Here's a wild idea- how about we start a thread, of all topics, on... hope?

#52
I had HOPED this thread would end up as it has, and I feel rewarded! HOPE does work!

I think most here HOPE we can end the pussification of this country, and based on threads like this crashing and burning, I have a little HOPE.
 
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#53
LuckyDuck said:
Our world needs more Hope, something to believe in again.

-LD
Click to expand...
When the Jews were in exile and at their lowest, God said
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
-Jeremiah 29:11
And Paul pitched in too being more specific:
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. - Romans 8:24-25

In Christ, we have the only thing worth hoping in, Jesus. Anything else is an illusion.

... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to [c]Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to [d]James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as [e]to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
-1 Cor 15:3-8
 
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#55
LuckyDuck said:
Please don't make hope a meme- once that becomes normalized... well think about it, 'hope' becomes a punchline and what is left when hope has become the butt of a joke? Where do we go once hope is gone? I can only fathom we have no direction to go other than into the abysis.

-LD
Click to expand...
The democrats turned hope into a phishing scheme to play on week minded people to get elected. Someone turned it into a meme to point it out. You must be a democrat.
 
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#58
1724687929392.png
 
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#59
@LuckyDuck

I like hope and it has carried me through. Again, like others have said, this is the pit but that does not really mean this is only place you get salty repartee. I see it in the technical section.

So, this monkey fling shit thing will always be there.

I take victories big and small. Yesterday, as we sometimes do on Sundays, I take my wife to the house to look at stuff, get some fresh air, see the scenery. She lives in a skilled nursing facility. It started with a broken femur July 4, 2021. Leading to discovery that her electrolytes were out of whack (as they have been at other times in her life.) But this led to demylenation, which led to bad seizure and she was comatose through most of July and most of August 2021. Subsequent seizures and adjustment of meds is the big reason we keep her in the facility, on Medicaid and Medicare A & B. Now, she can from bed to wheelchair and then to the commode. And they have her walk sometimes, with a walker.

Anyway, yesterday, she slides out of the truck to a standing position. I go around back to get the wheelchair and set up. By that time, she is already up the few steps and standing at the front door. This is absolutely huge. Something most here and at large would take for granted was a cause for celebration.

I know, soon enough, someone is going to shit all over that. Which only proves that between me and the shitter, I am a better human being. Granted, that is not saying a lot in some cases but, again, taking victories where I can.
 
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#63
LuckyDuck said:
Doesn't matter to me what the reason/motivation is but dang if this place doesn't need some positivity shared with the other posts... the name of the game here is a word that seems to have fallen out of favor but it's spelled "H-O-P-E". Four letters, simple word, used to be a big part of local communities.

Like I said It doesn't matter to me what is shared whether it be-

(1) Child/Grandchild achieved some success in scholastic or athletic pursuits.
(2) Maybe you got a new toy that you're excited about.
(3) Maybe you're pursuing a project/effort that will yield positive results after you finish.
(4) Perhaps you found a new dish/flavor/style of cooking that has been fun.
(5) Maybe you've seen something new in your life that you either always wanted to or were swept away with surprise/emotion when you first saw it.

I don't personally care, all suggestions/comments are welcome in this thread. But keep in mind- if you don't have anything positive to share- you're likely going to rob hope from the 'other guy' that might be seeing a positive change in their life.

As for me- 2024 has been mostly good to me after over a decade of preparing for a major life change. My interests have changed, where I put my finances have changed, how I've interacted with old friends even is different. 2024 has been a major lift from over the past 10 years I've lived. Just within the past month I've tried several dishes I never knew existed or ever would have ordered, spent more time with family than I had in years, I've re-established old friendships and more.

So all that to say- I have hope that things will continue to be better moving forward. I feel like my best life is still ahead of me and that I passed a precipice from over a decade of preparations and struggles and am coming out on the other side to better days ahead. Current events and national politics don't have a say in my current happiness or momentum.

Does anyone else have hope here anymore?

-LD
Click to expand...
Stellar idea. Positivity is much needed here, as well as elsewhere.


I’ll play…

Every day when I get up and know He has given me another day to live up to my potential, I have hope.
 
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#66
Ronws said:
@LuckyDuck

I like hope and it has carried me through. Again, like others have said, this is the pit but that does not really mean this is only place you get salty repartee. I see it in the technical section.

So, this monkey fling shit thing will always be there.

