

5 Signs You're Dating A Hobosexual, Sis
We've all heard the cliché phrase "desperate times call for desperate measures," and with the cold weather swiftly moving in, most of us are looking for a hot plate and a warm body to lay next to at night. Fall/winter is the time of year to bring out our favorite sweaters, boots, socially-distanced family gatherings, gift buying, and pumpkin spice lattes. The joy of spreading holiday cheer can blind you sometimes from making reckless decisions. One of those decisions is welcoming a hobosexual into your home. What is a hobosexual, you ask?
Definition of hobosexual: 👇🏾 https://t.co/XZiaJRuYhJ
— norma louise bates. (@LovelyMsBurns) December 3, 2020
This word was introduced to us by Rolling Out writer Nakita Nicci and its meaning refers to "a person who dates you with the sole interest of having a place to stay – not a genuine romantic interest." These home-hopping men will slide in your DMs on Monday, talk to you on the phone for hours on Tuesday, give you sex on Wednesday, tell you that they love you on Thursday, and want to move in by Friday. Aren't sure if the guy you're seeing is a hobosexual?
Here are five signs that you could be very well, indeed, dating a hobosexual.
He Moves The Relationship Hella Fast
Hobosexual: someone who is homeless and enters relationships just to find a home.
— Robine ♍🇭🇹🇨🇦 (@rockin_robine) December 2, 2020
Those who are interested in you are willing to take their time getting to know you and anyone serious about getting to know you will be patient with learning the details of your life and understanding how you add to theirs. They are anxious to spend time with you, enjoy your company, and ask more in-depth questions. They will make sure that their exes are indeed exes, that their career is steady, and their finances are together before talking about a relationship or marriage. If he's already saying that he loves you by the second week, see that as a red flag. This is a marathon, not a race.
He Lives In The “In-Between” Spaces In Life
We've all met our fair share of "in-between" men before. The ones in-between cars, jobs, bank accounts, past (read: current) romantic relationships, and living conditions. Those who are frequently "crashing" at a friend or relatives' house (read: parents) until they can get back on their feet. If he isn't willing to say what he does for a living, or explain what he does for a living, say it with me one more time: issa red flag. He ain't got no job, sis!
He Doesn’t Know When To Leave
It’s hobosexual szn ladies. Don’t let him know where you live!
— Cognac Dissonance (@rud_kel) December 7, 2020
Space is needed in any relationship, and in the initial stages of dating, you shouldn't just run past pacing in lieu of spending every waking minute together. If the man you are seeing is continuously spending the night and not allowing you to enjoy the space you pay rent in your aloneness, consider that a red flag. A man with his own would be willing to give you your space because he also has his. If you are having a hard time kicking him out, it's probably because he has nowhere else to go, so see that as a red flag.
His Lifestyle Is Infringing Upon The Way You Live Yours
If you find yourself spending extra money on food, notice your water bill increasing or do extra laundry, this is the perfect opportunity to evaluate your surroundings. Is he overstaying his welcome? Every time you ask to go to "his place", does he convince you that your spot is more comfortable? Or does he create a million and one reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea to visit his place? I'm sorry to break this to you, but he doesn't have a place to live, sis.
He Jumps Right Into Moving In With You
Gospel truth. Can make a woman a target for bums. The hobosexual energy is strong out here
— 🧚🏾♂️ droskie don dada | hatshepsut jenkins ✨ (@___dro__) December 5, 2020
Speaking of not having a place to live, if you happen to overhear your winter bae mentioning a desk, music equipment, bikes, workout equipment, his million and one Jordan's, high school yearbooks, and awards. If you hear any of this associated with a storage unit (or his parents or homeboys), that is a sign that he has no other place to live and he feels comfortable enough to move it out and move it in with you. Your one-bedroom apartment is now doubling as a bachelor pad.
Cut your losses, and let the free bird be free.
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Featured image by Shutterstock
Writer, Empath, Listener, Self Improver, and a motivational speaker to her homegirls Teisha LeShea currently resides in California who loves to add fifteen million items to her Amazon cart. She is passionate about wellness, spiritual improvement, leveling up, and setting up twice a month therapy appointments. She writes with you in mind. Her listicle and personal stories will inspire you to dig deep within yourself to be a better you. You can follow her on Instagram @teisha.leshea and & @tl_teisha.leshea
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Oprah Winfrey On Never Experiencing Imposter Syndrome: 'I Had To Look It Up'
If you’ve ever wondered what type of mindset it takes to reach icon status like Oprah Winfrey, it’s probably best to start by knowing which one she’s managed to avoid over her long-standing career.
And let’s just say imposter syndrome didn’t make the cut.
While promoting her new book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, with her co-author Arthur C. Brooks, Oprah shared in an interview with People that when it comes to imposter syndrome, it’s one emotion she hasn’t experienced.
"I don't have any of that imposter feelings that so many people have," she says. "I didn't even understand it, I had to look it up."
According to the acclaimed talk-show host and media mogul, she attributes this to her early life experiences, specifically the impact of her father's influence as a child. "I remember as a young girl being a strong orator in the national competition for speaking and winning the local championships, then the state championships. And then placing, I think it was No. 3 or something, in the nationals," Winfrey shares.
"And I remember after every contest, the families whose kids were just in the contest were going to celebrate and their families were all excited. My father's thing was, 'Get your coat.'"
She continues, "I learned, in all these years, every exciting thing that would happen to me it was always, that's good, get your coat. Get your coat. I don't know if that was ingrained in my personality or I just learned that nobody's going to be excited about it, so you might as well just get your coat and go. I don't have high highs and I don't have low lows. Which is a good thing, because no matter what I'm going through, I know I'm going to come out of it and be okay."
Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon, is a psychological perspective of persistent self-doubt and the feeling of being a fraud despite evidence of one's competence, skills, or accomplishments. People experiencing imposter syndrome often believe that their success is due to luck or external factors rather than their own abilities and fear that others will eventually discover that they are not as capable or knowledgeable as they appear to be.
With over 40 years of accolades and history-making impact, it’s clear that Winfrey doesn’t shy away from the fact that her success is due to her hard work and diligence, with everything in her life being that of what she earned — which she finds deep value in: “the ability to live in the space of true appreciation for a life, not just well lived, but well-earned."
From coming from the lineage of an enslaved great-grandfather who earned 80 acres of land in exchange for labor, to becoming the first Black woman billionaire in the world without the foundation of generational wealth, Winfrey beams proudly at her ability to shift her and her family’s legacy for the better.
"I didn't have a grandfather, a great-grandfather who could give me land. But now...I am able to have my own and to know that I work for it. And it wasn't a husband that did it. It wasn't a brother or an uncle, or whatever did it, but I did it," Winfrey says.
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Featured image by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images