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this is what infuriates me about being punished for seeking authenticity online. i cant mask in every corner of my life. it'd be nice to connect with people in similar struggles on our terms, when we need the support, not only "once it's dealt with" and safely contained via vlog/thread/comic

It's unbearable, really. I try to be a light on the TL because I can afford to be one, not because i *have* to, and i complain when i feel like it's something that we can all kvetch about! I definitely get not wanting to take up all the oxygen with struggles, but it's okay to talk about them!!

One of the things I also think about a lot is the sort of need to veneer whatever’s going on in your life with the reassurance that you, yourself, are not a sinking ship.

People don’t want to be around a drowning person because they’re afraid they’ll be pulled under, and if you need to sell something, whether it’s books or art or Etsy crafts, people think of economic hardship as being contagious, and there’s a fear that they’ll flee if your business is floundering.

A bit more cynical, but I also think people flee because the sight of someone drowning is hard to watch, and they don’t want to be reminded that they don’t want to help you, so they’d rather look away.