humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Playing the Hand I Was Dealt with Style...
In another story, I made mention of: “Proto me, not being able to withstand the testosterone onslaught during gestation.” When I was born, gender dysphoria wasn’t a thing. We were told that boys have a penis, girls have a vagina and that’s that. Of course it was a thing, but it didn’t have a clinical definition and even though it does today, for some reason it’s still something of a debate.
By Jaime Winter4 years ago in Humans
Lane 717
One day I was wandering along the road after some pretty wild experiences. I was a little disoriented and I didn’t know my way. I was stopped by by passers asking had I gone astray. They gave me directions on my journey back home for I had a long ways to go and didn’t know where I went wrong. I took heed as they catered to my needs and explained every slight turn to my destination. I was afraid, it sounded really hard and really far. I had never traveled alone by myself this far. They gave me a map, a list of clues. They told me to journey well and stay safe in the woods then they were on their way. I looked at the map then the road ahead and kept the number 717 in my head. Taking each step with courage and grace I was still dumbfounded, lost, and stuck in a daze. I couldn’t believe that I had gotten myself stranded, I felt lonely and sad and I was upset and abandoned. There was no one around to help me get back home. Still walking alone after a while, I ran into this town. Everyone looked at me and asked me why I was down. I explained to them that I was stranded and lost. Everyone turned their head to my needs and all I could do was fall to my knees in defeat. There was an old lady; She asked me how I got lost. I told her that I was out and about and turned the wrong way. She assured me that I wasn’t lost and I knew my way. I was told to hold my head to the stars and I’d never get lost. I held out my hand and told her I was looking for 717, she looked at me then winked her eye and said look within your dreams. She walked away and once again I was left alone. I was confused but I continued to walk on my journey home. My feet ached and I was tired, I’d been walking since the break of dawn. The days were long and dreadful but I traveled on and on until I had blisters on my feet. One day I sat in the grass and I began to weep. There was a tribe of people walking by and they looked worried once they seen my position. As they began to walk towards me I quickly scurried to my feet. I wiped my tears and flashed a smile. The leader looked at me and said child why do you weep? I explained everything that happened to me and they seen the abandonment and devastation in my eyes. I told them that I was looking for my way back home. Two men stood by me and commanded me to come along. I had the number 717 playing in my head like a song. I asked them if they knew the way and they told me that I was here to stay for a while. They showed me their village and they gave me rest and took my map away. I asked for their names but they told me nothing yet. I pleaded and asked them to show me the way and they told me that they had all been left astray. I asked them how they found their way back home and they assured that I knew all along. I couldn’t understand why I kept hearing the same thing and why nobody could help me find 717. They told me that the “found” were living in vain. They gave me secrets and clues and after a while I began to remember that life is a game. They called themselves a soul tribe and they welcomed anyone who didn’t know their way or wanted to hide. Although they were strangers I felt a sense of connection to them in some way that sparked the flame of my soul. They helped me learn the ways of being free they told me that I had to be comfortable with me. Once I realized that they really cared for me I considered them my family. They helped me search the stars and I saw my destiny written in the fog of the night. I connected with spirit to make sure my soul was right. I was healed by the vibrations of their sacred light. I looked at my past and left it in the sands of time. The day finally came for me to venture back into the land and they assured me that if I needed anything they would be there to hold my hand. They told me if I ever needed a place to stay I always knew how to find my way back to my souls tribe. I know my way home. I knew it all along, I discovered myself and realized that I am home.
