Teenage years
Living Between the Bassline and the Backlash
I existed in two different worlds. And the duality? It broke me in ways I didn’t have words for. There was the real world — laced with shame, control, and the constant echo of “no,” “don’t,” “too much.” Where my body was regulated. Where my feelings were ridiculed. Where my curiosity was censored. Every time I tried to step into myself, the world grabbed me by the wrist and whispered, “Not like that.”
By Shelley Rosettiabout a year ago in Confessions
I Broke My Own Heart
Not because of a fight, or betrayal, or some dramatic moment — but because I had slowly stopped recognizing myself in the mirror. My smile was still there, but it had become mechanical. I laughed at the right moments, said the right things, kept up the routine… but inside, something had gone quiet. I wasn’t in love anymore — I was in limbo.
By inam ullahabout a year ago in Confessions
What If I Found My Daughter on OnlyFans? A Conversation We All Need to Have. Content Warning.
For the past couple of weeks, a thought has been haunting me. Just imagine this for a second. You’re online, scrolling mindlessly, maybe curious, maybe just killing time. You decide to check out one of the OnlyFans channels—you know, just to see what the hype is all about. And then… boom. You freeze.
By Clinton Wanjalaabout a year ago in Confessions
When Phones Were Not Our World: A Journey Back to Simpler Times
Remember the skies that stretched so wide, Where dreams would dance and hopes would glide, No screens to flicker, no buzzing calls, Just barefoot races down dusty halls. We built our castles in the sand, Held galaxies inside our hand, We laughed till dusk with skinned-up knees, And chased the whispers of the breeze. No stories snapped, no videos streamed, Only the laughter that brightly beamed, We shared our candies, traded dreams, Invented worlds by babbling streams. With sticks as swords, with crowns of mud, We fought great battles through field and flood, The puddles were oceans, the trees our forts, And every victory earned in sports. Our playgrounds stretched beyond the eye, No filters blurred the open sky, A cricket bat, a rubber ball, Defined our summers, one and all. We counted stars on sleeping nights, And shivered under northern lights, No urgent buzz, no flashing light, Just mother’s call to end the night. Bicycles whirred through village lanes, We raced the trains, outran the rains, Our cheeks were flushed, our spirits wild, Unbroken dreams of a fearless child. The simple joy of spinning tops, The endless thrill of candy shops, We waited weeks for fairs to come, To win cheap toys and chew on gum. We carved our names on schoolyard trees, We tied our dreams to floating leaves, The rivers whispered songs we knew, As barefoot, wild, we simply flew.Letters traveled from hand to hand, Promises sealed with grains of sand, No urgent emoji could replace, The warmth of touch, the smiling face. Sunsets meant a world of gold, Stories that the elders told, Tales of dragons, kings, and wars, Of sailing ships and wishing stars. Festivals lit the village square, With laughter heavy in the air, We danced to drums, we sang aloud, No live streams shared the buzzing crowd. Birthdays were a humble treat, Homemade sweets and little feats, No cake-cut posts, no trending news, Only heartfelt smiles to choose. We knew our neighbors, sang their names, Played barefoot cricket in rough games, Chalk on pavement, swing-set songs, We stitched our summers wild and long. When letters written by careful hands, Flew farther than these broadband lands, The ink would fade, but never die, Unlike the pixels we swipe by. No reels to post, no lives to stream, Only real laughter and shared dream, A friend's hug spoke more than a text, A moment lived, not second-guessed. Yet here we sit, with heads bowed low, Into our phones, we barely glow, The world outside, a whisper fades, While screens consume our sunny days. Close your eyes, and hear once more, The knock, the shout, the old front door, The giggle fit at foolish jokes, The muddy streams, the climbing oaks. Let’s find the children we have lost, Beyond the network's heavy cost, Let's build again those dreams we hurled, Back when phones were not our world.Start writing... 