Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Humans.
How To Really Move on from Breakups
Breakups are heart wrenchingly painful, but they are essential to helping us grow as human beings. Some people come into our lives to help us learn something about ourselves. Other times it’s to work out karma from previous lifetimes. Whatever the reason for the relationship, sometimes it must come to an end, painful as it may be. But how do we leave graciously and begin to heal our broken hearts? It’s not easy, but it is necessary. You can’t write the next chapter of your book if you’re stuck re-reading the last one.
By Heart Centered Universe8 years ago in Humans
Infinitely Unlucky Valentine
It was January of 2010. On a whim and living a disatisfied life in the central valley of California, I packed up what few belongings I owned into my '97 Dodge Neon and hit the road, heading for a house in Peoria, Arizona; a nice little suburb of Phoenix. A friend of mine was living there rent free and offered me one of the three bedrooms in the house that his grandparents owned. They lived somewhere else and were selling this place but we were allowed to live there as long as the house remained on the market. Once it sold, we would have to leave. All I had to do was help with utilities. I was just coming out of an on-again-off-again relationship and felt like leaving the damn state might be the only way to keep that switch in the "off" position. After my 12 hour drive, I arrived and immediately felt the new chapter of my life starting to unfurl. I Spent the next week or so exploring my new surroundings and enjoying all the freedom that came with it. It wasn't long after I had arrived that a very cute girl from back home decided to reach out to me on Facebook. Apparently, she rolled in my circle of friends yet somehow we had never met. She wasted zero time in explaining that she was quite smitten by me. "Perfect," I thought. "I leave the state and this happens." But undeterred, she advanced on knowing full well that I had moved. Over the next month, we would Skype with one another on a regular basis. We spent hours, every couple of days, staring into our computer screens, sharing commonalities and digital affection. Near the end of January, she informed me that she was interested, to say the least, in coming out to visit. Feeling no risk on my end, considering we lived in two separate states, I saw nothing wrong with the idea and encouraged it. Two days later, she informed me that she had purchased her plane ticket and would be coming out Valentines Day weekend. Again, stupidly, I saw nothing wrong with this idea. On the day of her arrival, I waited at her gate, preparing myself for a magical rom-com style moment where she would run out, jump into my arms and we would kiss passionately in front of the whole world. That did not happen. Instead, we embraced in an incredibly awkward hug, as if neither of us had ever put our arms around another person before, and the kiss we shared matched the hug. Dismissing it as nerves, we laughed it off and continued back to my house. Our first night together was casual. We drank, we laughed, but we did not have sex. I felt like at least a day should pass before this stranger, who's flown out to see me, and I should become so intimate. The next day, we lounged around my house. I was 22 and she was 20, so the bar scene wasn't an option for her, leaving us with not much to do but smoke cigarettes in my backyard and listen to music. I decided that we would go out for dinner, giving me a chance to show her around town, at least a bit. I told her I was going to take a shower and that she could use it after me if she liked. When I finished my shower, her mood had intensely shifted. What had once been a fun and playful vibe had now become something very cold and silent. I pressed her to tell me what was wrong. Finally, she revealed to me that she was thinking of flying back that day. I asked why, recognizing that sparks hadn't exactly been flying across the room, but not imagining her experience to be so terrible that she needed to turn tail and leave immediately. She revealed to me that while I was in the shower, she had gone through my phone and found a conversation between my ex and I from a week or so prior, where we each shared that we missed one another. Fuming, I told her how awful it was for her to go through my phone and how she had completely disregarded my trust. I explained that I did miss my ex but that I had obviously left the state for a reason. She quickly changed her opinion and apologized. To help quell the tension, I apologized for not being more open about where my head and my heart were at. We forgave one another and got back into our groove. That night, after dinner, followed by drinks at home, we had sex. Or, attempted to, rather. During the sex, we couldn't seem to get into the same rhythm. Being a vocal and open person in the bedroom, I attempted to communicate with her about what motion we might try to get us on track. She said she didn't understand what I meant, so I tried to explain it more precisely. Without warning, while seated firmly on top of my lap, she started to cry. I was frozen. Not knowing what to do, I told her everything was fine but ultimately had to climb out from under her. She told me she was crying because she didn't understand what I was trying to say and she got frustrated. Again, we dismissed it as an awkward moment and went to bed. The next day was Valentine's Day. Hooray. We had seen ads around town for a japanese restaurant and decided that we would have our romantic, candlelit dinner there. She wore a revealing little dress and I put on a nice button up, tie, and vest combo. When we arrived at the place, we quickly discovered that it was the restaurant equivalent to a Panda Express, orange food trays and all. The entire place was full of families, all of which gawked at us, assuming we must be grabbing a cheap bite before heading to something much fancier. We sat at our table for barely a moment before deciding this location had been a complete mistake. Instead, we agreed on Taco Bell, got our order to go and enjoyed our Valentines Day Dinner back at my house. That same year, the film Valentines Day had been released and so we made it a point to see it after we ate. The film, to me, was fine. It wasn't until later that I would learn how she felt about it. The next day, I drove her to the airport, walked her up to security, shared a lustless hug and kiss and said goodbye. Two days went by without a word exchanged between us. Suddenly, on the third day since she had left, without any direct contact, I noticed that she had posted a status on Facebook. It read, "I really enjoyed Valentines Day. The movie. Not the actual day." Shocked and frustrated by her public display, I felt justified in responding. "Well, at least I'm not gonna cry about it." She called me an asshole and we immediately removed one another from our social media worlds. Just as quickly as we had established a connection, we were strangers once again. Sa La Vie, I suppose.
