u/LittleTomate

I'm 27, from around the Ottawa area in Canada, and I genuinely don't know where and how to meet people. Like I've never had a girlfriend.

I've tried dating apps a few times, and every single time they absolutely destroyed my mental health. So now some of my friends are like, "Get off the apps!" while others are like, "Put yourself out there!". Okay but I genuinely don't know where to start truthfully.

Like I work in event management and at a farmers' market, so I meet a lot of people, but it's vendors, customers, families, and coworkers so not exactly people I'm looking to date.

I also don't really drink, bars and clubs have never been my thing, and most of my hobbies are pretty independent. I like photography, bugs (yes, I'm absolutely the weird bugs girl lol), art, gaming, etc.

I also don't have a huge friend group. One of my friends is trying so hard to help me, bless her heart lol, but aside from that, I don't really have this big social circle. So when people say, "You'll meet someone through friends!" I'm just here like okay I need people for that??

The part I struggle with the most is that I'm 27 and I've never been in a relationship. Maybe it's just my own insecurity, but sometimes it feels like people hear "I've never had a girlfriend" and assume there's something wrong with me before they've even gotten to know me. Whether that's actually true or not, it's hard not to feel that way sometimes and it honestly sucks.

I'm actually happy with my life too, I like my job, I love my hobbies, and I don't feel like I need someone to be happy but I just really want the chance to experience that kind of love someday you know?

So for those of you who met your partner without dating apps, how? Please teach me your ways lol.

My phone isn't even a week old, and while I was just scrolling Facebook it suddenly froze completely. The screen became totally unresponsive, then a random greenish bar appeared across the display from one side to the other before the phone restarted itself.

Since rebooting, it seems to be working normally, but I'm a little concerned given how new it is.

Has anyone had something similar happen? I'm trying to figure out whether I should just monitor it or consider exchanging it while I'm still within the return window. I'm running smart launcher instead of the pixel UI too.

I've been debating writing this for a while. Partly because it's embarrassing. Partly because I know exactly what I would have thought if I had read a post like this a year ago. I would have told myself the person just didn't persist long enough, didn't understand the law, or secretly had limiting beliefs.

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That's how deep I was into all of this. The truth is much simpler. I was heartbroken.

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A little over a year ago, my SP blocked me. When it first happened, I didn't think much of it. We had broken up. Emotions were high. People block each other after breakups all the time. I genuinely thought she just needed space and time.

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A few weeks passed, then a few months, then more months and eventually I found myself staring at the calendar realizing it had been over a year. Over a year of complete silence. No conversations. No reaching out. No reconciliation. Nothing.

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Somewhere during that time, I found Neville Goddard and the manifestation community.

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Looking back now, I think I was exactly the kind of person those teachings appeal to. Not because I was stupid. Not because I was lazy. Not because I wanted a shortcut. Because I was hurting. I loved someone and I couldn't accept that she was gone.

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So when people told me circumstances don't matter, I wanted to believe them. When people told me I could have anyone I wanted, I wanted to believe them. When people told me I could get my SP back no matter what was happening in reality, I desperately wanted that to be true and for a while, it felt comforting.

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Every time reality hurt, there was another video telling me not to worry. Every time another month passed, there was another coach telling me time doesn't matter. Every time I started questioning things, there was another success story proving that impossible situations can work out. So I stayed, and stayed, and stayed.

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I kept telling myself I was one breakthrough away. One realization away. One affirmation away. One self-concept shift away. Meanwhile, my actual life was passing by.

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The thing I don't talk about much is the money. Over the course of that year, I spent over $2,000 on coaching and manifestation-related content. Writing that number makes me feel sick. Not because $2,000 ruined my life financially. Because of what it represented. Every coaching session was another reason not to let go. Every success story was another reason to keep waiting. Every new technique was another reason to ignore what was actually happening. I wasn't paying for healing. I was paying for hope and hope is a very easy thing to sell to a heartbroken person.

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That's honestly what makes me angry now. Not my SP. Not even Neville himself. The people who profit from convincing vulnerable people that they can control outcomes that involve other human beings. The people who promise certainty when there isn't any. The people who always seem to have another explanation for why it isn't working yet. Because that's the thing. The system can never be wrong. If you get your SP back, it worked. If you don't get your SP back, you didn't persist enough. If months go by, keep persisting.

If a year goes by, keep persisting. If reality says one thing, ignore reality.

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There is never a point where you're encouraged to stop and ask whether you're hurting yourself and I think that's dangerous.

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The hardest realization for me wasn't that manifestation didn't work. The hardest realization was understanding that I spent over a year waiting for my life to start again. Waiting for a text. Waiting for a sign. Waiting for a person who wasn't there. I still care about my SP, I don't hate her and I don't think she was a bad person. Part of me will probably always care about her. But caring about someone and putting your entire life on hold for them are two very different things.

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I wish I had understood that sooner.

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If you're reading this and you're in the same position I was, please listen to me. Not as someone who has all the answers. Not as someone who never loved their SP. As someone who spent over a year where you are right now. Please don't put your life on hold. Please don't spend thousands of dollars chasing certainty from strangers on the internet. Please don't convince yourself that reality is something you're supposed to ignore.

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As painful as it is, start healing. Cry if you need to. Be angry. Talk to your friends. Go to therapy if it's available to you. Pick up hobbies again. Take care of yourself. Build a life that exists outside of waiting.

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Because looking back, healing wasn't giving up. Healing was the thing I needed all along and if I could go back and talk to myself a year ago, I wouldn't tell her to affirm more. I would tell her to stop waiting and start living again.

This would be my first dedicated camera. I mostly want to photograph insects (bees, butterflies, caterpillars), flowers, farms, farmers' markets, nature, and everyday life. I also work outdoor events and occasional small music shows, but photos from those would mostly be for fun.