2 Remember the time, when the skies were wide, When laughter echoed, with nothing to hide, No glowing screens, no endless feed, Just open fields and childhood’s need. We chased the winds and climbed the trees, Built paper boats that sailed the seas, We ran with dreams on dusty roads, And carried laughter as our loads. No texts, no calls, no ringtones loud, Just shouting names across a crowd, A broken slipper, a playful fight, A streetlamp's glow our only light. We played with marbles, tops, and strings, Imagined castles, kings, and wings, We'd race the rains and dance in mud, While puddles splashed and heartbeats thud. Our bruises told a thousand tales, Of backyard forts and hidden trails, Of secret handshakes, secret codes, Of sun-kissed fields and endless roads. No selfies snapped, no double-tap, Just honest smiles and friendly clap, A pat on back, a playful shove, An endless stream of brotherly love. Evenings came with sunset hues, And tales our grandmas would infuse, Of fairy lands and talking trees, Of magical ships that sailed the seas. No apps, no snaps, no video calls, Just echo games through broken walls, We scribbled hearts on dusty ground, And twirled in circles round and round. When friendship bloomed without a screen, When love was pure, and eyes were keen, We wrote our letters slow and neat, And mailed them down the bustling street. We climbed the roofs, we touched the stars, We made believe the moon was ours, No GPS to guide our play, Just intuition led the way. Birthdays meant a homemade cake, A chorus loud enough to shake, No viral posts, no flashing lights, Just hugs that warmed the coldest nights. Summer vacations stretched so long, With cricket games and silly songs, Our hearts beat wild with simple joys, No gadgets needed for girls and boys. We flew our kites in open skies, Dreamt without a thousand tries, No filters masked our dirty cheeks, We proudly wore those scrapes for weeks. Skipping stones on lazy streams, Building forts in childhood dreams, We lived our lives in shades so bright, Without a charger through the night. Now here we are, with phones in hand, Lost in pixels, lost in sand, Tapping screens but losing touch, Missing the world we loved so much. Notifications steal our sleep, While memories grow buried deep, Our thumbs are fast, our hearts are slow, We've forgotten how to truly glow. So close your eyes, remember back, The muddy fields, the railway track, The laughter pure, the sunsets gold, The fearless dreams, the hands we’d hold. Let’s find that child we used to be, Beyond the walls of technology, Let’s run again with arms unfurled, Back to when phones were not our world.
By raj Ubaleabout a year ago in Confessions
I Dated a Narcissist—Here’s What I Learned the Hard Way
Have you ever felt like you're losing your mind or stuck in a relationship that sucks the life out of you? I did, and it took me a while to see that I was with someone who had narcissistic tendencies.
By Wilson Igbasiabout a year ago in Confessions
The Council Estate and Me. Content Warning.
Chapter One – The Unspoken Rules The flat smelled like sweat, damp socks, and something burnt from two nights ago. It clung to the wallpaper, the furniture, even Jamie’s school jumper, no matter how often he tried to air it by the window before putting it on. It was the smell of council living, stale and permanent. It was like the estate had decided it was part of them now. Even clean washing came out smelling like defeat.
By ColdHardCashabout a year ago in Confessions
Sisters of the Soul
Sisters of the Soul The Challenge That Forged an Unbreakable Bond Ava and Lena met not by blood, but by fate. Their friendship was the kind of rare magic that most people search for all their lives. It was effortless — built on glances, laughter, and long conversations that stretched into the night.
By Muhammad Sabeelabout a year ago in Confessions
The Girl with the Green Scarf
The first time I saw her, it was on the 6:42 a.m. train from Willowridge to Northcrest. She wore a pale green scarf and held her coffee like it was the only warmth she had in the world. I never believed in love at first sight. I still don't. But there was something about the way she looked out the window, as if searching for something that kept escaping her.
By Chistyabout a year ago in Confessions
The Letter I Sent, But Could Never Speak: A Confession of Love and Heartache
this is probably the only heartbreak love themed "thing" I believe I'll ever write. a few years back I wrote a letter to my crush. writing this was so strenuous as I got really emotional writing it. my heart actually felt painful and heavy when I mastered up the courage and sent him the letter. after all these years...I still don't have him . without further adeu this is what I wrote to him-
By E. hasanabout a year ago in Confessions
My Story of Growing Up Invisible: Their Needs Always Came First
When you're raised in a home where your parents' needs are always the priority, you learn quickly how to disappear. You adapt, you accommodate, and eventually, you forget what it even feels like to want something for yourself. That was when I was young. A life lived in the shadows so that others could shine. We seemed like a functioning family from the outside. My parents were educated, respected, and active in the community. They maintained steady employment and attended every school function, parent-teacher conference, and neighborhood barbecue. But behind closed doors, the dynamic was starkly different. Love in our house was conditional—granted only when you served a purpose, fulfilled an expectation, or validated their sense of self.