By Carlton Van Huden8 years ago in Humans
What Is Commitment Phobia?. Top Story - July 2018.
Today it seems as if almost everyone is afraid of committing to a relationship. I hear a variety of excuses: a past broken heart, losing half of your possessions in a nasty divorce, or experiencing the dreaded BBD (someone looking for a bigger, better deal). Let’s face it, for many of us, staying single sounds like a great idea. But we humans were made to have a partner, and life is too short to go through it alone. So if you haven’t committed yet, here may be some reasons why…
By Heart Centered Universe8 years ago in Humans
Date Nights That Are Actually Surprisingly Sexy...
Whether you are in a brand new relationship or long-term and going strong, it is important to keep things exciting. You know when you get comfortable and every day is a couch day? That’s fine! You can’t have date nights and holidays continuously, especially in the long term when being in each other's lives becomes the norm, but the occasional spontaneous sexy night out is always a welcome surprise and will build memories that you can relive forever. Here are a few of my favourite super sexy date nights that WON’T break your bank account.
By Samantha Bentley8 years ago in Humans
Life of the Artist
My father told me once, "There will always be another person.” This sole piece of advice passed down from generation to generation is a flawed symbol. No one truly knows if you will live for the next person you love. No one can tell you what will happen. “You’re an artist, paint your scene. Make it pretty, so all the world can admire it.” This is what the ideal artist hears every day, but every artist is different. Just the same as every person is different. We are all artists in our own way.
By weston brady8 years ago in Humans
Is It Better to Be Single or in a Relationship at Uni?
University is described as one of biggest life moments you will experience, going to uni is most likely the first time you will experience true independence. You are away from your parents and away from control, there may be that small voice in the back of your mind saying “You shouldn’t be doing this,” but you may learn to ignore this. A slight problem might come during your stay at university if you have decided to continue on a relationship from before. This relationship may have started during high school/secondary school or even during the summer break and you made the conscious choice to not let this ‘love’ go. The most common reason used is “We can make this work long-distance” or “We will visit each other all the time,” but most of the time it is easier said than done. While at university, you are immediately immersed in the culture, the lifestyle, and the adventures, making it hard to notice or care about anything else. So, the question is: Is it better to be single or in a relationship at university?
By Esther Okusaga8 years ago in Humans
Love Lost?
Sometimes we feel that “true love” will last forever and because we “separate,” we feel the “love is lost.” When most of the time, it is us who have failed to love or accept love. No work. No growth. No word. No amendments. Love has not failed nor has it tricked us. The “love” will always be there (somewhere) but, like any other form of energy, it transforms, never to be destroyed nor lost.
By Razi'El Muntasir8 years ago in Humans
Bullies In My Past
In the 6th grade, a 7th grader decided to bully me by asking if I was an illegal immigrant when, in fact, I was born in the United States and have an American passport, which also functions as proof of citizenship. I have never quit being paranoid about this stuff because of the immigration crisis that is happening right now, as well as past crises. The bully did other things to me too; things I cannot mention in this piece but that can be posted on my blog. She was an odd one, and I didn’t friend her on Facebook when she asked.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Humans
My Worst Date
In this era of love and romance, some individuals often wonder if chivalry still exists when it comes to dating. But despite the circumstances of a date, chivalrous behavior can still be seen in people of different generations. This is the kind of behavior that can contribute to a good date. But, if there’s lack of it shown on a date, the results are disappointing for anyone expecting it. I don’t believe that too many women expect their significant other to open the car doors for them when they are getting in or out of the car. Still, it’s nice to see a person make an attempt at a chivalrous gesture.
By Nathonia Smith8 years ago in Humans
