OK, let's forget about who deserves what, or whatever. That's stupid. Your emotional attachment to thinking some jobs deserve more than others is irrational and no way to make policy. Let's think logically here. You cannot live on minimum wage. Period. Full stop. Workers who make minimum wage require government services. Period. Full stop. Fact. That is not up for argument, it's just reality. If a business cannot afford to pay its workers a living wage - meaning you me and your mom are not subsidizing the corporation's bottom line - and make a profit, then the free market dictates that that business should not exist and should be replaced by a business that can. Either you believe in a living minimum wage, or you believe that government should subsidize big corporations. That is a fact, it is not up for debate. I am so sick of hearing people going off into fantasy lala lands where minimum wage jobs are for students or minimum wage workers should just live in grass huts in vacant lots or whatever.

My friends tell me that I never stand up for myself to my parents or let them know that I am angry or sad. How could I tell them that after years of physical and emotional abuse from my mom, clear neglect and being taunted about my weight or personal views by my dad, that I am afraid to speak up for fear of the consequences?

So, amidst planning for my sister's wedding and family calls only being about it, I feel a lot of jealousy. When I was getting married, I was going through bad anxiety/depression, my husband was leaving to boot camp so the person who supported me through that time was going and even though I did want a big wedding, we were saving up money and my family offered to help...but in the end they weren't so reliable so we married in a courthouse with only a few family members. I do feel jealousy because while my upbringing was hard with my family going through hard times of drug abuse, my sister (who is 15 years younger) had the normal upbringing. I feel like she is the second chance to "get things right" and I was the one who was just "good enough". 10 years later my husband and I went through our vow commitment and while once again, we wanted family there the lack of support (not financially but just emotionally) wasn't there and no one cared so it was just my husband and I on the beach which was a lot better than forcing others to care. It just hurts knowing that all the time I was shoved aside for others isn't recognized. I don't say anything though because I don't want to call attention especially with it being my sister's "day" but I also am not making a point to go crazy like they have been because I have my own life away from them.

My ex friend is delusional. She seriously thinks every man wants her and this is one reason for our falling out. She cheated on her DH numerous times. She honestly thought she was entitled to as many boyfriends and as much sex as she wanted. When she got caught, if course he left her, but then he came crawling back. Who knows why? Love is blind. But she made him suffer for months and emotionally tortured him because while they were seperated he slept with someone.....which he owned up to...but that wasn't good enough. She beat him with a broom handle. I couldn't stomach her sick dramatic stories anymore and I just stopped returning her calls. For all I know, she still married to her husband with the broken soul and screwing around with nasty toothless dirtbags.

Seriously annoyed. My dh is a child sometimes. I'm having body issues, my period is irregular and stupid painful, my boobs are doing weird things. But he seems to think that as long as I'm not pregnant, everything is fine. He can still jump me for sex regardless of what kind of pain I'm in because I'm not pregnant, he genuinely thinks that it has nothing to do with him. Wtf. He's really good at figuring out what I need materially, but my God he can be an idiot when it comes to emotional or physical needs. Needed to vent that.

The guy I lost my virginity to was abusive, but I didn't "catch" any STD's or anything. I don't really think there's anything wrong with women who have slept with many men, and the number of men I have slept with is fairly small.. but I didn't get anything positive out of those sexual encounters. Most of them were terrible and I didn't learn anything either. I mean.. the guy I had oral with prior to "losing it" was creepy and gross, like mid 20's trying to get with me and all my other 15 year old friends. The guy I lost my virginity to, I was with from 16-18 but he was an emotionally abusive controlling freak who turned into a stalker after I ended it and until he died like 4-5 years later, despite a restraining order. One guy was a longtime friend who pretty much used me just to lose his virginity when he was just starting his military career. We had sex twice. The first time, he came instantly upon entering me. One guy was a childhood friend and it was so awkward since it was in his tiny car and zero preparation/foreplay so that lasted maybe 30 seconds? He also cheated on his girlfriend that night. With me. Another guy was known as the weirdest dude in the little punk community I belonged to. It was so bad and he offered to get me off with a vibrator he had but I wasn't about to let him use his community dildo on me, gross, I don't know where that's been! I didn't realize it then, but looking back he was obviously a heroin addict. And the last guy, other than my current boyfriend, well.. I'm not entirely sure about that because consent is a huge blur for that situation and of course he conveniently didn't know either- I'd blacked out drunk a few times while hanging out with him. I woke up at his place naked covered in blood (his? mine? no clue) with zero recollection of the night prior aside from getting into a huge fight with my boyfriend, having that dude come pick me up to go get drunk/see a show, and thinking the 99 peaches tasted awfully weirder than usual. I was so fucked up mentally, and still beyond drunk. I wandered around in the town that I had never even been to, looking for help but nobody in the stores would help me. I ran into a guy on his bike on his way to work and he helped me but I couldn't figure out how to get on his handle bars so I just walked with him. He dropped me off at one of his lady friend's trailer and there, I smoked crystal meth and it actually calmed me down. Maybe if my past sexual history wasn't full of fail, I'd be fine with it but in reality, I would rather not have had any of that.

I lost my virginity at 19 with a guy I wasn't serious about, and it was wonderful! As were then next half dozen people (with a range of experience), ending with my DH. Some people need an emotional connection to enjoy sex, and others don't. I'm somewhere in the middle. Having sex with someone I don't know doesn't appeal, but I enjoy sex as long as I know the person well enough to trust them. And I'm glad I got explore my sexuality before deciding to be with just one person. But just because that was right for me doesn't mean it would be right for anyone else.

My parents were verbally and emotionally abusive and I became a much better person with a month of moving out of their house.

My friend drives me nuts with her constant complaining about her husband. He is SO bad, Four previous wives left him. He's an emotional abuser, a narcissist, and he does everything he can to swindle people, even his own family. My friend has all the money and they had a prenup. They don't have kids. Yet she will not leave, even though she's been saying for years she's going to learn to draw boundaries. This is going on for 25+ years now. I don't know who's sicker, him or her. I've run out of encouragement.

DSD didn't have sex until she married at 32 to a man 8 years younger. It was religious scruples. I respect her decision but think it really screwed her up to wait so long. She was very emotionally immature when she married. Her future H had been in the service while they were dating for 2 years, I'm sure he was having sex with somebody. I don't think a 24-year-old Marine who has been deployed twice would be inexperienced.