Hi i'm scott i have been an atheist since i was a little kid but due to my speech impediment i am usually shy even online.
I served in the Marines which helped me overcome some of my shyness but since i got out i reverted back to being shy. When i got out and got a job as a custodian at a school i came out as gay, i learned later on that it is still legal to discriminate against the lgbtq community in Florida.
After boot camp i struggled with ending it all but a friend helped pull me out of that hole. Now the only real happiness i have is my pet snakes and taking care of them. Even with my snakes i am getting closer to losing it at work cleaning up after the kids and teachers.
Now i am thinking about leaving Florida and finding my own way in life but i don't really know what or where i am going to do as i never really lived by myself.
Edit: though my life may seem all bout doom and gloom i still love life and all the mysteries it has to offer.
My family even though we've been through tough times has been the best and most inspirational people i have met. Except my fat bastard father ha, encouraged me to fulfill my lifelong goal of becoming a Marine, supported me when i came out as gay.
Even though i don't hide the fact im an atheist i do not bring it up unless religion is brought up first by another person, led to skme arguments between me and my grandmother at times so i dont bring it up first anymore.
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Hello Scotty.
I suggest you count what you have instead of focusing on the negatives. You are alive. Your are reasonable intelligent and able to find work. OK, it may not be what you want right now, but it is a starting point. And you are not alone. There are us atheists and there are may who possibly would fit into your personal life.
Take what you have and try to build on that. It may not come overnight, but as long as you are working in a positive direction, you are working towards personal happiness.
@david killens i know i try not to focus on the negatives it something i learned along the way through life.
As for work i don't really know what i want to do but i know i don't want to be a custodian for the rest of my life bearly able to afford to live life. But i do know i want to find a place where i can both afford and feel at home living there.
Edit: even though i still struggle with it i have found a balance of life work which is a real struggle of stress i leave it at work and home life at home.
Have you considered going back to school on the GI bill to study zoology, specifically herpetology? Might be right up you alley with such a love of snakes.
Honestly i haven't thought about that. Since i got out with a General under honorable conditions i don't have access to the gi bill but i could talk to the va about it.
I forgot to mention the good stuff about me, forgeting to mention stuff is a bad habbit of mine.
I like to go watch movies and go shooting with my uncle and cousin. My mother recently got me going to a driving school that pushed me getting my drivers license, she even paid for the first few lessons.
I also like to hang out with my family even though sometimes they are a little to vocal about religion.
All and all besides the negative aspects of life i do realize i have it pretty good. But sometimes i can focus in on the negatives like a heat seeking missle.
Welcome to the site, my husband (also an atheist) severed in the military too in the army as a cav-scout in the 101st. It wasn’t always easy for him to readjust to civilian life especially in the first year. He had the GI bill but ultimately the demands of living cost took too much time and school didn’t work out. We’re in a good place now but for a while it was rough going. If you ever wanna talk just send me a message, I can’t promise I’ll have any answers but I can listen and I might be able to understand a little bit about what you’re going through. My name is Lisa btw
@Yossarian Re: "...my husband (also an atheist) severed in the military too in the army as a cav-scout in the 101st."
OUTSTANDING! Screaming Eagles. Please tell him I said, "AIRBORNE!" (He'll understand... *chuckle*...) Earned my wings back in '97 with the 20thSFG. Oh, and my little brother was a cav-scout with a scout guard unit for a few years. He always had a good time with that unit. lol
Hey there, Scotty! Great seeing you again. And thank you for your service. Oh, and I am still jealous about that lovely critter you have there. Makes me miss my Ziggy.
Since you seem to like snakes/animals, have you considered finding a job at any pet stores or animal shelters? Also, being in Florida, I would imagine there would be a few wildlife/reptile refuges around the area that could use experienced help. And along the same thing Cyber suggested, I would imagine there are even quite a few animal clinics you could try. Even in the small rural area in which I live, there are a couple of vet clinics that give on-the-job-training to allow their employees to go to formal schooling. Just something to consider. Meanwhile, definitely focus on all the positive you have. Granted, life will be life and will not always be peaches and cream, but it should always be the good things that help keep you focused through those little rough spots that tend to appear from time to time. Plus, Marines do not quit, remember? They NEVER quit. Stand your ground, dude. "Improvise! Adapt! Overcome!"... *chuckle*... ("Heartbreak Ridge" is a favorite of mine, in case you didn't notice. lol)
I love animals too! Although I'm more of a fish-and-corals person... from my 29g saltwater tank I learned the hard way the threat that climate change poses to those beautiful, colorful little cnidarians... :( However, there is still hope due to the massive amounts of spores they release into the water that can migrate to more favorable latitudes, as well as scientists currently trying to seed artificial reefs farther north/south...
