Single Pringles

Final Update

Hello!

I don't know how many people will read this, but I hope those of you who do approach this with understanding and politeness. However, I totally agree with you if you respond to this without positivity. I've been thinking of writing a sort of letter for a while now, and I think I'm going to go for it now.

First off, I would like to make some apologies. I perpetuated purity culture, which is one of shame and scrupulosity. I no longer agree with the tenants of purity culture, which include abstinence until marriage and restrictions on what one is "allowed" to do before marriage (such as kissing or hand-holding). Purity culture submits everyone to shame, and then expects everyone to be unashamed the moment they have said their vows and they finally get to do stuff with their spouse.

I would also like to apologize to any LGBTQ+ people I have hurt. I was downright exclusionary towards you, and other times blatantly derogatory. Queerphobia hurts everyone, and I am utterly ashamed of my past hatred for a community I now call my own.

I no longer follow or subscribe to a lot of what I have posted in this book. My worldview has changed in considerable ways that I am not ready to share yet, but just know it looks nothing like it did when I wrote the first chapter of this book.

All I say now is, do what you want in your own time, and always make sure it is something you and your partner(s), if there are any, consent to. Be safe, and make sure you and everyone you plan to be involved with are on the same page about sexual health and boundaries.

Now, a little update on my life, if I may.

Since I stopped writing this book, I have done a lot of self-reflection and my worldview has shifted (sometimes very poorly, but I believe I'm on the right track for myself now). Shortly before the pandemic smacked the U.S., I started therapy. This lasted two years, as I had more issues that I realized I had not addressed. I likely had major depressive disorder from my mid-teens up until I was twenty-one. This is, I would say, reflected much more in my personal books than anything. I was full of despair and self-doubt, and I thought I would never get better.

Despite a global pandemic, the West's downward spiral into fascism, and many many hardships in my personal life, I have managed to persevere. I still have bad days sometimes, but I am leagues better and I am not quite so anxious and depressed as I used to be.

I have since earned my associates degree, which I thought impossible when I was taking my first semester (and my two semester-long break). I decided not to pursue English any longer, as I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I have instead decided to pursue psychology, and I have never been so motivated before in my life. I graduate with my Bachelor's in August this year, and I plan on pursuing my PhD afterwards. I have been working on research during my undergrad degree, and I will soon be presenting at several conferences.

I have also entered a relationship with someone, we'll call him KJ, and we are very happy and we have been together for almost six months now. Even though I was on the mend with a lot of things, I still had my doubts about relationships and love. However, that changed when I fell in love with KJ. KJ is lovably awkward, kind, funny, and he has a very good heart. I hope to spend the rest of my life with him.

I will now depart, but not without imparting one  last message:

Love yourself and be yourself. Do good by other people when you can. Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Thank you for reading this far.

Love,
Jasmine