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I love the TG-7's portability, ruggedness, waterproofing, and macro capabilities. I love the E-M10's larger sensor, retro look, and room to grow.

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I don't drive, rarely use zoom (at least on my phone), and would love something I can easily bring to markets, farms, hockey games, and on walks.

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For people who have used either, which one would you choose and why?

• Budget: ~$1000 CAD max including any accessories. Current options are a TG-7 at $649 CAD or an OM-D E-M10 Mark IV kit at $849 CAD.

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• Country: Canada

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• Condition: New only

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• Type of Camera: Undecided (compact vs mirrorless)

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• Intended use: Photography

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• If photography; what style: Macro/insects, nature, flowers, farms, markets, outdoor events, occasional music shows, everyday life

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• If video what style: N/A

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• What features do you absolutely need: Good macro capability, portability, durability, good image quality, easy to carry all day

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• What features would be nice to have: Weather sealing, ability to bring it to hockey games, good low-light performance, room to grow as a photographer

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• Portability: Ideally pocketable or small enough to carry comfortably all day. I don't drive, so portability matters a lot.

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• Cameras you're considering:

-OM System TG-7: Love the ruggedness, waterproofing, portability, and macro capabilities

-OM-D E-M10 Mark IV (14-42 kit lens): Love the larger sensor, retro design, and potential for learning photography long-term.

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• Cameras you already have: I currently use my phone for all photography, a Samsung Galaxy A53.

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• Notes: I work in event management and farmers' markets. Most of my photography would be insects (bees, butterflies, caterpillars), flowers, farms, local vendors, market life, and nature. I occasionally work outdoor events and small music shows, but we usually have a professional photographer, so photos from those events would mostly be for fun rather than professional use.

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My biggest concern is whether I would regret the TG-7's smaller sensor for events and general photography, or whether I would regret the E-M10 because it's larger, less rugged, and less likely to be with me when I find something interesting to photograph.

Hey! I'm a 27-year-old monogamous lesbian from around Ontario/Québec looking to meet new people and see where things go. Friendship is great, dating is great, and if I happen to find my person along the way, even better. Not looking for LDR and would rather meet someone somehow local.

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A bit about me:

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- I work in event management and farmer's markets.

- I spend a ridiculous amount of time rescuing bees, raising butterflies, and getting excited about insects in general.

- I love hockey. I cheer for Ottawa when I can since they are my local team, but my favourite PWHL team is Vancouver because that's where my favourite player ended up.

- I'm getting into photography and hoping to get a camera soon.

- I love concerts, art, video games, and animals.

- I'm bilingual (English/French).

- I have a cat who is convinced breakfast should happen long before I'm ready to be awake. I love animals in general!

- I get way too excited about random things and will absolutely send people photos of cool bugs.

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I'm pretty shy at first, especially in groups, but once I'm comfortable I can talk for hours. My friends would probably describe me as the type of person who somehow always ends up with a funny story.

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I'm plus-size and a little masc. I mostly dress for comfort and practicality rather than fashion.

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If you decide to message me, I'd love a little introduction about yourself rather than just "hey." Tell me your favourite colour, your latest hyperfixation, or something that made you smile recently!!! 🙂

Looking to meet someone 23–33 (I'm flexible on the age for the right person) in Canada, ideally Ontario or Québec. I'd prefer someone relatively local since I don't drive yet and I'm not interested in ldr.

A few important things:

-Childfree

-Strictly monogamous

-Smoke-sensitive (occasional smoking is okay, just not around me)

I'm pretty shy and introverted at first, but once I'm comfortable I can talk for hours.

My hobbies include gaming (mostly PC), painting miniatures, crochet, drawing, jewelry making, model building, and more. I also love bugs and nature. I've recently gotten into insect pinning (only specimens I find already dead), butterfly rearing, gardening, and I'm hoping to get into nature photography soon. If I find a cool bug, you will hear about it.

I'm a huge hockey fan too! PWHL games could be a pretty great date idea! I've been to several Ottawa Charge games this season.

I'm plus-size, bilingual (French is my first language), and fairly new to dating, so patience is appreciated.

If you message me, tell me a bit about yourself and your favorite color so I know you actually read the post. 😊

Hey! I’m a 27F. Hoping to meet someone 23-33 in Canada (Ontario/Quebec would be perfect). I'm not interested in long distance and would prefer someone somehow local as I don't drive yet.

Deal breakers: I don’t want kids, and I have health sensitivities around smoke, occasional smoking is okay, just not around me please. I'm also strictly monogamous.

I’m a shy, introverted nerd but once I’m comfortable I can talk a lot and will probably send you random music. I have a tons of hobbies! Like painting miniatures, crochet, drawing, model building, gaming (I have all the platforms but main pc). I'm very ADHD so I hyperfixate on random stuff sometimes (a lot).

I love bugs and nature. I will absolutely get excited over a cool moth or beetle I found. One of my most recent hobby is bugs pinning (only if I find them already dead, I refused to kill any for that) so yes me putting bugs in the freezer is very much possible. I have also been raising butterflies and just released my first two in the past week! So yeah let's just say I kind of have been going a bit crazy with the garden planning. I'm planning to get a camera eventually to get into nature photography.

I’m also a big hockey fan! I would love to have a cute hockey date where we go to a PWHL game! Been to a few Charge games in the past season.

I’m also plus-size (PCOS) but working on it. French is my first language but I speak English pretty well, I just have an accent and can forget my words when I’m nervous.

Dating is still pretty new to me, so patience is appreciated. NSFW-wise I’m open-minded and would qualify myself as a switch.

If you message me, please introduce yourself a bit. Also please no men, I can't believe I even have to say this.Tell me you're favorite color so that I know you have read this :)