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New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
How to befriend an Introvert in 5 Easy Steps
I would consider myself to be on the extreme end of the introvert scale. Couple that with an anxiety disorder, and making friends doesn't exactly come easy.
Jessie WaddellPublished 3 years ago in HumansMusic To (Not) Write To
Music is something I feel deep within my body. It isn't that I have some irresistible urge to break out into 'Free Bird' at the crack of dawn every morning or make a habit out of strumming 'Wonder Wall' on an acoustic guitar that materializes in my hands anytime college kids start drinking. I get absorbed by music, though. If I'm cleaning or cooking this isn't a problem. It's easy to throw shapes in an empty apartment while sweeping, even if that does mean I'll end up kicking at least one pile into oblivion in the process.
John DodgePublished 3 years ago in BeatHow Vocal made me open up my writing
Okay, I just wanted to start out and thank the community of Vocal—-you guys are great. From the writers, the different and diverse communities, the editors, and the staff—thank you.
Melissa IngoldsbyPublished 3 years ago in JournalOn a scale of 1-10, how much do you like yourself?
"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." - William Shakespeare
Kennedy FarrPublished 3 years ago in MotivationThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
As we think about the progress we’ve made in the realm of science and technology, it also raises the question of how ethics and morals play a part in those developments. The HeLa cell has provided a great deal of scientific advancements, from proving phenomenons such as cloning to supporting the creation of vaccines, to providing further proof around the spread of viruses and other illnesses. It is the first known cell line that was immortal, having the strength to withstand cell transportations via postal mail, as well as mitigating polio disease. As researchers, scientists, and medical professionals alike praise their peers and colleagues for their contributions to the development of science using these unique cells, there seems to have been a name that was left out as the main source of these discoveries, and that’s Henrietta Lacks.
Earica (EP) ParrishPublished 3 years ago in FYIA Date With Water
I have always loved the water. I soak in hot springs. I mud and salt my bare body in murky lakes. I pray in holy rivers. I swim naked in Japanese bath-houses with other naked women. Immersing myself in water is the only time I truly switch off from the world. When I turn the tap labelled H all the way to the right with just a little bit of C, I dunk my head in as the ceramic bowl fills. I feel my hair soak and my ears fill with growling minerals. My nose and face are exposed in the hot damp air, just enough for me to breathe. I close my eyes, and I listen to the waters thunder. If I keep my eyes shut long enough, I envision myself lost at sea, floating away from a sunken ship. The water is not rough, nor cold. I float through the night, staring up at the stars that blanket the sky. I see huge stars, tiny stars, a white full moon with a blank staring face. The sinking ship is far from me now, I have no guarantee of surviving the night. But in this sea, I am completely safe, for if death should come I couldn’t ask for a calmer one. In essence, everything is sweet.
Melissa Angius SalvatorePublished 3 years ago in PsycheCreator Spotlight: Little Black Book Challenge Winner - Jess Sambuco
Jessica Sambuco, a.k.a. the first-place-winning creator of the Vocal+ exclusive Little Black Book Challenge (Created with Moleskine), spoke with admirable humility when we asked her about the largest win in Vocal Challenge history. Not to mention, she did it on her first try. That's right—one submission, one win, $20k in the bank.
Vocal SpotlightPublished 3 years ago in ResourcesThe recurring death
The death of any loved one is difficult and healing can be hindered by simply taking care of business. I vaguely experienced this with my mother and my grandmother but it's almost unbearable now that my husband has died. We spent 45 years together which is 5 years shy of being half a century. He has only been gone about 3 weeks but it feels like an eternity. Each time I believe I am having a good day something happens that causes me to feel as if he has just died all over again. It feels like smooth sailing and then waves crashing down over and over again taking my breath away before they subside.
Cheryl E PrestonPublished 3 years ago in Families- Second Place in Sister Circle Challenge
In the Times Of Xenophobia
Dear Mama Anita, Mama, when we came here first, the language was the hardest part wasn't it? You practiced for hours, head bent over my borrowed laptop watching videos and old CDs. I remember the trips to the libraries, where you painstakingly selected the best books, and audiotapes and copied word for word pages upon pages of the mysterious English language.
