21 Comments
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Wendy's avatar

Whew... this whole post is a WORD.

Also, this paragraph is SO good and needs to be in your memoir: I am sensitive. Too sensitive. Too loud. Too talkative. Too emotional. I am too much of a lot of things. But despite my two divorces, I am actually quite fantastic at relationships. Actually, that’s probably why I’ve been divorced twice. Because, as they say, it takes two to tango, and it’s hard to tango with a refrigerator. When your emotional intelligence, communication, and desire for connection far outpaces your partner’s, well: Knock, knock, motherfuckers: The grim reaper of divorce just rolled up. Sorry, don’t shoot the messenger.

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Steph Sprenger's avatar

Thank you for that, my friend! You know I am particularly greedy for your accolades! 😍

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Jaimee Kosanke-Martello's avatar

Google fact-checking the simplest things I say…like… make a left “really? Is it really a left? Let me look it up myself. Oh hey yeah it says make a left.” 🫨🫨🫨

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MB69's avatar

THIS!!!!

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ORNIS's avatar

Ugh, this is SO GOOD. Just in the past month or so I have started saying that I feel like Cassandra. I also get sick really easily… coincidence? So much great writing in here, and I love how you incorporated Chat GPT in a fun, transparent way.

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Steph Sprenger's avatar

Thank you so very much for all of that. I hate that you can relate. But I think there are a lot of us. 💜

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Kristina's avatar

I've heard all of the above said about me and it got to a point where I just sit with my truth and proceed from that. No explanations given. I think Cassandra figuratively was the mother of the child who said the emperor had no clothes.

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Steph Sprenger's avatar

OH MY GOD THAT BLEW MY MIND. I think about The Emperor's New Clothes all the time. Because I so frequently want to stand on a table and scream, “This dude is naked; what is wrong with you guys?!” Thank you so much for that comment.

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Leslie Senevey's avatar

This is so powerful. And the too, too, too-ness that women have to endure. You nailed it. The reclamation connection is a beautiful bonus.

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Steph Sprenger's avatar

Thank you so much for such a beautiful comment. ♥️

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Laura Madson's avatar

Arguably, a lighthouse with a Mr. Gadget-like arm and blaring speakers yelling “THIS WAY MOTHERFUCKERS” would be a better design…

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Steph Sprenger's avatar

Um, oh my god, YES PLEASE.

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Jessica Joseph's avatar

There is so much here that feels very true and raw, just validating. I loved this especially:

My continual adaptation to other people’s preferences and deficits—modifying my baseline to incorporate theirs as the new default—has a delightful name: Self-abandonment.

It’s been my signature move for decades. Because when you grow up thinking that you must be the crazy one, it’s much safer than the alternative: Everything is fucked.

Personally, I don’t know the way out of this particular maze. But I hope you keep writing here and I’m following :)

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Laura's avatar

This! There are times I'd much rather be the crazy one, the hysterical woman, than face the horrors of reality. Not really, but, at the same time, yeah, I kind of do.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I can no longer believe that things are fine and it's just my perception that's skewed. Too bad it doesn't matter what we say or even how we say it -- no one believes Cassandra.

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MB69's avatar

I feel seen. Thank you!!

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Miranda R Waterton's avatar

I like the sound of your AI

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Parisse Deza's avatar

For those who wish to support the loss of their creativity by using AI:

"The Fine Art of Fraud" https://substack.com/home/post/p-163526164

We call it AI for a reason - It's artificial, like food coloring.

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Steph Sprenger's avatar

Oh my goodness, please calm down. It is hardly fraud when I clearly stated which aspects were internet research. It was not written by AI. If we are open minded enough we can use it as a tool to enhance and supplement our creativity. It makes for an excellent writing exercise, honestly.

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Parisse Deza's avatar

I will not read a piece of "writing" not written by a human being. I am particularly offended by the glibness with which anyone can have in presenting a piece as their own while saying it was "written" also by a computer. It does not matter what is in a piece such as this, how fine it seems to be. If it was not written by a human who has the self-esteem and integrity to do the work needed to produce a piece then it is worthless.

And you all should know better than to encourage this kind of behavior. It is an insult to the creative arts.

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