Life
Milestones
Introduction This is just something that makes me happy to see on Vocal and I love seeing people hit milestones. I have sometimes been criticized in the past for sharing mine but that doesn't bother me as I have a major one coming up that I may or may not share, but I am so glad to see others hitting and surpassing those milestones, often unexpectedly.
By Mike Singleton đź’ś Mikeydred 6 months ago in Writers
It Hit Like a Brick
Yesterday was the day hell hath made. I realized I cannot live without this one thing in my life. It is something I love, but I didn't realize its full significance to me. The day began like any other morning. My internal alarm woke me at 7 am. Lola went outside to do her business, and the coffee was on. I require rocket fuel to power my engine.
By Alexandra Grant6 months ago in Writers
Works Cited (April, 2026)
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.gov/cps/Bureau of Labor Statistics. Men Who Do Not Work During Their Prime Years: What Do the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth Data Reveal? U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-8/men-who-do-not-work-during-their-prime-years.htmBureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment 4.5 Percent for High School Graduates with No College in January 2025. U.S. Department of Labor, 2025, https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/unemployment-4-5-percent-for-high-school-grads-with-no-college-in-january-2025.htmBureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment. U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.govBloomberg. Corporate America Promised to Hire a Lot More People of Color. It Actually Did. 2023, https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-black-lives-matter-equal-opportunity-corporate-diversity/Bloomberg. Corporate America Hired More Black Workers. Then It Stopped. 2024, https://www.bloomberg.comCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Births: Provisional Data for 2025. National Center for Health Statistics, 2026, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr043.pdfCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Fathers’ Involvement With Their Children. https://www.cdc.govCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. National Survey of Family Growth. https://www.cdc.govFederal Reserve Bank of New York. The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates. https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-marketFederal Reserve Bank of New York. Survey of Consumer Expectations. https://www.newyorkfed.orgForbes. Survey: 78% of Gen Z Report Dating App Burnout. 2025, https://www.forbes.comForbes. Top Gender Pay Gap Statistics. 2023, https://www.forbes.comInstitute for Family Studies. New IFS Survey: How Young American Men View Marriage and Family. 2026, https://ifstudies.orgInstitute for Family Studies. State of Our Unions 2026: The Dating Recession. https://ifstudies.orgMerlin Strategy. Polling on Gender Attitudes Among Young Adults.National Assessment of Educational Progress. NAEP Reading Results. The Nation’s Report Card, 2024, https://www.nationsreportcard.govNational Bureau of Economic Research. Is Making Divorce Easier Bad for Children? https://www.nber.orgStevenson, Betsey, and Justin Wolfers. Marriage and Divorce: Changes and Their Driving Forces. National Bureau of Economic Research, https://www.nber.orgNational Center for Education Statistics. Degrees Conferred by Postsecondary Institutions. U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.govNational Center for Education Statistics. Fast Facts: Graduation Rates. U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.govNational Center for Education Statistics. Undergraduate Enrollment. U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha/undergrad-enrollmentNational Institutes of Health. McLanahan, Sara, et al. The Causal Effects of Father Absence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govNational Institutes of Health. Sarkadi, Anna, et al. Fathers’ Involvement and Children’s Developmental Outcomes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPew Research Center. Americans See Men as the Financial Providers Even as Women’s Contributions Grow. 2017, https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. Childcare Costs and Family Economic Burden Data. https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. How Americans See Men and Masculinity. 2024, https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. In a Growing Share of U.S. Marriages, Husbands and Wives Earn About the Same. 2023, https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. Men, Women and Social Connections. 2025, https://www.pewresearch.orgResumeBuilder.com. 1 in 6 Hiring Managers Have Been Told to Stop Hiring White Men. 2022, https://www.resumebuilder.com/1-in-6-hiring-managers-have-been-told-to-stop-hiring-white-men/ResumeBuilder.com. Hiring Bias and DEI Survey Findings. 2025, https://www.resumebuilder.comRosenfeld, Michael J. Who Wants the Breakup? Gender and Breakup in Heterosexual Couples. Stanford University, https://web.stanford.edu/~mrosenfe/Rosenfeld_gender_of_breakup.pdfScarlett Maguire. “Survey Data on Young Men and Women’s Views of Each Other.” X (formerly Twitter), https://x.com/Scarlett__Mag/status/2044312088793723351Survey Center on American Life. Why Young People Feel Misunderstood by the Opposite Sex. 2024, https://www.americansurveycenter.orgSurvey Center on American Life. Young Men and Social Trends. https://www.americansurveycenter.orgThe New Statesman. Angry Young Women. 2026U.S. Department of Education. The Nation’s Report Card. https://www.ed.govWorld Bank. Fertility Rate, Total (Births per Woman). https://data.worldbank.org
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast6 months ago in Writers
Remembering All the Hidden Gems in Older Books that We Published. Top Story - April 2026.
If the title and subtitle of this story sounds vain and like I'm doing a bit of bragging, that's probably because I am. Lately, I've been revisiting some of my older ebooks that I published nearly 10 years ago. Not only am I surprised at how relevant and just as timely the material still is, but I honestly forgot just how informative, inspirational, and extremely motivating I can be at times.
By Justiss Goode6 months ago in Writers
The Quiet Loneliness Of Being AÂ Writer
An old friend asked me last year when I was going to do something more stable. She didn't say it unkindly. She said it the way you'd ask someone if they'd considered bringing an umbrella, with practical concern and more as a gentle suggestion than anything else.
By Ellen Frances6 months ago in Writers