I take victories big and small. Yesterday, as we sometimes do on Sundays, I take my wife to the house to look at stuff, get some fresh air, see the scenery. She lives in a skilled nursing facility. It started with a broken femur July 4, 2021. Leading to discovery that her electrolytes were out of whack (as they have been at other times in her life.) But this led to demylenation, which led to bad seizure and she was comatose through most of July and most of August 2021. Subsequent seizures and adjustment of meds is the big reason we keep her in the facility, on Medicaid and Medicare A & B. Now, she can from bed to wheelchair and then to the commode. And they have her walk sometimes, with a walker.

Anyway, yesterday, she slides out of the truck to a standing position. I go around back to get the wheelchair and set up. By that time, she is already up the few steps and standing at the front door. This is absolutely huge. Something most here and at large would take for granted was a cause for celebration.

I know, soon enough, someone is going to shit all over that. Which only proves that between me and the shitter, I am a better human being. Granted, that is not saying a lot in some cases but, again, taking victories where I can.
Click to expand...
The hardest job I've ever had is taking care of my Wife 24/7
She can walk a little but is mostly sitting or laying in bed
I hope I can see her back to normal soon But I don't believe she will
 
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#71
DarnYankeeUSMC said:
A realistic analysis of the situation brings preparedness. Hope brings a false pretence. Hope is a fairytale
Click to expand...
Agreed.

By definition, "hope" is the desire for something to happen or be true. Doing something to further the chances of that becoming true is not even in the equation.

It totally detaches expectations from reality and how one can positively affect future outcomes.

It is the perfect emotional embodiment of the way most leftists, many women as well as an increasing number of men males make critical decisions . . . . . . . . or even choose national leaders.

Hope is the equivalent to leaning on a shovel and waiting for a hole to appear.
 
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#73
Basher said:
I ask myself that question most days. For me, being here for my wife so she doesn’t have to suffer alone, and for my dogs who wouldn’t understand why I never came home, are the main things keeping me going most of the time vs the “alternative.” I haven’t much else to drive me forward at this point in time, but I’d love to see that change someday.
Click to expand...
There’s plenty of folks willing to talk on here if shit gets rough, I won’t put anyone on blast obviously but plenty of guys can attest to that.
 
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#74
n2ishun said:
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

Hope is an emotion.....women are emotional, men are rational (or are supposed to be, this thread leaves me doubts).

Hope in one hand and shit in the other....so the saying goes.
Click to expand...
And this is why dudes blow their head off.

You can be a man and deal with your shit, you don’t have to make a huge public spectacle of it to do it
 
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#75
akmike47 said:
And this is why dudes blow their head off.
Click to expand...
They have been brought up in a fantasy world where there's always a happy ending. The commercialized society has them believing that if they can buy the new car, house, watch, tattoo, shiny object that they will be happy. None of that is reality and much of the time reality is a shit sandwich. Some don't know how to deal with being served the shit sandwich. Some do.
 
#76
DarnYankeeUSMC said:
They have been brought up in a fantasy world where there's always a happy ending. The commercialized society has them believing that if they can buy the new car, house, watch, tattoo, shiny object that they will be happy. None of that is reality and much of the time reality is a shit sandwich. Some don't know how to deal with being served the shit sandwich. Some do.
Click to expand...
No they do it because they’ve been told they are a pussy if they ask for help. It’s not commercialized society it’s other men.

You’re saying the soft version of that “they just cat handle life”, definitely wouldn’t recommend anyone who has issues reaching out to you.
 
#78
Atomic_Lobster said:
The hardest job I've ever had is taking care of my Wife 24/7
She can walk a little but is mostly sitting or laying in bed
I hope I can see her back to normal soon But I don't believe she will
Click to expand...

I’m so sorry to hear that, but I can empathize as we’re in the same boat. My wife’s been bedridden for a year as of last week. Her condition (in addition to health issues of my own) has totally turned our lives upside down. She can barely manage to walk to the bathroom and back, and that’s about it. Lost her job in April. Working through the disability process right now.

If you ever want or need to talk, shoot me a PM. I’m looking for a good support group for spouses of those who are ill/disabled/etc. to help me navigate the complexities of our life now as there are so many unknowns and would be happy to share what I find or would love to know of anything you might have found if you’ve tried looking.

