S. A. Crawford
Bio
Writer, reader, life-long student - being brave and finally taking the plunge by publishing some articles and fiction pieces.
Achievements (1)
Stories (46/0)
The Apple That Fell Too Far From the Tree
Dear Mum, When I think about you, I think of a young woman lying in the dark in a narrow, thin-mattressed bed in the hospital psychiatric ward with a cot beside you. I think about your eyes opening in the darkness, watching a baby breathe. I think that you could have been a good mother if you had been given the chance, and I think, most days, that it's a blessing you may not remember those nights very well.
By S. A. Crawford18 days ago in Confessions
Diabetes and my Dog
Tia is the best dog in the whole world. I know that those of you who have dogs will both understand this completely and disagree entirely (because your dog is the best dog in the whole world). But she is. When I was too poor to relax, she helped me to find joy, when I was too depressed to get up she stayed by my side, and when my world fell in on itself she and her brother were all I fought to keep from the relationship. He got the house (which in fairness, his mother fronted the deposit for), the furnishings, and what was left of my self-esteem. I got the dogs, my gerbil, my life back, and a fair share of our joint friends.
By S. A. Crawford20 days ago in Petlife
What is Burnout?
It's 3pm, work is piling up, a headache is threatening to bloom, random muscle aches twinge from time to time and the only thing harder than not falling asleep is getting a good nights' sleep - sound familiar? If so you could be dealing with burnout. In 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon, but it's not just the working population that has to deal with this. Burnout is becoming increasingly common in high school students and even young children. Faced with mounting academic workloads and restricted by the pandemic, children have had less time to decompress and far fewer opportunities to socialize with other kids their age. As such, it has never been more important to understand burnout, spot its symptoms, and prevent it from taking root.
By S. A. Crawford24 days ago in Longevity
Freedom is Calling Your Mother When you Want to
Freedom is being able to call your mother whenever you want and know that she can do the same. I built my relationship with my mother on a schedule, through booked appointments, locked doors, and the musty heat of a psychiatric ward. Through a haze of sedatives and through second-hand information. I built my relationship with my mother through a quagmire of guilt. There are only so many ways you can turn the truth; post-natal depression sent her into a downward spiral that exacerbated every problem she had ever had.
By S. A. Crawford2 months ago in Psyche
Greed in M***le E**th
The surviving relatives of one of the most celebrated and beloved literary figures in the world may be trying to put the works that shaped generations behind a paywall. If you wonder why I'm saying this so vaguely, or why the title of this article is comically censored I want you to consider these (slightly censored) outtakes from that estate's FAQ section (updated sometime around the beginning of March or end of February 2022):
By S. A. Crawford2 months ago in FYI
Flirting: a Writer's Guide
Flirting - the language and dance of love. It's something few writers ever think about or pull off with aplomb. Romance writers are arguably the most proficient in this, or at least they should be, but it stands that there are still more guides that concern how to write about sex than how to create romantic tension through flirting on the page (though you could try some of this yourself).
By S. A. Crawford2 months ago in Journal
We Need to Stop Romanticizing Burnout
Most people would agree that a good work ethic is crucial if you want to get ahead in life... however, in the time of #bossbabe and carefully curated professional feeds on Instagram there is a subsect of people who are working themselves to death. There are those today who would argue that they are "grinding to get ahead" or "hustling for a better life", but the focus on designer brands, burnout bragging, and money-focused manifestation videos show that we're not as far from the "greed is good" Gordon Gekko mentality of '80s Wall Street.
By S. A. Crawford2 months ago in Longevity
What Extroverts Could Learn from Introverts
There are hundreds of articles that claim to be able to help introverts "get out of their shell" and become more extroverted and, sure, I get why. Extroverts are often the life and soul of a part; they're social butterflies when at their best and that can be charming. Everyone wants to be the kind of person that fascinates and excites others from time to time. But have you experienced extroverts at their worst? When they're pushy, loud, and overbearing? Of course you have - we all have because nobody can be at their best all the time and there are as many drawbacks to being an extrovert as there are to being overly introverted. So, why is it so rare for extroverts to be encouraged to study introverts? Where are the articles promising to teach extroverts how to "become more peaceful and observant"? That's a topic I could wax lyrical on for a while.
By S. A. Crawford2 months ago in Humans
- Runner-Up in From Across the Room Challenge
