Cassie Thompson
Bio
Stories (11/0)
The Problem of Broken Electronics at the Thrift Store
Today, I was sitting on the couch pondering making coffee, and it occurred to me that my second-hand Keurig machine has been a great investment. Over the four months or so that I’ve had it, my boyfriend and I have probably made more over 200 coffees with it. The Keurig is sleek and pretty, and looked to be like-new when I bought it. One of the fancier models, it retailed for a couple hundred dollars or so.
By Cassie Thompson4 months ago in 01
Cuddle Bunny
Cuddle bunny, you are 13 years old, and dogs like you tend not to last much longer than that. If we make it to the end of January together, you'll be 14, and I'll be happy. If we make it to February of next year, you'll be 15, and I'll be even happier.
By Cassie Thompson5 months ago in Petlife
Choosing A Drunk Girl Over My Friends
About a decade ago, I was in my early twenties and working at Best Buy. Most of the employees were male, and I was struggling to make friends in this new west coast environment after moving to California from Maryland. People were closed off. Cliques were already formed, and newcomers were largely unwelcome into established social circles.
By Cassie Thompson8 months ago in Humans
Lemon vs. Pear
As a teenager, I had a friend from Vietnam. She and I would sit in her backyard, hiding from her great-aunt and the terrible music she listened to. My friend wasn't Vietnamese exactly, though she was born there. Way out there. She'd moved here as a small child and didn't have a hint of an accent, but could switch into that ear-splitting language she used with her parents at a moment's notice. For that reason, I always figured she was very smart.
By Cassie Thompson9 months ago in Fiction
Thought Experiment
Walking back, I noticed there was a delivery sitting at the wrong door for our building, one which faces the street and leads into some offices that haven't been used in years. The tenants enter through the door around the corner. I looked at the cardboard box and bottle of soda, wondering if the hungry neighbor who ordered it would be able to figure out where their lunch was. They were probably calling the establishment now, arguing that it was not in fact delivered, and was nowhere to be found. I picked it up, carried it around the corner and inside, and left it sitting on a bannister in the stairwell.
By Cassie Thompson9 months ago in Fiction
Lady of Letters
Checking the mail is one of my favorite things to do. I usually go to the box and turn my key, oh, I don't know, a few times per day. Usually, as you might imagine, I find nothing. But I suppose it's a bit of a tic, just something I feel a need to do, and it gives me some comfort. The neighbors have caught me a few times, seen me in the morning at my mailbox and again in the evening. They might say something like, "Expecting an important letter?" and at first they were earnest, but now they just tease. They think I'm eccentric, or a bit mental even. They probably think I have OCD or some other condition, but no. I just enjoy things that many seem to take for granted. And I allow myself these indulgences. They never get old for me. This is how you live.
By Cassie Thompson10 months ago in Fiction
What People Don't Understand About Anti-Vaxxers
Although I wouldn’t call myself an “anti-vaxxer,” I do think I fall into the group that is being called “vaccine hesitant.” In addition, I’m sane and logical, and a liberal, so I’m in an interesting space where I’m able to see each side of what has become an extremely polarizing issue. Even as I stand in the middle, I sympathize with the difficulty this decision presents for many people. Personally, I decided to get the vaccine because it was a requirement for work and will be for future travel. But I still feel very uncomfortable at being coerced into this decision, which I would not have made otherwise.
By Cassie Thompson10 months ago in Longevity
One Month Homefree – A Recap of Life on the Streets of West Los Angeles
There are a lot of things I don’t have these days, but I’ve never been short on follow-through. In January, I committed to finally give up the comforts of housing to experience what life would be like for me as one of the tens of thousands of homeless in Los Angeles.
By Cassie Thompson2 years ago in Humans
Does Anyone Really Choose Homelessness?
To say that no one actually chooses to be homeless may be a fair argument, but let's consider it and decide for ourselves. We may also discover whether choosing homelessness, or not, invites the blame and shame of society.
By Cassie Thompson2 years ago in Humans
I'm Choosing to Be Homeless in LA
"It is the privilege of the Gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little." - Diogenes Today is December 30th, 2019. About a month ago, my landlord sent me an email that the rent for my room in his Brentwood townhouse would be going up. Presently, I pay $1100 (after a $50 discount for promised amenities which broke and were never replaced). On January 1st, he wrote in a revised lease, those amenities would no longer be included, and therefore my discount would be going away. Also, on February 1st, the rent would be going up to $1350.
By Cassie Thompson2 years ago in Humans