So there we go, OP. I hope my wife can improve enough for us to have some level of normalcy in our lives and relationship, and that I don’t have to watch her wither away forever. And no, we’re not just sitting here watching her rot in bed while doing nothing. Maybe “hope” in and of itself is lazy, wishful thinking. But some people bust their asses to try and find solutions. That’s part of why my hope is more or less gone, as we’ve been dealing with significant struggles leading up to where we are for the better part of a decade, but no matter what we’ve done it’s been a downward struggle that whole time. It’s not for a lack of trying, but rather that we’ve tried and tried and tried, and for every step forward, we’ve seen a net change of 2 steps back, minimum. So yeah, you can do everything in your power and it can be “not enough,” which kinda kills hope…
 
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#83
Fig said:
My friend's dad used to say, "It isn't a real problem if money can fix it." Reading @Basher brings his wisdom front and center.
This is an old book, but one worth reading for sure.
View attachment 8488880
Click to expand...

That’s part of our frustration. We’ve spent a LOT of money seeing all kinds of doctors, and all it’s done thus far is drain our finances and caused a lot of stress. To add the loss of her income on top of it means we have very limited finances to keep throwing at things in the hopes that something sticks. It’s one of those situations where it seems no amount of money can fix things given the world’s current medical knowledge. Maybe we (my wife and I) just haven’t found the right answer yet, or maybe we (mankind) haven’t discovered it yet. We don’t know.
 
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#86
Basher said:
That’s part of our frustration. We’ve spent a LOT of money seeing all kinds of doctors, and all it’s done thus far is drain our finances and caused a lot of stress. To add the loss of her income on top of it means we have very limited finances to keep throwing at things in the hopes that something sticks. It’s one of those situations where it seems no amount of money can fix things given the world’s current medical knowledge. Maybe we (my wife and I) just haven’t found the right answer yet, or maybe we (mankind) haven’t discovered it yet. We don’t know.
Click to expand...
I hear a lot of stories where they just stumble on the answer through dumb luck hopefully that happens
 
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#89
DuneBoer said:
The democrats turned hope into a phishing scheme to play on week minded people to get elected. Someone turned it into a meme to point it out. You must be a democrat.
Click to expand...
The democrats used the slogan "hope and change" back in 2008 and apparently have soured an entire populace on the concept of hope. Look at how the responses here have misconstrued the concept as hope as being inconsequential and confused the relationship hope has with action. Hope by itself is not action, but it is the fuel/the sustainment for why we pursue those actions to achieve goals. After all why would anyone work hard if they didn't hope it'd lead to accomplishing their own personal goals.

Hope is not a cancer treatment plan but is THE fuel for family members and friends sustaining them through months if not years of the actual treatment plan and the absolute life altering future that ensues during that period of time. Without hope, why bother pursuing the emotional and financial commitment if there's no evident reason for pursuing it.

Hope is not a retirement plan- but it is the foundation of why folks invest every paycheck so that when they come to retirement age so they can retire with dignity when they can no longer work.

Hope is not a wellness plan- but it's the cornerstone of why we make lifestyle changes to quit smoking, eat healthier, exercise more with the belief that those changes will yield to a longer & healthier life.

Hope won't save your four legged family members- but while you're racing to the emergency vet after your pup gets into a quarrel with whatever aggressive local wildlife you have in your backyard and you have them wrapped in your bath towel on the backseat of your newly purchased car you'd better believe that's going to be a core element (whether you recognize it or not) driving your actions in the haze of that night. Otherwise, why not just shrug your shoulders and mentally say "sucks to be my dog of 7 years"?

Hope is not action but it is the bedrock of all positive pursuits and I don't know about you, and won't speak for you, but I strongly hold the opinion that the absence of just hope will unravel societies faster than any bombs or natural disaster ever could. When you lose hope, you've lost everything. That's the point I'm trying to illustrate.

-LD
 
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#91
DarnYankeeUSMC said:
They have been brought up in a fantasy world where there's always a happy ending. The commercialized society has them believing that if they can buy the new car, house, watch, tattoo, shiny object that they will be happy. None of that is reality and much of the time reality is a shit sandwich. Some don't know how to deal with being served the shit sandwich. Some do.
Click to expand...
Your post demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the issue in which you're commenting on. That being said- that's likely a good thing (for you) and I don't mean for the comment to come across as an insult towards you.

-LD
 
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#92
Basher said:
I’m so sorry to hear that, but I can empathize as we’re in the same boat. My wife’s been bedridden for a year as of last week. Her condition (in addition to health issues of my own) has totally turned our lives upside down. She can barely manage to walk to the bathroom and back, and that’s about it. Lost her job in April. Working through the disability process right now.

