Well done. After reading both, it's apparent that you both have respect for each other and a nice bond.

As I said to him, the vs. element was just for hype, as the main exercise outside of engagement was you guys having fun seeing what each other wrote. It all worked out and both of you were cognizant of respecting each on the sensitive topics.

It was also good to hear more about what drives you and your upbringing. Galen got a bit into that too.

The saddest part of all of the fashion issues was, I got his hand-me-downs...

I enjoyed that setup.

I had no idea about the paintball. I'd definitely like to hear more about that. I've never mentioned it before except in replying to Galen's post, but I played hardcore paintball as a teen with a crew of guys that all went into the military (Ranger, Special Forces #1 in class, Air Force, Green Beret, Standard Army, Officers, Platoon Leaders, etc..)

I was very tempted to enlist as they all did around the time when it felt like the right thing to do. My specialty was sniping and it's all I wanted to do. I had such a good shot, mainly because I got destroyed by these guys if I missed. I still have my gun and rifled barrel here in my apartment, ready for some new o-rings and a field test one of these days.

With sniping, I loved the concealment, patience, and element of surprise. Everyone would be unloading their hoppers and wasting money, while I got them in 1 or 2 balls. My only nightmare was a broken ball during my shots, but it was rare.

I played with my fraternity once and killed the entire other team of ~10 guys by myself and got compliments from even the biggest assholes in the house. I could hit anything, but they were sitting ducks.

Best memories in general whenever I'd play was watching everyone rush forward at the start of each battle, while I casually trotted to the edge of the field to flank everyone in the mid & late game. I can vividly recall shooting someone through a tree fork right down their barrel (confirmed).

Got more pics?

ANSWER: as for the recycling (said in Derek Zoolander merman voice), I usually go out late at night when it's very private. I also don't dig through stuff much. I'm mainly plucking from what's visible in clear bags on the street, or from what's on top of them. My city is pretty socially disconnected in person, so almost everyone just minds their own business and doesn't even look or care. I have it down to a science where I just have my backpack and a cell phone flashlight, so I can be very discreet and/or wait until people walk by to finish what I was doing if I ever cared.

I have felt embarrassed a little bit here and there, but 98% of the time, there's nobody around, or any reason to be. I personally pride myself a lot in what I do, and if anyone were to judge me, they'd have no clue that I had several hundreds of dollars of stuff on hand on average that I'll sell with relative ease. My friends who know me really respect what I do and that's all I care about. Furthermore, most of the people I meet to sell stuff in person to love what I do and want to buy more from me. That motivates me to tune out the rare odd look.

As one example, two drunk younger kids once mocked a fitness machine I was bringing back home, but I laughed it off since they had no clue I'd go on to sell it for $2,600 cash, while they poured their parent's money down the drain. Knowing that I am making an easy living from this part-time gives me the confidence and mindset I have. It also makes me very happy to do good, so I don't care about those who don't understand.