Ross-stories - 🦉

30 things to ask people

1: do you have a favorite season?

2: do you wake up easily in the morning, or do you wake up slowly?

3: what do you do to cheer yourself up?

4: what is your favorite warm drink?

5: what or who makes you happy no matter what?

6: do you like to look at the stars?

7: do you like the rain?

8: if you could be a plant what kind would you be?

9: do you prefer hugs or kisses or both? Neither?

10: what do you find yourself thinking of most?

11: what's your favorite food?

12: what song has been stuck in your head lately that you actually like?

13: what did you want to be when you were a little kid?

14: have you ever been to the ocean at sunset or at night?

15: if you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

16: what's your favorite scent?

17: do certain words/colors/sounds/scents remind you of things?

18: do you doodle on your papers?

19: have you ever wanted to hug someone, but you didn't know them yet?

20: can you snap your fingers?

21: where is your favorite non-specific place? (Example: ocean, forest, city, meadow, store)

22: what's your favorite shape?

23: do you have a favorite number?

24: what's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "happiness"?

25: what's your favorite bad joke?

26: have you ever made a wish on a dandelion?

27: do you have a favorite bird?

28: where did you first read your favorite book?

29: what is your favorite book?

30: do you dream often?

The mental health toll from the Orlando shooting

What happened at Pulse was a clear act of hate-based violence — and in a historically safe space, no less. The shooting may also produce long-term mental health effects, according to Liz Margolies, psychotherapist and founder of the National LGBT Cancer Network.

People who directly experienced the attack — or know someone who did — may develop post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. “The rest of us could be more vulnerable to anxiety and depression,” Margolies said in a phone interview. If you are feeling affected mentally by the shooting, you are not alone.