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New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
Heights of embarrassment
Between the ages of 16 and 17, I grew by about six inches until I was the tallest student in my high school, not just the tallest girl, the tallest STUDENT period.
Shirley TwistPublished 3 years ago in ConfessionsMy Transgender Son Has No ‘Dead Name’
A dead name is a term that some within the transgender community use when referring to their birth name. As a parent of a transgender young adult, I’ve never been a fan of this term. It feels laced with morbidity, despair, and foreboding.
Celebrating Juneteenth: 13 Stories from Black Vocal Creators
In a world often starved for good news, one headline on Thursday offered cause for celebration. After passing through the U.S. Congress earlier in the week, a bill was signed into law by President Biden making June 19th, colloquially referred to as "Juneteenth," a federal holiday.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 3 years ago in ResourcesHistory of Juneteenth
June Nineteenth, or Juneteenth, marks the celebration of the emancipation of African-American slaves in Texas in 1865. While the annual celebration started in Texas the following year in 1866 — and became an official Texas state holiday there in 1980 — this formerly obscure holiday is now observed across the United States and around the world. Yesterday, Congress and the President made it an official federal holiday. It is celebrated with church-centered celebrations, parades, fairs, backyard parties, games, contests, and cookouts.
Bill PetroPublished 3 years ago in FYIWhy Woodpeckers do not get Brain Damage
Have you ever wondered how a woodpecker can pound away at the bark or disturb a tin roof without injuring themselves? After all, the force of their peck exceeds the force of gravity by a factor of a thousand! To avoid harm during its pecking frenzy, the woodpecker has developed in a rather unusual way. I want to go through the build of the woodpecker that allows it to function and thrive in such exceptional circumstances.
People! Just say Something!Published 3 years ago in FYILittle Cemetery in the City
“You brushed my hair and tucked me in, made me laugh for hours on end. You kissed my boo-boos when I fooled around. Mommy, you never let me down” I stood in front of the mothers of Mrs. Watkinson’s first grade class, listening to my classmates’ stupid poems that sounded to me like stolen greeting cards. I stood there silently and picked at the runs in my tights. I decided on my finest skirt and tee shirt combo that morning in an attempt to be what my Aunt Lora called “presentable”, but in that moment, on display in front of everyone, I missed my ripped jeans that had a crooked yet lovingly hand-stitched cat on them. My tights itched and my feet were cramped. Everything was wrong.
Josephine SmithPublished 3 years ago in FictionThe Bunker
Day: 137 : Monica: My mother died today. The airlock in her bedroom was breached while she slept, there are only three of us now. I thought I would be more upset, but I don’t think any of us expected to live this long anyway. None of us know why her airlock failed, but there’s been tension in the air for weeks, ever since our rations started disappearing. Radhika and I are convinced that Dev has been preparing to try and venture outside. Maybe he’s been stocking up. These days it doesn’t really matter anymore, and I’m convinced the end is coming soon… No one has radioed back to us in over two months, but my mom stayed hopeful until her dying day. I guess it just goes to show that faith can’t save any of us. Radhika is calling to me, it’s time for us to bury my mother. This is Monica signing off.
Morgan McNamaraPublished 3 years ago in FictionWhat I learned from divorcing my parents
Here is an early memory of me being a kindergartener. My mom and I were sorting recent photos and adding them to the photo album (Photo album — Wikipedia). As she flipped through the pictures, she picked out a photo of me happily posing like a bunny in front of a fancy hotel.
Grimreapers.InkPublished 3 years ago in ConfessionsLights Out
No! Megan Bennett barely kept the shout to herself. In her mind, she could do nothing but repeat this refrain. No! No! No!
Brandon MoorePublished 3 years ago in FictionDominicanidad
Author’s Note: I wrote this piece for Latinx/Hispanic heritage month in honor of my true feelings toward my latinidad and Dominicanidad. I hope that people with similar experiences can realize that they’re not alone.
Jay CorderoPublished 3 years ago in HumansWhat is Fika? A simple guide to this Swedish coffee ritual
The best solutions will be found through loving thoughts and perhaps a good cup of coffee. - Jen Vondenbrink Sometimes even the finest translators come up against words that defy translation. While we try our best, some translations can never quite match the significance and sentiment captured by a foreign culture. For instance, Google translate will tell you quite succinctly that fika is the Swedish translation of ‘have coffee’, but in truth this little four-letter word describes a ritual, an experience, an attitude and a state-of-mind that above all cherishes human connection.
