Page 107 of Through Quick and Quinn
legomylegos: ha ha i feel you but i gotta look. dude what if they’re frying our brains
Utoober: Surely, they’re not frying our brains. I think we’d be able to tell if that were the case. However, with prolonged use over time? There definitely has to be some side effects to that. I’m in. I’ll post what I find.
chempion: we already know that companies put profits above humanity. the question isn’t if wireless headphones are bad for us. the question is, just how bad?
rureddy4dis: At first thought, I guessed this was about volume control and hearing damage. But no, it’s much worse than that. Look.
PriceShake4As: @rureddy4dis Yes, that’s alarming. I see here, however, that the levels are low enough that they aren’t harmful. I’ll keep searching other sites.
247gamer: you guys ever hear about how all the silicon valley dudes don’t let their kids use the screens that they make millions off of? this kinda reminds me of that. like, look at all these peeps who make money off of them but know they’re bad so they don’t use them
Red-n-Real: i’ve been digging on this for almost an hour and for every plus i find a minus. this is so frustrating to me. it shouldn’t be this hard to find the truths on things that directly affect us. it’s maddening.
Friday, January 24, 2025
Note to self:
I got home from Quick’s house and walked by my dad’s office to inadvertently overhear my parents whisper-arguing. I’ve learned over the years not to stop and listen because I never felt good after doing so. I usually felt guilty for hearing something that they clearly were trying to protect me from, and besides, they deserve to have their privacy. All I heard today was my dad saying that I was going to be eighteen soon and that they needed to trust in how they’ve raised me. It warmed my heart to hear him say that I’m “a good kid” and that my mom should have confidence in their parenting and my character. Well said, Dad!
I am assuming Mom is still irked with me about Seek & Speak. We never really went back to the conversation about my digital choices and the subsequent effects that she seems to be really worried about. I know she’s trying to let it go, and I appreciated the big hug at the Zen garden when I apologized for hurting her, but it’s clear that there’s still a bit of a strain there. I think I need to give it some time, though. This is one of those situations that don’t need a rehashing. What’s needed is an acceptance of one another’s choices and feelings. For us to agree to disagree.
(Side note: Seek & Speak is still going strong! The posts have comments coming in days after the fact and it’s so cool to see how people respond to one another’s points. It’s quite beautiful to see respectful discourse unfold such that everyone leaves the forum more informed on both sides. I feel like that’s the definition of enlightenment!)
As for Quick, I am so crazy about him. It is insane how much closer we became and how quickly! Ever since that night, it’s like the dam broke. I don’t know how to explain it. Like we were holding back tons and tons of emotion, and once the wall came down, the feelings flooded our relationship. I couldn’t be happier about it, but I also have to admit that the looming change is ubiquitous. So I’m taking it one day at a time, enjoying all the moments that I can. For right now and for the months to come, we just want to spend as much time together as possible. We talk about it off and on, I think because we both need to process it before it arrives. Quick says that it will be good for us to be apart, and commented on how much closer we became after our little time-out last year. Which is true, so there is that.
I was thinking about it earlier today, how Quick is all I’ve ever really known in terms of a mature friendship. And definitely all I’ve ever known in terms of feelings beyond friendship. And the same goes for him. He is all I know, and I am all that he knows. And we’re much too young to commit to anything beyond today. It would probably be good for us to spend time apart, get to know ourselves as individuals, and maybe even date other people. I don’t know. I’m pretty conflicted.
I’ve kind of lost my way a little bit. I think I need to meditate more. The happier and more fulfilled I’ve become over the last year, the more I’ve slacked off. But I’m really starting to feel the effect of that, almost like a little void in my gut. I’m having a harder time finding that peace, a harder time surrendering. And I know for a fact it’s because I have been too relaxed and inconsistent with my practice. I remember for a while really feeling that serenity in surrender—it was almost like my mantra for a while there—where I focused on being true to myself and trusting that the universe would have my back. That acceptance and that relinquishing of control brought such peace. It was a great feeling, and now more than ever, I need to work on getting that back.