If you ever want or need to talk, shoot me a PM. I’m looking for a good support group for spouses of those who are ill/disabled/etc. to help me navigate the complexities of our life now as there are so many unknowns and would be happy to share what I find or would love to know of anything you might have found if you’ve tried looking.

So there we go, OP. I hope my wife can improve enough for us to have some level of normalcy in our lives and relationship, and that I don’t have to watch her wither away forever. And no, we’re not just sitting here watching her rot in bed while doing nothing. Maybe “hope” in and of itself is lazy, wishful thinking. But some people bust their asses to try and find solutions. That’s part of why my hope is more or less gone, as we’ve been dealing with significant struggles leading up to where we are for the better part of a decade, but no matter what we’ve done it’s been a downward struggle that whole time. It’s not for a lack of trying, but rather that we’ve tried and tried and tried, and for every step forward, we’ve seen a net change of 2 steps back, minimum. So yeah, you can do everything in your power and it can be “not enough,” which kinda kills hope…
Click to expand...
Sincerely sorry to hear that. Best wishes to you & your wife. You're stronger than this, keep up the fight.

-LD
 
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#95
n2ishun said:
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

Hope is an emotion.....women are emotional, men are rational (or are supposed to be, this thread leaves me doubts).

Hope in one hand and shit in the other....so the saying goes.
Click to expand...
Dude, you ever read Dante’s Divine Comedy? How about listened to a lecturer walk you through an interpretation and critical analysis? I know, no one but libtards and commies have time for higher learning or Zeus forbid, a university, but you are missing the point.

Short summary: Hell is a state of hopelessness as defined by a separation from the hope of God, among other things. Sinners are without hope. The condemned are united in hopelessness at every level of hell, regardless of their sin, as that is the stated nature and rationale of hell itself.

The responses to the premise of this thread are the reason I pulled my subscription to this festering septic tank of humanity.
 
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#96
LuckyDuck said:
Your post demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the issue in which you're commenting on. That being said- that's likely a good thing (for you) and I don't mean for the comment to come across as an insult towards you.

-LD
Click to expand...
Well, to be fair, he has had his hopes dashed upon the hard rocks of reality. The bear thread in the bear pit turned out to actually be about bears. He had hoped it would have been about large and hairy men with nipple rings.

I think hope is the stronger emotion. To achieve something regardless of obstacles.

That is why I liked the maxims my friend, Lee, learned when he was a SEAL.

Accomplish the objective regardless of obstacles.

The only easy day was yesterday.

Second place is first place for losers. It pays to be a winner.

Everyone goes home.

Those are statements that define determination, something I apply to hope. Striving to continue because the mission is key. The objective is worth it.
 
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#100
Basher said:
I’m so sorry to hear that, but I can empathize as we’re in the same boat. My wife’s been bedridden for a year as of last week. Her condition (in addition to health issues of my own) has totally turned our lives upside down. She can barely manage to walk to the bathroom and back, and that’s about it. Lost her job in April. Working through the disability process right now.

If you ever want or need to talk, shoot me a PM. I’m looking for a good support group for spouses of those who are ill/disabled/etc. to help me navigate the complexities of our life now as there are so many unknowns and would be happy to share what I find or would love to know of anything you might have found if you’ve tried looking.

So there we go, OP. I hope my wife can improve enough for us to have some level of normalcy in our lives and relationship, and that I don’t have to watch her wither away forever. And no, we’re not just sitting here watching her rot in bed while doing nothing. Maybe “hope” in and of itself is lazy, wishful thinking. But some people bust their asses to try and find solutions. That’s part of why my hope is more or less gone, as we’ve been dealing with significant struggles leading up to where we are for the better part of a decade, but no matter what we’ve done it’s been a downward struggle that whole time. It’s not for a lack of trying, but rather that we’ve tried and tried and tried, and for every step forward, we’ve seen a net change of 2 steps back, minimum. So yeah, you can do everything in your power and it can be “not enough,” which kinda kills hope…
Click to expand...
I'm so sorry you and she are going through that........ :cry:

I've had hips replaced, cataract surgery, detached retina/surgery, diverticulitis, broken bones and kidney stones. In spite of all that, I consider myself extremely fortunate.

Prayers for you and your wife 🙏🙏🙏:):):)(y)(y)(y)
 
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