Jacynta ClaytonPublished 3 years ago in FeastBlue-Throated Macaws: A Rediscovered Species
I often think about how large the world is and how little we know about it. The critically endangered Blue-Throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis), found only in Bolivia, is a beautiful macaw from hot, humid lowlands prone to regular flooding. For some years, it was thought to be extinct. Or, perhaps, it was thought not to exist at all.
Amethyst QuPublished 3 years ago in EarthThe Free Wine Fountain in Italy
This post was created with the support of OpenAI. Have you ever meandered by a fountain, only to find yourself wishing the cascading water could transform into a beverage more enticing? Envision a fountain flowing not with water, but with freshly squeezed lemonade or even draft beer. Well, a small town in Italy houses a fountain that seems to be plucked straight from our most fanciful dreams—a fountain that flows with rich, Italian red wine!
People! Just say Something!Published 3 years ago in ProofIt all started with a snip
Happiness. That sweet emotion can sometimes be tied to physical things, but more often than not, that type of happiness doesn’t have a lasting effect. Over the past year, I have discovered that happiness is not really something I had to struggle for, it kind of just came organically when I allowed it to.
Why I Quit Working in a Not-Quite-Right Job Past its Use-By Date
Being a barista, wearing a face mask, and standing on your feet is no easy feat; also while making sure the milk does not overheat, and the hopper grinds the right amount of coffee beans for a 30ml espresso shot.
Justine CrowleyPublished 3 years ago in MotivationWhen Your Tribe Is - Not Belonging
I belong to nowhere. This realization came to me when I was living in London, United Kingdom. I had managed to save up enough holidays to make a month-long trip back to India. I excitedly told my colleague - 'I am going home.' He looked surprised and said, 'Well, you do that every day.' And that's when I realized that home to me had many meanings, unlike other people. And a little bit of introspection, and I realized I had a PhD in not fitting in.
Anu SundaramPublished 3 years ago in ConfessionsStrong, Independent Woman
Note from the Author: To be completely honest, this is my sixth entry for the Members-Only Challenge. This contest has sparked something in me that I can hardly contain; which means I am also having trouble containing my thoughts. Every piece I write gets closer and closer to what I’m really trying to say, but it’s such a grand topic to cover in less than five thousand words. This time, though, I will focus my thoughts, feelings and desires, so that I can share with you the dream in my heart.
Maeple FourestPublished 3 years ago in Motivation- Created with: Fiskars
Touch the Earth: How Taking Care of Plants Boosts Human Happiness
Plants make people happy. It’s a common phrase that has taken hold in the plant world and for most it is an agreeable and indisputable fact. Fiskars takes this message to heart, which is why they have made it their mission to increase human happiness in and around the home. They know that much of this happiness revolves around plants, and they challenged me to examine what makes us so infatuated with these green beings and how they bring happiness and healing into our lives. Plants have rooted themselves in more than just our backyard gardens and living room jungles, and I have witnessed firsthand how much happiness plants have brought to our lives. But before we dive into it, here’s a short story that perfectly encapsulates plants’ positive impact on one of my clients.
Farmer NickPublished 3 years ago in Earth Craig and the DVDs
I was raised in Rockland County, a suburb of New York. Everyone who lives or has lived in Rockland will tell you that nothing ever happens in Rockland. Perhaps one of the only peculiar things about Rockland County is the county's multitude of high ranch houses. The high ranches were built in Rockland en masse in the mid-twentieth century to accommodate the growth of the suburbs, and if you don't live in one yourself, you know someone who does. The high ranches vary in size and decorative architecture, but their layout is generally the same. The upper level has the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, a bathroom, and three bedrooms. The bottom level is usually a den of some sort, and there is another bathroom, one more "bonus room," and the garage. You've probably guessed that I've spent some time in high ranch houses, and I have. Many of my childhood friends grew up in what I call the "Rockland special" including my best friend, Craig.
Justine Olivia MarksPublished 3 years ago in HumansTalking Head's Psycho Killer
Everyone knows the song "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads, right? My friends and I would sing the catchy chorus at every other indie/rock club we went to in the early 2000's - it pumped us: