Yuanrang

I think everyone would contribute by simply spreading mental health awareness, teaching people to self-care, and telling people to not give up hope for a better life. I loved the part of your comment where you said "Life can be so great, and trying to spend it alone is not worth it. It can be so much better - even if it means a lifetime of work". Life is a series of great and horrible moments, but the tragic thing about struggling with your mental health, is that you cannot see anything beyond the bleak and oppressive dread you are stuck in. Men especially are very vulnerable to this type of illnesses, because we are not really raised to be very open about our emotions and well-being, and would rather attempt to "man up", than to seek help. Since we also are slower to visit doctors, and might under-report illnesses, men are prone to not get the help they are in dire need of. Add that up with the fact that, when men do attempt to commit suicide, they are far more successful than women, and there is no wonder that men commit suicide 3-4 times more often than women.

At the time he posted this, I was not very much around due to moving on to my more intense periods of my life towards the end of my University studies. It was quite a few years later when I came over a thread in the Scape Lounge where it said he just went missing one day. Well, ever since then, I have been fearing that he had commited suicide. Druin once mentioned to me once that he might just go missing some day, and we would never hear from him again. To have it confirmed... well, it hurt more than I expected it to, having been "prepared" to know that for years. Druin was.. funny, kind, smart and witty. I have met many remarkable people in my time here, and quite a few of you have become friends and acquaintances. I have shared laughs and stories with hundreds of people, and they have made my time here something I will treasure for the rest of my life. Druin though.. he is one of few that earned my respect. He did not because of something he did or said, but because of the type of person he was. I like to think that a lot of people here came to respect him for his excellence, and in that, his memory will carry on. ....as a few general notes though, since... well, what Wiltingplant mentions is important: In January 2020, a friend of mine commited suicide. I found myself being one of a few close friends of his that had to nurse my friend through the last unraveling of his sanity, as he steadily lost his will to live over the course of a few months. My friend had the intelligence of Common Sense, the wisdom of Cameron and the wit of Dani. To see someone that amazing run straight into a mental wall, and see them turn into a husk of their former self was... horrifying. It hurt the day I read a message from him and I realised he had attempted suicide. It hurt having to get his brother to go over to check in vain if he was still alive. It hurt having to inform our friends that he had passed away. 2020 was... a brutal year that changed me, simply because that death shook me to the core, and a lot of people in my group of friends have struggled since. So, everyone, I implore you all.. Take care of yourself, your loved ones, and try to show acts of care and compassion to anyone around you. Whether or not you feel affected by the global pandemic, a lot of people do find themselves isolated and alone. Norwegian studies show that children, youth and young adults are all suffering with psychological issues due to how our lives have changed, and younger generations struggle with loneliness. People around you might struggle. You might not see signs of people struggling, but trust me. They are. They need to be seen, recognised and shown some glimmer of compassion. And to all of you stubborn men here, that think you can handle it... do not be a bloody fool, and get someone to talk to. The voices, the guilt and the issues will not go away. They will just grow and become worse until either you cave in, and seek help, or your mind caves in, and you crush everyone you leave behind. In the meantime, I suppose I'll keep on truckin'. I owe that to Druin.

I know that "Florida man" is a bit of a US meme, but really.. the US itself has a "Florida man" reputation where I live. I would never move to a vastly inferior country. ...which is why you will lose.

Yeah, new restrictions were announced yesterday for us as well. Today, they announced that last year's Rammstein concert will not be moved to this year, but next year. I miss normality. I miss simple things like going to the city, attending a concert or anything bloody normal other than being stuck and unable to advance life. I had a hope of getting married last year, but everything got delayed, shifted and complicated and... yeah. ....sometimes, I want to rage against the world. Sometimes, I want to cry. Ugh.

Congratulations, even if it is somewhat late!

Yeah, I checked that thread, and I got hit by a couple of heavy waves of nostalgia. I would have started a similar picture collab thread here for anyone dropping by, but it will not work due to the sheer amount of people dropping by, and the fact that people just do not adhere to size equality. ...that said, man, it is times like this when you remember how damn old you have become compared to the very beginning.

Quite some time ago, Morte made a topic in the DM sub-forum so people could sign their names on the "wall" when they were promoted to Distinguished Member. This was one of the earliest "walls", I believe. It made me think of a lot of people on that list that is now long gone, and then I began to think about everyone else I have crossed paths with and would have loved to catch up with, one last time. Friends, acquaintances... even those I fear might not be among us anymore, but has passed on. I dunno, just finding that made me quite nostalgic, and made me remember well over a hundred names, and made me want to chat with them again, and see how people ended up.

I am actually fairly sure I can (barely) see me on that picture of yours, Sobend. Most of my oldest pictures were made from Imageshack links that are now old dead, so unless I do a search of old equipment, I will not find any of those. I did, however, find this:

Yeah, winning this thread is totally why I still post in this thread.

By immersing yourself in all that radioactive Rune Armor in the past, you are clearly a glow-in-the-dark Egghebrecht.

A second before Sal's Realm goes down for good, a dark horse will pop in at the very last moment and get the final post. Let us not delude ourselves. What I mean to say is... "AWWWW HELL NAW!".

How rare is it to have those for you?

No, a hidden grue.

But wait, there's more!

It is a much needed weekend as well.