@yossarian thanks for the offer i have been out of service for about 6 years now pretty sure i adjusted as much as i can to civilian life. Just starting to think about the future and a career instead of a job. I served with 3rd battlion 10th marine regiment india battery. Gotta love the big guns, looking back it was fun and i should've stayed in but hind sight is 20/20.
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And the meaning of life is 42.
@tin-man haven't thought reptile refuges and i did tinker with the idea of being a vet tech with a reptile and exotic veterinary clinic but at the time i wasn't sure if i would be able to pass the classes always had a problem of concentrating on the homework. My favorite movie in regards to the marines well not a movie but The Pacific on hbo. As for the fact that i am some what depressed at times i haven't quit on life it just feels overwhelming at times since boot camp. Sad to say haven't seen heartbreak ridge might have to see it.
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Seriously. Why not Join the Atheist Community in Austin, Texas with Matt D. Or find some such community that you can fit into and feel normal. There was a huge Gay community in Laguna Beach California. I know San Diego also has a thriving Gay community. San Francisco? New Orleans, French Quarter? As long as you are thinking of relocating, pick a spot that is more open minded. Sorry, I am not familiar with the East Coast or I would have thought to make recommendations there as well. In short, there are many places in this country where you should be able to fit in and enjoy a productive and fruitful life. I know many atheists do it and frankly I think I could do it as well as long as I had my computer; however, I would not want to live in the middle of the Bible Belt, small town USA. I would just be setting myself up for difficulty. I once lived in Pratt, Kansas. That would not be a good idea for me today. I just would not fit in well.
Welcome to ARep, Scotty! Feel free to join our family.
And also, from your OP, it sounds like you are being pessimistic. Stay positive, and enjoy life; it's the only one you'll ever have and you only have so much time (80-90 years total), so enjoy the good things in it- those are worth living for. That is what always keeps me going each day that I have to face tough situations. And remember, you are not alone- we are here for you and many others like you.
And finally, as for a place outside of the Southern Buybull Belt for you to move to, I've got just the place for you: Western Washington State. True, the winters up here may be cold and rainy, but here there are less bigoted people and more good, educated ones... and here you would be more likely to encounter others who think like you and me.
Best of luck, and Goatspeed.
Hi Scotty
Hang in there mate! One good thing about life is that it does go on and all we do is hang on for the ride....Living each day is something that took me some years to understand and a few more to implement.
Take care of yourself and the rest comes naturally! Welcome to AR...
@cog those are some good suggestions btw new Orleans is on the east coast. Don't know bout the coat it would take to move 7 snakes to the west coast that is the main reason i tend not to think bout there lol. But i have thought bout going to California a couple of times.
@Rohan yeah looking at the op i know but i have a bad tendency to forget to put the rhinfs in my head to words,spoken or written, maybe i ought to edit it. Cold ugh id be a hermit for most of the time, ha.
@Scotty
Hey, just thought of something. A good friend of mine and his boyfriend live in the Naples area in FL, and he has never mentioned having any problems with discrimination there. Not sure where you are in relation to there, but if you are concerned about being too far from family maybe that could be an option.
Snakes are a popular pet in California. The climate is great for them. I used to see them on the beaches all the time.
CALIFORNIA
Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile Society (BAARS) www.baars.org
Central Coast Herpetological Society (CCHS) www.centralcoastherps.com
Central Valley Herpetological Society (CVHS) www.cvherps.org
San Diego Herpetological Society www.MyReptileClub.org
Your pets would not be alone.
@tin-man maybe its not really being far from family thats a concern for me cellphones exists and can always take a vacation back here. And it wouldn't be the first time i was away from family but it would be the first time supporting myself. Just cautious because a co worker is part of a church that recently prosted and yelled homophobic slurs at a drag queen reading event that has me thinking i might want to find a new place to be. I want to completely remove myself from any familiar settings to kick myself out of ny shell.
Granted not everyone is like that but Floridians are seemingly really stupid and highly religious. And i dont want to live in a Republican state any longer they are a bunch of idiots.
Thanks to everyone that gave ideas on where to move to and to those that listed possible career paths that i can choose from. There was some great ones.
@Scotty No problem. Goatspeed, brother! And P.S., I know at least one other family here in Washington that owns a reptile... I think it was either a snake or iguana. And also, there are quite a few Petco stores from which you can adopt a reptile or buy food/housing for them.