humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Day Dreamer
Maggie Summers was just a normal 18 year old high school girl. Unfortunately she didn't fit in anywhere. Not even in high school. Everyone laughed at her and called her names. They insulted her family, mostly her father, who was killed in the military a few years back. Her mother wasn't in good shape either. And everyone knew her mother as the town drunk. Maggie's life wasn't all rainbows and unicorns like some girls her age.
By Sabal Cloonan6 years ago in Humans
Stupid, Lazy, Entitled Millennials
Hi. My name is Samantha and I am a ‘Millennial.’ In a way I hate that term, largely because it is painted in the media as being such a bad thing. to have the misfortune of being born when we were (between the years of 1982 - 2004 approx). Recently, Good Morning Britain dared ask the question ‘Are Millennials Useless?’ This spurred me to write this piece; it has been bubbling under the surface for some time and now the finger fury has begun to type away. According to the Baby Boomer generation we are lazy, stupid, and entitled. Said generation, you know, the ones that gave birth to us Millennials and raised us to be how we are, the generation that grew up in the 60s and 70s making sweet love and doing casual drugs. The richest generation in history (fact) that could afford university fees on a summer job waiting tables, and come straight out of education into a career. Or, should they choose not to go to uni, get a factory job, in a time where houses and living costs were affordable on one wage packet and that also supported their 2.5 children…. yeah, them. They make wild statements about my generation. The generation that will be the first in history to be worse off then our parents, every dream of allowing my mum and dad to retire early while I pay for their lavish holidays, has been axed… and my brothers and I make good money. Respectfully.
By Samantha Bentley6 years ago in Humans
Do We Know Each Other?
I was scrolling through my Facebook feed a few nights ago when the suggested friends post came into view. Most of the time, they were the same people. Friends of friends or people that lived in the same town as me. Normally, I just ignored it. If they weren't on my friend list now, then there was probably a reason for it. This time, I saw the name of a girl I used to be really good friends with in high school. I was a bit surprised because I could have sworn we were still friends on Facebook. So, I didn't think anything of it when I clicked the little add friend button. I went on with my night and forgot about it until today.
By Ash William6 years ago in Humans
When You Lose Someone to Suicide...
The loss of a friend and a family member are two different feelings. But the loss of a best friend that was basically family is something different. Losing someone to suicide is one of the most painful things I have personally have ever had to experience in my life by far. You think about things you could've, would've, and should've said. Then a few days go by and then the denial sets in. Let me tell you about my experience with suicide.
By Chasaty Craig6 years ago in Humans
Toxic Relationships: What Are They and How to Get Help
Toxic relationships really are more than common these days, especially within young adults 16-24, the statistics say that more than 60% of young adults are in toxic relationships (physically abusive or psychologically abusive, or both).
By Izzy Somerville6 years ago in Humans
Crossed Wires
Standing at 5'6", I'm only in control of 4'7" myself. The 11 inches above my neck are foreign. My mouth often says things faster than my brain can actually process them, which often portrays a different picture to my listening ear than I intended. My eyes often see things out of a lens that I’m not sure many other people can understand, let alone see. My limbic system, it's constantly in fight or flight mode and my temporal lobe often seems like it does not exist. My amygdala has a good memory, however often has trouble paying attention.
By Dani Vinci6 years ago in Humans
Judging Makes You Blind
Just after we arrived to the bar and got our first round, my friends and I proceeded to the dance floor as we stood in a closed off circle. It was early in the night and the vibe was off due to the lack of people and energy in the room. As we half-assed danced and made small talk amongst our tight knit group, a random girl in a Tigger onesie approached us dancing like a quote on quote crazy person. She was ethnic, a little heavier than average with her onesie half on and tied around her waste revealing some type of bra/shirt. As she danced and acted outside of the "accepted" bar behavior, intruding our bubble and sticking around for an awkward length of time, we all looked at each other questioning what on earth was going on. I saw the judgement on my friends' faces as we all waited for her to move on to the next, but she didn’t. She stuck around making crazy faces, flailing her arms and body as if she had been dared to embarrass herself. Welcoming us to join in, but not phased that we weren’t. I felt the judgment come over me, yet something happened that is a true testament to my recent self work and growth; I challenged myself in that very moment. I asked myself, “why is my immediate reaction to judge someone instantly, only knowing about her that she clearly does not give a fuck what we think about her?” I needed to know more. A curiosity washed over me as I realized I could never do what she was doing, so I said, “Hey, are you on some type of drugs or do you just not care what anyone thinks?” A smile filled her face, and through her eyes I realized she was completely clear, present, and sober. Her answer was profound. She told me she was questioning life. She had lost two close friends in the past week to drugs and suicide, and she just couldn’t bear to take life seriously any longer. She told me about all the people she has lost throughout her life and her own near death experience. She had battled such depression that it led her to finally give up and down a bottle of prescription pills. As she lay there on her bed, body limp and lifeless, her consciousness was still playing a part. A figure arose in front of her. It appeared as the devil, but in time she realized it was none other than her own self staring back at her. It was the self she pegged as the failure, a loser, the version of herself that lacked all strength and power. This version laughed in her face, taunting her, repeating “HA HA, you gave up.” She realized in that moment she had succumbed to the darkest part of herself; she let it win and in turn gave up the experience of life that she was given. She fought, she resisted, she ultimately decided she would not go out this way. She will not give IN to the negativity and pressure of life that brought her to the point of utter hopelessness.
By summer sheehan6 years ago in Humans
Taught to Paint Without Words
The year was 2014, the Thai government was being overthrown by a military coup, and I had just given up a full ride scholarship at the University of Utah in Marketing. Here I was, a previous frat star growing up from an affluent City in Utah called Park City (home of Sundance).
By Tucker Barsketis6 years ago in Humans