humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
The Hidden Side of Society...
I have been called many things, squeezed into the minuscule gaps of each letter of my name like each resembled a bottomless chasm in which seemingly meaningless words could hide. Most say that I am just a 'teenager' who has not yet lived long enough to experience life, few speak as though I am just another blip on the radar that is society. Those rare, selected handful of people call me an inspiration and yet, I am alone. Yes, I am surrounded by friends and family...But at the same time, I am alone in terms of what I think. Of my opinions, views, social status which should mean nothing when in reality it means the difference between gaining something in life and losing it. You see, life is a concept. A concept in which the size of your clothes, the colour of your skin or your sexual orientation are like boulders blocking the path to acceptance and held in place by the people who do not agree with you. Not your thoughts or opinions. You. Because I have often come across people who judge a person by their looks and if that is acceptable in their book then they go on to judge the next part of who you are as if it is merely a talent show in which you can never win.
By Amber Dodd7 years ago in Humans
The Fear Within
Getting ready for work. I've taken a shower, gotten dressed and brushed my teeth. It's a typical Tuesday afternoon. I feel like today is going to be a good day. I say this while in the comfort of my own house. But, as I start getting ready to leave, I grab my keys and phone, put on my jacket and take a deep breath.
By Stacey Jimenez7 years ago in Humans
Defiled
Waking up in the middle of the night. Every day I feel this fright. The nightmare I relive each night. Once was enough seeing his face. I feel distrust. Betrayal of the family I once knew. Nightmare every night I fear. Afraid to wake up the people that sleep beside me with my screams. All I see is the anxiety I feel. The air in my body tenses. I can't breathe. I take the pill that releases the fear. His smile haunts me. His touch makes me feel him. I can't be around him. My nightmare has been relived. Through everything in my body, I release the pressure of my nightmare. I relive this almost every night. This was the onset of my depression. I worked through this but I still feel as if it was my fault. I feel as I let it happen. I trusted him. He was family and he defiled my innocence. I covered my body, withdrew from everything I loved. I even self-medicated for the longest time. I tried to take my own life. I thought cutting myself would make everything better. It really didn’t, it just made things worse. I can’t even see his face anymore. I still think about it occasionally. I was only a teenager when it happened. I deal with not trusting men. I won’t even trust my own family. It hurts to speak about it. Hurts to think about it, but I had to move on. I had to let go. I had to make sure that I forgave them. That was the hardest part. It took me five years to forgive him. I can’t let what happened continue to ruin my life. It took me almost ten years to learn to love myself again. It took even longer for me to learn to love again. I am now in a very loving relationship. So, as I look back on it I asked myself questions. Why as survivors can we not talk about being raped. Years go by and a woman still won’t speak of it. They go unreported. They fear the attackers. Living in fear of it happening again, protecting the heart. The hardest part people don’t realize about a survivor is the ability to learn to trust again. Once we learn to trust again, we put all trust in that person. Losing trust takes years to gain back. Another hard thing a survivor must do is learn how to love. It may be of the most dangerous thing we do as survivors. We tread super lightly. It will always take more time but we can love. No matter how much therapy we get we will never be fixed. We can talk until we feel everything is better, but in the back of our mind it’s always there. It always haunts us. Keeps us from loving fully. Our hearts stay protected. There are walls put up. Guards put into place to make sure we never get hurt again. So, asking a survivor to put trust in you or to love you is a tough task. We hide our feelings, and make sure everyone thinks we are okay. But in all reality on the inside we are crumbling, screaming, or just wanting to be held. It takes time, patience, and the ability to want to help. Survivors still need a support system. I do want to tell any survivors of rape that it was not your fault. Things will get a lot better. Nothing will begin to feel the same until you forgive the person who defiled you. You are wanted.
By Danyelle Lewinson7 years ago in Humans
My Last Love
This story starts a few years ago. She caught my eye but I couldn't say a word. I spent an entire year sitting just feet from the girl of my dreams. Love at first sight. Never able to do more than shyly smile as we passed each day. In my mind we were just too different. She loved being in class and was great at math. I loved missing class to go outside and smoke with the guys and couldn't stand being near math. Every time I looked at her my heart skipped and she never noticed me, which I was pretty used to anyways. Years later after a lot of bad choices and A LOT of ruining my mind with violence and alcohol I ran across her at Walmart. Just walking around with a friend from the same math class and the most beautiful girl in the world walks across my path once again.
