial for my inconvenience, which I declined as I am unfortunately allergic to Mace.
Still, it’s the thought that counts.
The Vices: Left to my own devices without any of my own devices, I discovered other ways to help me make the most of my stay at La Fisicalia. Following the lead of ORLANDO HECTOR, the gentleman who had previously enjoyed a stay in my room and made his mark in three-inch letters on the ceiling, I scrawled out my own in the wall-size guestbook using a button from my cargo shorts. With the lack of distractions, my creativity was unlocked already.
Some time later, I was offered a refreshment: rebottled water. It seemed a bit oily, which I attributed to some kind of health food thing…maybe it was alkaline or charcoal-activated or whatever. In any event, it was a bit too fancy for me so I didn’t drink much.
I pride myself on being able to foster camaraderie in a wide range of scenarios, a skill which served me well during my stay at La Fisicalia. I forged a connection with several large cockroaches that crawled out of the toilet in my quarters during the evening. For hours we played catch with one of my shoes until our game was broken up by a hungry sparrow, who had apparently also caught wind of the cuisine offered at these friendly confines.
Isolation in the chamber was a chance to be alone with my thoughts, a luxury we are rarely afforded in our modern world. I considered that every decision I had made in my 31 years had led me here, and pondered what it meant to start April Fools’ Day at a conference on the furthest reaches of space and end it in this room exploring the deepest recesses of my mind.
My preset wakeup call came at approximately 7am as flights began to depart from the airport nearby, but I found it unnecessary as the excitement of being invited to La Fisicalia hadn’t worn off since the moment I stepped off the shuttle, and I had been unable to sleep.
Some time later, room service arrived: tortillas–dyed grey to match my room’s decor, an inspired touch–along with some kind of food liquid and what could have possibly been eggs. It was probably vegan, which reflected the correctional spa’s focus on a holistic approach.
I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t feeling very hungry.
The daily activity schedule offered plenty of options for passing the time. I meditated. I took a short nap. I performed a bit of karaoke. I used my very limited mathleticism to figure out that a mile was about 1,730 steps for me, and put several of them on my internal FitBit during the day.
I inquired repeatedly about early check-out and was told I would have to wait the full 24 hours. The commitment to their method was admirable, but I was ready to go for a smoke. “There must be some kind of way out of here,” said this joker to a guy next door. He didn’t get the reference, a profound reminder that my reality is only my own.
Some time later, a representative from the front desk came to my room to inform me that my stay at La Fisicalia was at an end. I’m notoriously terrible with hotel check-out times, and so I truly appreciated the reminder…another example of the exceptional caliber of service.
I had heard rumors that the staff at La Fisicalia had a reputation for taking valuables from their guests while they slept, one which I happily discovered was wholly unfounded. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find all my party apparati safely in my backpack where I had surreptitiously stashed them while being checked in because you can’t be too careful.
Once I had served my time in journalistic endeavour, I gathered my things and headed for the nearest Oxxo to retox myself with a few cold cans. The return trip to town was not included with the excursion, and so after I drank all 3 x 37 pesos on a highway bus stop, I set off for La Chingona for my first meal in about 30 hours because I said I’d catch you there, dammit.
The Verdict: Although the facilities could use some redecorating in my opinion and the amenities don’t quite fit with my interests, I can see La Fisicalia getting a lot of repeat business. In fact, I was intrigued to see that the correctional spa had a community outreach program that offered free day passes and seemed to take a focus on the disadvantaged. Sadly, I’m not sure it’s really for me…probably won’t catch me there again.
cliffs:
-attended astrophysics conference as media
-invited to hotel by organizers
-ate lunch at buffet
-credentials questioned by hotel security
-attempted to contact event staff
-phone dead
-security calls police
-spent night in Mexican jail
-lol
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- Mar 19, 2013
Damn homie. Glad you out.
@ correctional spaThose cargos came in handy huh
Glad you free tho. FTP
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- Jul 1, 2016
Damn homie. Glad you out.
Those cargos came in handy huh
Glad you free tho. FTP
my whole thought coming out was like "damn, there's people that get locked up for months, years at a time." couldn't imagine.
I feel like everyone in charge of making and executing law should spend a day in jail, just to know whether they people they plan to put there actually deserve that.
...and yes, the ordeal has not only confirmed my stance on cargo shorts, but may have sold me a pair of combat joggers as well.
also, FTP, naturally.
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Should have opted for less pigmentation during the Create-A-Life process
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Damn g but .
Going to jail in another country must be crazy. Almost went on 2 occasions. Both under similar circumstances as your own.
.Going to jail in another country must be crazy. Almost went on 2 occasions. Both under similar circumstances as your own.
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