- Created with: PYM
My Perspective on PYM Mood Chews, As A Nutritionist
Stress. It’s a six letter word that we hear and experience all too often. Not only are we constantly seeing or hearing about it in the news and media, but it’s that sudden heart racing feeling when the dog throws up and you're already late to a meeting, it’s your mother birthday and you forgot to send flowers, and, oh, cars out of gas. As you are watching the minutes tick away, your hypothalamus, a tiny control tower in your brain, decides to send out the orders, “send in the stress response!”. This stress signal is the same one that triggers your body’s “fight or flight” response. Your heart races, your breath quickens, and your muscles are ready for action. While this response is great to protect you from impending danger, when it keeps firing day after day it can actually be putting your health at risk.
Ashley Reinke HawkPublished 3 years ago in Longevity - Created with: PYM
I Tried PYM Original Mood Chews & Here's What Happened
We’ve all seen advertising for a product that seems just too good to be true. We’re skeptical, but despite our doubts we really hope it works.
Nathalia RamosPublished 3 years ago in Longevity Sequester
Light gently permeated this foreign place from incandescent pinheads in the far off distance, entire galaxies unknown to man spaced far yet not so few between. Clouds of gaseous blue and purple detonations mottled across this great beyond, surpassing the grasp of one’s ability to imagine it’s scope, let alone handle an understanding of such phenomena. My head, both light and lagging, revolved across this vast spacescape in awe, temporarily unaware of the absurdness of my situation as I sheepishly peered into the glory of both past and present. As my gaze descended my eyes caught my pale feet, wide and naked, firmly planted on an imperceptible plain. A torrent of ice began to stretch from behind my eyes up and backward, a measured waltz from neuron to the next which promptly dissipated as it’s travel found the nape of my neck. My lips curled as my mouth cracked in horror letting out a scream, a scream that came up silent as if I were an actor in one of those silent film reels I’d seen as a child.
Austin Alan PalaoroPublished 3 years ago in HorrorA Love Letter to My Worst Heartbreak; You.
12/21/16 You. There was always something about you. I had never been able to read people like I could read you. And no one was ever able to read me as easily as you do. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I don’t know, something clicked. I remember it all so vividly. I remember your smile. The shine in your eyes. That was about a year ago, huh? And now I feel that the roles have reversed. Now it’s me who is star struck by you, who wants to get to know more about you, who talks about you at home. Now you’re the cute girl. The amazing girl. I don’t know why I decided to write this, I feel it was the easiest way to express myself without stumbling or getting emotional. Truth be told, I never imagined myself here with you. I never really thought I would fall for you. And it never occurred to me that you would be such an important part of my life. I never imagined I would tell you secrets about myself, or that I would allow you to find secrets about myself I didn’t even know about. I was always very shut off from everyone. But with you I can’t help it. I don’t want to feel what I do for you, yet I do. I honestly don’t know what I want anymore. I think I should distance myself, but I also don’t think I can, and I don’t want you to. I want us to be close and just continue getting closer. But, I’m sitting here thinking, what am I really supposed to do? You are helping me realize I deserve to be loved and put first. And god I want that so badly. I want one day to be with someone I love, who loves me too, who looks at me like I am the best thing to ever happen to them. I want someone to look at me as if I am it. I want someone to look at me like I look at you, forgetting that there is a whole world. I don’t know why we are doing this. I don’t know why you were this significant to me, and why I fell for you. But I did, and I am not minding at all. But like you said, at the end of the day, no matter what, I am the one who is going to get hurt… Nothing will ever make me look at you badly, or change the fact you are my best friend. Nothing will ever damage who you are to me or the role you had in my life.
