Outrageous Optimism
Bio
Writing on a variety of subjects that are positive, progressive and pass the time.
We're here for a good time AND a long time!
Official Twitter: @OptimismWrites
Author Twitter: @gabriellebenna
Achievements (1)
Stories (40/0)
It's Time We Stop Trivialising PTSD
I have PTSD, or, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It feels strange to admit that when I’ve only just been diagnosed myself. Even stranger to tell people I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting. It’s a condition that not a lot of people fully understand (myself included) and one that many others have knee-jerk reactions to.
By Outrageous Optimism 3 years ago in Psyche
A Seventh Man: The Art of Activism
‘Why does the Western world look to migrant laborers to perform the most menial tasks? What compels people to leave their homes and accept this humiliating situation? In A Seventh Man, John Berger and Jean Mohr come to grips with what it is to be a migrant worker – the material circumstances and the inner experience – and, in doing so, reveal how the migrant is not so much on the margins of modern life, but absolutely central to it. First published in 1975, this finely wrought exploration remains as urgent as ever, presenting a mode of living that pervades the countries of the West and yet is excluded from much of its culture.’ (Berger and Mohr, Verso: 2010)
By Outrageous Optimism 3 years ago in The Swamp
Nobody Likes A Music Snob
Everybody has that one piece of music which just makes everything feel like it’s falling into place, bringing true joy to the listener. Even those who lament at the ‘music of today’ have something which takes their mind to a different place in times of stress or accentuates their mood when they are happy!
By Outrageous Optimism 3 years ago in Beat
Escapism At Its Finest
Oh, what it is to have a streaming service at your fingertips and nothing to watch… Kinda reminds me of my full wardrobe of clothes even though I have nothing to– Never mind, you don’t want to hear about that! You’ve come to find out whether I’m an expert TV critic or just another uncultured swine with fierce confidence and a complete lack of sound judgement.
By Outrageous Optimism 3 years ago in Geeks
The Woman Who Came Back From the Dead
British Egyptologist or Ancient Egyptian priestess? What happens when you wake up one day with the memories of somebody else? When you are consumed by the need to return home; you don’t know where home is, but you know that it’s not where you are… Historical mysteries are a dime a dozen, but none are quite as intriguing or as well documented than that of the case of Dorothy Eady.
By Outrageous Optimism 3 years ago in FYI
3 Events That Drastically Changed British Politics (which aren’t in London)
Peter Street, Free Trade Hall, Manchester: The Peterloo Massacre of 1819 On 16th August 1819 at St Peter’s Field, around 18 people were killed and a further 650 suffered from significant injuries during what is now known as the Peterloo Massacre. The crowd that had gathered is estimated to have contained between 50,000 – 80,000 peaceful protestors who were demanding reform and better representation in parliament. The event was first dubbed the Peterloo Massacre by the newspaper, Manchester Observer, who made the ironic comparison with the Battle of Waterloo that had occurred four years previously.
By Outrageous Optimism 3 years ago in The Swamp
8 Ways to Spice Up Your Insomnia
We all suffer from the occasional sleepless night. Perhaps we’re excited about an event; maybe we’re worried about what our boss is going to say in that upcoming meeting, or it could be that we’re too busy combing through everything we should have said in a recent argument to get some shut-eye. But have you ever failed to fall asleep at all; every tiny sound only further fuelling the fire of adrenaline that you have raging inside your dumb anxious self? Or skated by for four days straight on just a couple hours of snoozing before the rest of the world rudely announced that it was time to wake up? I know I have!
By Outrageous Optimism 3 years ago in Longevity