By India Bridges4 years ago in Humans
Smacking
Growing up, I’ve always made new friends in each neighborhood I was in, some were good friends and some weren’t good friends ‘Though it might’ve not been a good thing to be friends during the time of the bondament, the label was still friends so it’s always something to cherish because if not for those friends you probably wouldn’t have learned the utensils needed to keep your next friend or maybe getting through a certain situation like defusing a argument because of them having a sensitive nature. I moved to a neighborhood what Is called blue lick it’s predominantly white which I didn’t mind at all at least it was away from the drama I had got into living in the west end what is called Victory Park or at least that’s what I called it. As a young black male growing up in a area of where crime could become persistent if there’s no unity or some kid like gamg wasn’t to fond of each other would make it harder to make friends because of made up territories, anyway I never understood the logic because I’m not territorial. After moving from there things got a lot better and the area was quiet and a lot of the neighborhoods got along seemed like, it was definitely nothing to fight about on living on Blue Lick But it’s been a while so I wouldn’t know the feel now. What I do know is that I made wonderful friends, more than a few. I had two friends in particular I’d hang with everyday… all day and we’d just explore what there was to explore like the creek, we’d all go home get homework done, call each other up then meet up to go play in the creek which I found to be a adventure because I didn’t get into activities like that, we’d find snakes, turtles we would keep as pets, see big pretty fishes swim and even get snapped by the crayfish, Ouch! … those days was fun, very good times. One of those two friends decided to get a boyfriend I was happy for her but the other one wasn’t, one day we hung out walked to the woods, me and my friend left her & her boyfriend alone and we went walking, we was talking and she comes out of nowhere and says do you hear that I was like no, she goes it sound like smacking and she kept making smacking noises from her mouth I asked her what she think it could be she just kept smacking from her mouth, I started laughing so hard because I knew she was hating or playing we had been so far away from them but I payed her no attention. We walked back to see how they were doing and they just seemed like the happiest couple, we walked back to play in the creek & before it got dark we walked each other home. We all had a good time, we chatted about walked to the store to get something to eat but a long day of hanging out time flew by before you know it we was getting on the bus the next morning. Long story short we never spoke of it & I never told the other friend what was being said being that I think they never did anything and I didn’t get into those kind of behavior. After a while we became distant toward each other one of those friends had got a new friend which her new friend wanted to be my boyfriend but he was having a hard time finding himself which I didn’t have a problem with but being that I hadn’t been out yet I was still finding myself also, I never not wanted to be friends but I’m the end things got rocky at home & we ended up moving again and I transferred to a new school so I didn’t see them three at all & for my friends we just grew up & grew apart.
By Genarule Odogsr 4 years ago in Humans
Home
Beavers, termites and birds. What do all these animals have in common? Like us, they are all able to construct their own homes. Beavers live in dams made from twigs and mud. They can spand across several meters long and stand about 2 meters tall. Termites live in a structure which is composed of soil, termite saliva and dung. It can reach 1.5 meters tall and 10-20 meters in diameter across the base. All birds (with the except of cowbirds and most penguin species) are capable of making their own nest with grass, twigs, saliva and (on some occasion stone). They range anywhere from an inch in diameter (as in the case of hummingbirds) to almost 3 meter wide (as in the case of bald eagles).
By Tyler Brooke4 years ago in Humans
The Tubing Incident
It was a crisp winter evening in 2014. School had just let out for winter break, and my friend Tyler was hosting a White Elephant party. For those unaware, White Elephant is a game where all participants purchase a gift at a specific price point (say $20). Participants then draw a number out of a hat to choose which person goes first. Contributions can be stolen twice and only twice. Tyler had just started dating Christy at the time, they would eventually get married, but since that was the case, they both invited all of their friends. There were about 20-30 people at this party split evenly with boys and girls.
By Mason Aksamit4 years ago in Humans
Choosing A Drunk Girl Over My Friends
About a decade ago, I was in my early twenties and working at Best Buy. Most of the employees were male, and I was struggling to make friends in this new west coast environment after moving to California from Maryland. People were closed off. Cliques were already formed, and newcomers were largely unwelcome into established social circles.
By Cassie Thompson4 years ago in Humans
ASD Snapshot: Erik-Vision
What Erik Saw and What I Missed I love the hammock. To me, its soft droopy form represents all that I cherish about the cottage: Time out. Lazy time. Relax, recharge, recalibrate, slow down and often, surrender. I read a bit, but mostly, I sleep away a sunny afternoon. It seems okay to do that in the hammock. In fact, I think you're supposed to. Permission to be. Form? Your choice. Gotta love the hammock.
By Teresa Hedley4 years ago in Humans