Monica CarneiroPublished 3 years ago in ConfessionsThe History of April Fool’s Day
This post was created with the support of OpenAI. In the ever-changing currents of time, there lies a day marked with laughter, pranks, and a unique spirit of camaraderie - April Fool's Day. A day that has witnessed transformations from solemn rituals to light-hearted pranks that leave the world giggling. Let's embark on a delightful journey, retracing the roots of this day and witnessing its evolution, one chuckle at a time.
People! Just say Something!Published 3 years ago in FYI- First Place in Stray to Stay Challenge
Adopting a Dinosaur
You know how when you're eighteen and you make dumb choices? Yeah. This is one of those stories I was still a teenager, barely an adult, when I moved out with my boyfriend to a brand new city. For the first few months we lived in someone else's house; a mattress on the floor in the corner, cardboard boxes filled with our meagre belongings stacked against the opposite wall, living off cereal, hotdogs, and Sidekicks noodles.
Lindsay RaePublished 3 years ago in Petlife Vocal Writing 101: How to Write Better Stories
So, you want to be a better writer? Dude, you and me both. My experience as a writer started as guesswork. I began writing scientific papers for college assignments. Later, I got a job writing curriculum and found that a few of those guesses were sticking. Last December, I was pulled into my company's marketing team to write blog content. It was a comfortable switch; I received prompts and put pen to paper.
Olivia L. DobbsPublished 3 years ago in JournalWhat is Krav Maga?
Picture the scene: A lonely candle burning on the bedside table. Its flame casting a dim orange glow, barely strong enough to illuminate the single-roomed abode.
A Love Letter to the Wild Women of World War Two
Mariya Vasilievna Oktyabrskaya - "The Fighting Girlfriend" How would you avenge the death of your husband who was killed in action while fighting the Nazis in World War Two? Sell all of your possessions, buy a T-34 Tank, donate it to the war effort, and request that you drive it of course. This is exactly what Mariya Oktyabrskaya did once she learned of her husband's untimely death, two years after it happened. Once Mariya sold all of her possessions she still didn't have enough to buy a tank, so she took up embroidery to make up the last bit of change she needed for two months, totaling ₽50,000 rubles (Over $100,000 USD in today's money.) After collecting this money she sent a telegram to the Kremlin, addressed to Joseph Stalin himself. Of which Joseph Stalin actually replied to her: "Thank you Maria Vasilievna, for your concern for the armored forces of the Red Army. Your wish will be granted, please accept my greetings. Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Joseph Stalin."
Kate McCallumPublished 3 years ago in ServeTo the Beat: March 2021
If everyone is a product of this society, who will say the things that need to be said, and do the things that need to be done, without compromise? -Lauryn Hill
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 3 years ago in BeatDancing On Corpses with Imaginary Friends
The stench of a funeral home has unforgettably stuck with me. Each one smells identically of rotting flesh, formaldehyde, and dying floral arrangements. The first time that smell gripped my nostrils was six days before my fifth birthday. My father made his way back to our home after leaving me with my Granny. His veins were racing with a Molotov cocktail of cocaine, Jim Beam, and rage. A mere hour behind him, my mother arrived home after a Sunday morning shift at the grocery store deli she worked part-time at to support my father's drinking and driving habits. She inserted her key into the front door, turned the worn brass handle, and stepped in through the storm door as she did every other afternoon. This step wasn’t like the others. My mother looked up to a black revolver staring at her forehead, my father’s dead eyes staring from behind it. His demons overtook him that day, convincing him to grab a handgun, usually stowed away in a small red toolbox in the back of his garage, and destroy everything in its path. It was in my mother's blood to fight, and as I was wholly unaware, slumped on my Granny's couch unable to help her, she did exactly that. She fought for her life. My father was still present somewhere deep inside the demon’s grasp, and in a final gracious gesture, sacrificed himself. After a struggle, the gun must've pulled back and turned on the evil that overtook him. I imagine that there was a glimmer of the man we had once known but hadn't seen in so long, looking back into my mother's eyes as a final selfless apology. His last bit of light pulled the trigger, and the gun fired. All of our worlds, and everything we had all known, simultaneously fell crashing onto the floor.
𝕾𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖙 𝕵𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖘Published 3 years ago in Families