By David Coon III7 years ago in Humans
Let's Talk Pride
June is Pride month. Throughout this month I have seen and shared a number of posts celebrating the month and the queer community. However, I have also seen posts against the queer community and saying they don't understand why we feel the need to celebrate Pride. They provide a number of reasons for what they think; they think it is about queer's shoving sex in other's faces, about a sense of superiority, or any other number of assumptions. The truth is, these assumptions are incorrect. Pride is not about any of these things, although some people who participate likely feel these. However, Pride is part of a bigger picture.
By J.C. Marie7 years ago in Humans
White and the Slightly Darker One
What's my take on interracial relationships? In the Philippines, I grew up knowing people who weren't in love in the most romantic way. Family members viewed love not as love in itself but rather as a necessity or a way to survive. It was so rare to see people who were "in love." It was frequent and normal that broken marriages stayed broken because the idea of a complete family was ideal. Anything about being left or raising children alone kicked a distasteful judgment. The kind of love I saw around my elders didn't entail sweetness, and if it ever did, they never told.
By Thea Vanessa7 years ago in Humans
Life's Twist and Turns
The road is well traveled. You are settled in and starting to slow down, even planning to start resting and relaxing more. Then in a blink of an eye it all changes. There are no more easy nights with your partner, talking about your day and what you did or didn't get done. It's just over, and you realize you miss it, how much you would give to go back to that struggle and not face the new one you are presented with. To just want the rat race you once couldn't wait to get out of, because now that you have all the time to enjoy life together, it is just too hard to find the enjoyment. This new roller coaster is too curvy and its twist and turns too rough. Throwing you and your world upside down, back and forth, and too rocky to take it slow. You both want it to end as soon as possible and go on forever because in the end what you can have isn't the one you want. Never knowing just what it is you're praying for but knowing you just gotta pray, wanting to scream but unable to find your voice, cry but no tears left... this is what we are living.
By maxine Petro7 years ago in Humans
Conscious Communication
Starting with a poorly-drawn stereotypical depiction of male/female communication styles is just an icebreaker, I promise. As always, I want to share personal and clinical experience to shed light on real-life issues many of us have encountered. I used men and women in this example, but it certainly isn't as black and white as some people still believe. Strong and conscious communication can be applied across the board and transcends gender, sexual orientation, and cultural norms.
By Michael Thielmann7 years ago in Humans
The Keepers
I’ve just finished watching The Keepers. I would advise everyone to try and see this extraordinary seven part docuseries. It seems to tell the story of the unsolved murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik in 1969. But really it also reveals a painful and terrible legacy of sexual abuse, perpetrated principally by Father Joseph Maskell, on a variety of female students at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore. This legacy of sexual abuse is corroborated by Charles Franz, a male child victim of Maskell’s. Horrifically, we learn as the documentary progresses that his corroborating story was specifically and maliciously kept from Jean Wehner, when she and another victim sued the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1994 for $40 million.
By Felicity Harley7 years ago in Humans
Lost... Never Found
1987 Here, she was a young lady, about 11 or 12. It was a hard year for this young girl. Her dad died (grandfather). He was the only true positive father figure she ever had. He taught her so many wonderful lessons. He made her do things in life such as fishing. She did not like it but she did it anyway. Her grandpa was just trying to keep her out of trouble and not follow the same lifestyle her parents had with their alcoholism and their addiction to drugs. Along with her grandmother she learned so much. They showed her real love, real life...
By Angela Baerthel7 years ago in Humans
Diving For Hearts
When it comes to people who have made minimal impact to you in your life, even extended periods of time spent together can't make you want to keep in touch or make you reach out to them. You're more than content to let them go on about their lives without ever knowing if you're even still alive.
By Kellis Charles Lewis7 years ago in Humans
Nonexistent
Is it just me that feels nonexistent at times? I find that no matter how much I give or how good I am or what change I make in the world around me, that the impact I will make will be as insignificant as a grain of sand. No good day is ever good enough for the looming gray cloud that plagues this world and my mind.
By Amber Miranda7 years ago in Humans