humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Fender Benders
So, I took my partner out for a slice of pizza and a sweet treat at a creamery in the Montrose area of H-Town. We returned to our vehicle after purchasing to waffle cones filled with sheer ice cream goodness to enjoy our ice cream in our vehicle. After we were secure in our vehicle we noticed a driver of a very new Ford Ranger truck having difficulty pulling into one of the more than generous empty parking spaces. The driver pulled into the parking space crooked yet within the two yellow outlined lines but decided to back out and attempt to pull into the parking space evenly. Well of course the driver increased the degree of difficulty in parking as if it were a gymnastics routine and the front left driver's side of the Ford Ranger obviously hit/scraped the back right passenger's side of a four door compact vehicle. My partner and I watched as the driver of the Ford Ranger completed the driver's goal of pulling into the parking space evenly, and the driver and the driver's minor-aged son exited the vehicle casually strolling into the creamery without any regard for the vehicle the driver just struck. The driver walked in a manner that reflected possible dizziness or balance concerns but none the less carried on as if nothing out of the ordinary just occurred. Could it be that the driver had no idea that the driver hit the compact vehicle? Could it be that the minor-aged son who appeared to be maybe eight to ten years of age had no idea that the driver hit the compact vehicle?
By Makieba Hatton4 years ago in Humans
there must be pie
I am a conglomeration of a lot of experiences, people and places. Fifteen minutes before writing this, I was interacting with another writer here on Vocal about a small town in central Michigan to which we were both connected, and reminiscing about a restaurant that closed around 1976.
By L. Lane Bailey4 years ago in Humans
In Case You Were Wondering...Who am I?
Hello everyone, my name is Marci Wilson, and I am a major book nerd. Books have been my passion through my childhood and into my adult life, and while my story isn't exactly original, I feel the need to share it here. I was never the most social of children- while I had friends, books have kept me company through many lonely situations. As a child, going to the library was always perceived as a reward due to the number of times my mother has said "Get your housework done and then we can go to the library later" which always prompted my sister and me to speed through the rest of our chores. We would then get to spend the rest of the evening curled up with a stack of books, and to this day I cannot think of a better way to pass the time.
By Marci Wilson4 years ago in Humans
What Is A "Commodity Fetish," And Do You Have One?
Today I bought a bottle of wine, a gilt cup, a pretty blue ceramic mug, some kind of Italian pumpkin spice bread in a little paper box with a tassel on top, a box of kimchi-flavored instant ramen, a square of chocolate and a tea towel.
By Eric Dovigi4 years ago in Humans
Please, Stop Shopping
A month has passed since the last nightmare. A peaceful, stress-free month full of tall trees, forests, mushrooms, hiking and trips. Hustling alcohol, laughing gas and art at nude beaches, meeting you after work, sweet surprises, our best friends and family, and sunsets. Last night we went for drinks at one of your managers friend’s homes and talked late into the evening as I emailed my professors. We drove Nolito home, I am happy finally have a girlfriend in the house. The bull never gets irritated around girls, really. I’m just about at the point of convincing you to quit your slave labor construction job and work online with me, which makes me happiest. I love you so much Spencer, and can’t wait to spend every day annoying you, working from home, without the bull, I hope, without the bull. In a week or two, we will drive out East to collect the rest of my belongings, so we can officially live together, without the bull, hopefully. This month went by in a breeze, ever since Cody disappeared, we have all had peace, ease, bliss.