By MD Tarek Aziz about a year ago in Confessions
Exclusive: Documents show differences over US peace drive for Ukraine
LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - Ukrainian and European officials pushed back this week against some U.S. proposals on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, making counterproposals on issues from territory to sanctions, according to the full texts of the proposals seen by Reuters. The sets of proposals from talks between U.S., European and Ukrainian officials in Paris on April 17 and in London on April 23 laid bare the inner workings of the shuttle diplomacy under way as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks a quick end to the war. Washington, D.C.- Classified documents and internal communications obtained by [Publication Name] reveal significant disagreements within the U.S.government over the Biden administration's strategy to push for a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine. The materials, which include diplomatic cables, meeting summaries, and policy memos, highlight tensions between officials advocating for a more assertive peace initiative and those warning against undermining Ukraine's battlefield momentum or conceding too much to Russia, Divisions Within the Administration According to the documents, the State Department and the National Security Council (NSC) have been at odds over how aggressively Washington should pursue diplomatic off-ramps. Some officials, particularly in the NSC, have pushed for discreet backchannel talks with Moscow to explore potential ceasefire terms. However, others especially in the Pentagon and among U.S. allies in Europe- argue that pressing Ukraine toward negotiations now could weaken its position and reward Russian aggression. One memo from a senior State Department official warns that "premature peace efforts risk fracturing the Western coalition and could embolden [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to escalate further."' Meanwhile an NSC briefing paper suggests that "prolonging the conflict indefinitely carries its own risks, including Ukrainian fatigue and global economic instability." Ukraine's Stance Complicates Efforts The documents also reveal frustration among some U.S. officials over Kyiv's reluctance to engage in talks while insisting on the full liberation of occupied territories, including Crimea. A diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv notes that Ukrainian officials view "any discussion of territorial concessions as a non-starter,' despite private concerns in Washington about the feasibility of Ukraine reclaiming all lost land militarily. The documents also reveal frustration among some U.S. officials over Kyiv's reluctance to engage in talks while insisting on the full liberation of occupied territories, including Crimea. A diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv notes that Ukrainian officials view "any discussion of territorial concessions as a non-starter,' despite private concerns in Washington about the feasibility of Ukraine reclaiming all lost land militarily. European allies are similarly divided While France and Germany have reportedly expressed openness to a negotiated solution, Eastern European nations like Poland and the Baltic states strongly oppose any deal that leaves Russia in control of Ukrainian territory. The Risk of a Frozen Conflict Some analysts cited in the documents warn that without a clear diplomatic roadmap, the war could devolve into a protracted stalemate, draining Western resources and increasing the risk of unintended escalation. However, opponents of early negotiations argue that Putin cannot be trusted to uphold any agreement and that Ukraine must first secure a stronger military position. The White House has publicly maintained that any peace process must be "Ukraine-led and Ukraine-owned," but the leaked materials suggest behind-the-scenes debates over how much pressure the U.S. should apply to Kyiv. What Comes Next? With U.S. elections approaching and Western military aid facing growing political scrutiny, the Biden administration faces mounting pressure to show progress toward ending the war. Yet as these documents reveal, there is no consensus on how-or whether- to steer Ukraine toward the negotiating table. For now, the U.S. appears to be walking a tightrope: supporting Ukraine's counteroffensives while quietly laying the groundwork for potential talks. But as internal divisions persist, the path to peace remains as uncertain as ever. The primary areas of difference in the two texts are over the sequencing for resolving questions over territory, the lifting of sanctions on Russia, security guarantees and the size of Ukraine's military. While some of the divergences have been highlighted by sources close to the talks, the documents seen by Reuters set out for the first time the differences in full and explicit detail. The first text reflects the proposals communicated by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff to European officials in Paris that were in turn passed to the Ukrainians, according to sources close to the talks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the proposals as a "broad framework, opens new tab" to identify differences between the sides.
By ANIK MONDOLabout a year ago in Confessions
