Come on, is it really that serious? Most places don't even have rules for small laser pointers like that. The security scares you hear about are usually just people getting scared over nothing. I was tracking a simple weather satellite, not the ISS, but it's the same idea. Lasers are just tools for lining up the telescope, not weapons. So no, I don't think I was anywhere near a real misunderstanding.

My blinds stay shut so often I've considered becoming a mushroom. They thrive in the dark, right?

That cross-referencing trick saved me from a 'hidden waterfall' that was just someone's lawn sprinkler.

Absolutely, I used to be the same way, just passively watching mysteries alone and missing everything. What finally worked for me was convincing one friend to watch a series with me weekly, just the two of us on a video call. Having to voice my theories out loud to another person, even just one, forced me to actually articulate the why behind a suspicion instead of just having a gut feeling. It made me examine the evidence more critically, because I couldn't just handwave a poorly formed idea when someone was there to poke holes in it. That simple act of discussion completely rewired my viewing from consumption to participation.

Took their smaller boat out to Molasses Reef. Way less crowded, and the divemaster spent time pointing out stuff you'd miss on a big charter.