By Nayomi Moonie4 years ago in Humans
The Animal Within
A fire was ignited within me. From the day I was born. It was the only thing that kept me warm, kept me whole, and kept me alone. There it stayed. Nestled behind everything that makes me, me. Protecting me time and time again . From the coldness of the world, the cruelty, and the injustice. As the years went by the fire grew. Feeding my soul with the strength to continue on. When you are a child there are certain things you should not have to worry about. Such as food, shelter, and even love. Because how can someone that is suppose to love you toss you away as though you didn't matter? Why wouldn’t you fight for someone or something that was once a part of you? Why would you not fight against wrong doings? That question seemed to run through me more than the blood in my veins. At a young age the thought of my existence just seemed irrelevant. Everyone always talks about having a purpose in life, but how could I, when the only thing I knew was a feeling of hope that I could survive. As I got older, I remembered things that should have stayed buried in the deepest depths of my mind. The disturbing stories you find in the news headlines. The type of memories that, even now, you can't seem to distinguish between being actual events or the torment of nightmares that still haunt you to this day. There was no one around that I could ever talk to about how I felt or even the things that I had been through. I was a caged animal in a world of savage humans. It will always remind me of watching a bullfighting program on TV. There he was: a beautiful, mighty, majestic bull. Standing proud as though he was making a grand display of his purpose. I always felt as though I was a misunderstood bull surrounded by a massive crowd of matadors waving muletas consisting of hateful words and phrases in front of me tempting me into releasing the rage built up inside. It’s kind of funny how the bull represents me. Everyone thinks that bulls are angry with the muletas being red. But, in actuality, bulls are color blind and it is the action or movement of the matador that causes the raging bull to attack. Just as the words and actions of others can affect an individual and even me. It has taken every fiber of my being to maintain the animal within, to remain in a peaceful state. I don’t think that many people care how they treat others. How their words and actions can affect someone else. How their words can either positively or negatively impact someone’s life. Reflecting back on the bullfighting program, I will never forget how I felt watching the bull go down. Seeing red. I cried. For the bull didn’t deserve his demise the way that he did. I didn’t understand why everyone was cheering. Why was this ok? That is the world we live in. We find power in the ability to manipulate a situation or others. That is why this fire burns within me. My soul is angry. It wants to fight against the wrong doings of this world. The worst part of it all being that humans are the main cause or root of all of this. We destroy what we don’t understand. We destroy the best parts of the world. We destroy each other. We destroy ourselves. We take what we can and keep what we shouldn’t. Many times throughout my life, I have heard that it only takes one person to make a difference. One person brave enough to buck the trends. I believe that one person can make a difference, with the support of others. Being a cohesive unit with a singular focus. That is when you can actually see change. This is how it works. This is how it has always worked. Good or bad. We study history to learn not to repeat certain events that have taken place over time. But it repeats. The world is washed over and over again following the directions as that of a shampoo bottle. Those of us that are angry and try hard to break free from a cloned society are put on display and brought down ending up with the same fate as that mighty bull. What do we need to do to be heard? Where do we go from here? Why don’t others listen? I may not know why I am here. I may not even know my purpose. I may never know. But I do know that I will continue to help others. I will continue to build others up instead of tearing them down. I will stand up and be heard when something is not right and will scream my words when I feel or see injustice. I only hope that, at the end of the day, this fiery bull within me will ignite the fire in many.
By Tia Dalu Souhrada4 years ago in Humans
Humanity: Craving Authenticity
What happened to the days when people used to talk, laugh, and just be themselves? Is it just me or did the nature of relationships change? Is it the stress of this industrial, and rapidly developing technical world? Or is it a side effect of the pandemic era? Why is the world in turmoil, craving for authenticity?
By Grace Kusta Nasralla4 years ago in Humans
What We Tell Ourselves
Mirror talks. I heard someone use that term this week. It’s those moments you have, usually in the morning, when you’re alone. You’re at your most vulnerable because that’s when we always are - when we are alone. Teeth brushed, hair (or lack thereof in my case) fixed, deep breath taken. Ready for a new day. Ready for the people and problems that are always coming. Once more into the fray, good friends.
By Josh Walker Beavers5 years ago in Humans
The Girl With the Trifold Mirror
There once was a girl with a trifold mirror… She looked into the mirror, and she saw three different reflections of herself. The first was who she was, the second was who she is, and the third was who she wanted to be. To make eye contact with the first reflection frightened her. This reflection wanted nothing more than to drag her down. It wanted to fool her into thinking that her past experiences defined who she was today and to make her feel as if she was unable to move forward and become a better person. This version of herself was a victim with all the right excuses to not try. She knew that this malicious version of herself had to be put in the past where it belonged, so she picked up a heavy wooden brush off of her dresser and smashed this reflection into pieces, providing her with an immediate sense of relief and a desire to never look at this reflection again.
By Nicholas Mercogliano5 years ago in Humans
