I really appreciate the reality check, y'all. I grew up being told over and over that I'm hypersensitive, that I overreact to everything, and that I have "distorted perceptions of reality," so it's really hard for me to trust my instincts about when people are being jerks.

JustShakey, I saw a t-shirt once that said, "Mock me and I'll knit your intestines into a hat." I really wish I could remember where, because I need one. I often (jokingly) threaten to impale people with my needles. I've even had a psych nurse tell me I was not allowed to perform lobotomies with knitting needles. (Because I'm a smart-***, my immediate response was, "So, crochet hooks are okay?")

ChipperMonkey, I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets frustrated by employment-related value judgments. When people ask me, "What do you do?" I always want to respond with, "I make sure people like you never get elected to public office." Mostly I just stick with political organizer as my answer, even though I don't get paid for it. I basically let people assume I get paid for it because I don't want to deal with their judgments about it.

It's just...it's already so hard to convince myself I have any value since I can't work a normal job. I don't need anyone outside my head to tear me down.