humanity

Humanity begins at home.

How I Spent My Summer Holiday
It is with a sense of despair that I faced the prospect of keeping a weekly journal throughout my summer holidays. I really don’t think it is fair for the teachers to assign homework over the summer. But my parents say it’s good for me, and they are going to want to read it when we go home. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to read something so boring. What happened today changed everything.
By Gail Wylie5 years ago in Families
The Town Saved By A Barn
Everyone said it was such a blessing that no one had died. I remember my heart and breath stopping when I saw the damage the tornado had done. It didn’t seem real, I was just ten years old and I’d never felt or seen anything like that. The twister had left a rut in the ground from the highway right through our two story house. I couldn’t wait to tell the guys.
By Marchele M Banks5 years ago in Families
THE PROMISE
THE PROMISE Written by James D. Merrick , June 1, 2021 Come back with me to my first December in my very first home. Yes, of course, I had lived in other places, garages mostly, for all of my nine years. But this day signaled the start of the first Christmas I would celebrate in the first home my folks had ever owned. Beams of early morning sunlight had melted the frost on the kitchen’s windowpane, near where I sat. On any other day, I would have stared outside and marveled at Mom’s winter garden. I would have watched blackbirds fight for a position in the sunlight on the cables sagging across the spaces between telephone posts at the rear of the property. But that day was different. The golden orb’s warmth penetrated the pane and cozied into my shoulder blades as I reclined against the glass. On that day, I sat cross-legged on a padded chrome chair with my back to the curtainless kitchen window, my chin rested on the palm of my hand as I watched wide-eyed while Father busied himself at the counter. Dad was baking!
By James Dale Merrick5 years ago in Families
I'll never forget her name
It was the summer of 1975, and I started my first part-time job at the local grocery store. It was a small store run by the meanest man in town, Old Man Shaw. He mistreated everyone, especially the bag boys and stockers. He worked us part-time, and since we were teenagers, he didn't have to pay minimum wage, so I think I made like $2.00 an hour or something like that. I still lived at home, and this was only my freshman year in high school, so the money I made was my spending money and to help out with school clothes. He hired a police detective to manage the store on Friday nights because, on Friday nights, the supply truck came. All of the stockers and bag boys were expected to stay late, unload the trailer, and stock the shelves. Old Man Shaw was afraid we would steal from him, so Detective Ivy would hang out in the back and watch us unload the truck and store everything in the stockroom, and then Ivy would lock the doors when we were done. I should mention this truck brought everything from canned goods and bread to fresh meat, beer, and wine.
By Joey Lowe5 years ago in Families
I Fell Out of a Tree Into a Cactus
I was 11 years old and friends and I had climbed a tree. I was trying to show off as usual when I was with my friends, because I always felt it was my duty to entertain them.
By Dean Gee5 years ago in Families
lockdown blues
Covid cane about as a huge shock to the entire world, most of our countries took the news very well abided by there governments rules and regulations to keeps us safe but here in England we did no such thing the first time around. We still went out , We still partied and we didnt not care the select few of us did. Now this is what got my knickers our government set up food packages for the elderly and though who were medically unwell and was advised by there local gps not to leave at all but guess who else was important but got forgotten about! . Single parents with no other adult in house to help look after the children and go shopping I was one of these parents single mother to four and been medically exempted by gps how was i meant to go food shopping for the kids and myself if i didnt i was neglecting my children and myself and home we as single parents are yet to be misjudged and look past and ignored. So as previously stated trying to get any medical appointments i may as wrll self diagnose because the basic medical needs were right out the window and rightly so but two years on here i am still awaiting my routine yearly appointment for a life long illness that has somewhat progressed to getting worse. This has made me very angry because now il be another stat for the covid cases and i would of been one of the lucky ones to escape it if i had been given my routine check up. So what do i do know you ask well now we are going back to normal ( maybe ) i can finally get the medical attention i actually need. So now the doom and gloom has gone maybe i can focus on what normality wilp be for the country and mainly as my family. Months of online learning for the children for less hours than there used too, not seeing the friends and loosing close friendships , childrens mental health , and thebone billion snacks a day including lunch breakfast dinner ect is this our new normal now ? is this how it is for every single mom with 2 kids or more ? I really want to know what our new normal is. So so far back to school has to be re introduced one child statted year five and spent 80% of it online leanring with me and the other started year 6 and has lost 80% of her school year , first day back for her and it was sats prep they as a whole class were not ready for this , they had not learned a thing about this the wholw time they were home so this effectively took a toll on the children , friendships were broken so badly neither child spoke to each other now it’s becoming the end of year 6 with two weeks left and 90% of the class are failing sats exams so they will struggle in there first year in secondary school this is extremely hard on them , then there is the lack of sleep routine a tired child is a child that will not learn because they are tired so thris is a struggle too, ky kids go bed between 8:30 and 9pm and im in bed at 11 pm i can promise you one thing il be gone to sleep before them. so i have more to share will write part two tomorrow
By Bonnie 5 years ago in Families
Pompo
Summers were hot in Eastern Washington. Not just your average hot, but skin searing, blood boiling, bright, dry heat. For the older kids, there was always plenty to do. More than they imagined, if they dared to utter the words "I'm bored". If you grew up on a farm, you'd know what I mean. A day's work is never really done, and there is surely something that always needs doing. I was only five when I realized those three words were never to be whispered, for fear a grownup might hear you.
By Wendy Sanders5 years ago in Families
Meditations on Washing Dishes
Washing dishes is my flow state. Each time, I follow the same routine. I throw a dish towel over my shoulder, put on my headphones, and listen to music or an audiobook, and as soon as I start to scrub down my vintage Corelle bowls, the ones my parents received as a wedding present, and plates, so like the ones my grandmother owned, my mind starts wandering through fields of words.
By Megan Irwin Harlan5 years ago in Families
The Red Barn
“Dylan, keep an eye on your brother. I have to go into town.” Mama said. “Aw, Mama, can’t you take him with you? I was going to play video games with my friends.”
By Natalie Demoss5 years ago in Families
Living in the Beautiful But Messed Up World
It is a complicated world to live in. Everyone has their own mentality. The fact is that the world is wonderful; each breath you take is a gift, a precious moment you cannot waste worrying about how shi*ty this world is.
By Faisal Saleem PhD5 years ago in Families
Another Letter to my Daughter
I've done a lot of thinking today, and some things need to change. Like years ago, but I'll settle for today. As a different way to approach this other than me trying to talk to you, I'm trying this letter. Read it, take your time, think about it, then talk to me when I'm home and you are calm. Please be nice to Jack and let him sleep.
By Guenneth Speldrong5 years ago in Families
Iron-clad Friendship
Dan had suffered enough of the world around him. His job at the factory ended years ago, and he was barely making ends meet with his meager social security check and odd jobs as a handyman. His friends called him “Dan the Man,” but his friends were moving away or dying on him. His wife divorced him and moved back home to her parents’ home in Ohio, and his sons and daughters lived in distant countries: Japan, Germany, Switzerland. He couldn’t just hop on a plane and visit them. He felt alone and decided to do something about it.
By Barb Dukeman5 years ago in Families