Honestly, unpacking all that just now made me feel so much better.
So back to tonight… Quick’s parents invited me over for dinner, which was such a nice gesture. His mom seems to be doing really well, and their family has a new light in their eyes that I think comes from true healing. I’m thrilled for all of them. It’s an honor to see it, and I can’t even begin to describe the way my heart swells when she calls Quick by his real name and then I get to see his eyes sparkle.
Dinner was delicious and the conversation was wonderful, but the best part was the surprise his mom had for us after the coconut cream pie. She got us the coolest grow bag garden! It’s six feet by four feet, and has a grid of two rows of three garden boxes. The material is well-draining, which Mrs. Williams said is a major key to successful farming. The other major key, she informed us, is high-quality, organic dirt, so we made plans to go to the nursery on Sunday since Quick works tomorrow. I’m super excited to start this project and see how much more successful we can be this year with better materials, especially since we’ll be planting seedlings in late February or early March after the last frost instead of right in the middle of the summer’s heat. Ha ha!
I know my life’s not perfect, and there will always be a hole in my heart for Troy, but I’m truly happy. I have a lot to be grateful for.
…Q
Quinn:
A Buzzing Visitor
Ever since I was a young child, I loved nature. I loved the smells and the sounds, the beauty and the wonder of it all. As I grew older, I found further passions for grounding with the earth, studying the magical effects of herbs, and appreciating the uniqueness of each and every living thing on the planet. Hence, it was shocking to me to realize that I was nearly an adult before I set foot in a nursery.
In an instant, it took my breath away. The smell of dirt intermingling with that of flowers. The endless spectrum of green foliage, of all shades, heights, and shapes. The cacophony of birdsong throughout. There was even a pond full of koi fish and turtles that stole my heart. I could have sat there all day, watching the majestic animals go about their simple lives, but organic dirt was calling for us.
Quick, his mom, and I headed to the information desk to ask for suggestions regarding the right type of soil and the estimated amount we would need for our garden, as well as for additional tips for amateurs like us. Equipped with answers and eager to get started, we loaded the flatbed cart and headed for the checkout. Since we were just waiting there in line, I told Quick I’d be right back. I wanted to squeeze in one more minute at the pond, even though I knew I’d feel a pull to come back to the nursery soon enough.
I sauntered over towards the fish and the turtles, a wide grin across my face. I sat on a boulder near the edge of the pond to get a good view and to relax for my mindful minute. I caught a glimpse of a baby turtle floating about in the water, its parent nearby and waiting patiently for the little one to climb onto its back. It was the sweetest sight to behold, and I internally celebrated when the young creature overcame the struggle and finally accomplished its mission. It was such a special moment that I wanted to capture it, so I retrieved my phone from my pocket and snapped a photograph. Right as I was about to stand up and make my way back to Quick and his mom, I noticed a swift and sudden movement out of the corner of my right eye. I had a buzzing visitor. A brown one this time. And all I could think to myself was, “Everything is going so well right now. Dang it. Now what?”
I traipsed over to Quick with a sinking feeling in my stomach. The change that was coming was going to be a rough one. I could just tell.
+ + +
Hey Geoffrey,
Sometimes out of nowhere, it kind of strikes me how much my life has changed in the last couple of years. I was sitting at the dinner table tonight, just kind of observing the scene, I guess. I don’t know how else to explain it. Like I’m there but watching from the bleachers? Anyway, there’s Mom and Dad, having a normal conversation and Mom’s even laughing. Talk about things I never thought I’d see. So our family is kinda normal now, well as much as we could be, and I’m happy. I’m happy at home. I’m happy when I’m at school. I’m happy when I think about my future. I’m happy when I’m with Quinn. And I’m finally in a place where I can feel joy and admit it without feeling guilty. I know you’d be good with that, so thank you.
