Yarn. I started out like most knitters and crocheters, grabbing stuff on sale from Joann (RIP) and using affordable tools. Then I discovered boutique yarns and had a hard time going back to anything acrylic.

Of course, fancy yarn is expensive, so I rationalized learning to spin my own on a spindle, then acquiring an electric spinning wheel, and it’s like I woke up one day surrounded by hand-dyed fiber braids and raw fleece to wash and comb myself. I’m not an expert at it, but I am past the lumpy yarnfails I started out with.

Have I saved money? Hell no. But I do like spinning yarn, and I have made peace with the craft clutter… mostly. I also have been making forays into weaving after a long hiatus.

Yarn: not even once. 🙈

You expressed my feelings pretty well. Will I be completely safe? Maybe not, but for the time being I am relatively insulated from what is going on.

Even so, I am filled with grief for all the suffering that has already happened and that which is yet to come.

I don’t really believe in karma but part of me cynically wonders if this is the price our country pays for exploiting the rest of the world so long. Not paid by those who caused it, but the common people as scapegoats.

They do have a saying about things built on Indian burial grounds… sigh. Perhaps the system has to be broken to be rebuilt, but how many must be crushed under the boots of progress?

The shittiest part is that arguably, the US deserves this for all of the terrible things we’ve done. On the other hand, the people that will suffer the worst are the most vulnerable populations.

And of course, I don’t want to be subjected to this either, but… yeah.

Ok, as someone who did well in engineering school, I cannot imagine juggling all of that. I didn’t get diagnosed until 30 so I was unmedicated in college, but I lived at home and quit my pizza job when classes became more demanding. It was still a shitload of coursework and I spent most of my time at school, including all day on the weekends.

How I managed it back then was that I would do all my homework at school with my classmates, so basically body doubling. Otherwise I’d get home and screw off.

Even without ADHD, your current lifestyle would be a tough row to hoe. You are living on hard mode.

Working full time, trying to run a household solo, and have hobbies is a mess even though I’ve been out of school for almost 10 years. Most meds have caused issues for me, but I’m back on the merry-go-round to find the right combo because I am very much not managing my life, lol.

So I guess my advice is the following: be gentle with yourself, try to work in groups when possible, and perhaps consider switching meds if you feel it’s a limiting factor. The last one could be dicey though since instability could make things harder for you.

One last point: the students who are failing and struggling aren’t exactly going to announce it. Don’t sell yourself short and assume everyone is doing better than you!

Not universally true— with my healthcare network there is a consent form that allows you to decline the use of AI for online appointments, and for in-person they request verbal consent. I make sure to decline every time.

Just wanted to share so that people can check if opting out is possible (for now at least).