humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
The Worst Date, To Date...
I push open the front door and am greeted by a pleasant warmth that drags me out of the night’s cold blizzard. The sounds of a live six-man brass band playing soft Jazz combined with a familiar buzz of busy humming restaurant sends me into a quick state of disorientation. Confronted and confused, I divert my gaze from the ground up to the front host who smirks, placing a light touch on my hip and escorts me through the candle-lit tables whereby couples laugh and swoon over a degustation meal.
By Scout O'Donoghue5 years ago in Humans
Between Castle Rock and a Hard Place
Once upon a time. Once. Upon. A. Time. Four words. Just four little tiny words. As a little girl, those four words excited me. Reading those four words titillated me. They enthralled me. They ignited a fire within my imagination. Reading those words meant I was getting ready to go on a mental vacation to strange and exotic lands where the impossible becomes possible.
By Kat MayKnow5 years ago in Humans
When It Happens to You
*Trigger warning: story contains controversial themes surrounding abortion I watched the trolly move up and down the aisles of the local Maxi, the wheels spinning so fast that it made my head spin. I was already feeling nauseous, but now it was getting worse. After deciding that watching the wheels wouldn’t make my nausea any better I decided to get along with the shopping. Bread, butter, eggs, bananas, and of course, sweet tamarind. I loved the taste of sweet tamarind, even the mere thought of it made my mouth tingle with joy. My mind started to drift off, it seemed to happen a lot lately, but I didn’t mind, if anything, it meant I could be out at the store longer, instead of going home, instead of going home to him. Alas, staring at the bananas for more than thirty minutes in this town could put a woman into a straight jacket. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, except for the fact that my mother would rather see me die. It was her, you know? It was her that made me marry George. You’re probably wondering who George is? Well, he is the nobody son from a wealthy family, and of course, he is also my not-so-loving husband. It was an arranged marriage you see, my uncle, another rich nobody, had thought it wise to join the family wealth with his dear business partner, my mother the dutiful sister, whose only concern is the family reputation, gingerly agreed, and a week later I was walking down the aisle with a veil over my head. We never really had a true connection, George and I. Our life together was so calculated and precise. I get a monthly budget from him to do all the grocery shopping and whatever is left over, I can use on myself. He pays the bills, I cook and we eat dinner together at seven. Be in bed by nine, and do it all over again in the morning. Before George, I was a nurse, and although a woman of my financial status should never need or want to work, I secretly loved it. It gave me purpose and I truly felt that I was making an impact in this small Quebec town I called home. “Is that all miss?”, the voice of the cashier jolted me out of my thoughts.
By Ashfia Ahmed5 years ago in Humans
The Expectations of Reality
Here we are again. A new month, a similar but different look. The weather has changed and there’s more ways to communicate with people. So much so, that old habits rise again. Yeah they die hard but it’s suppose to be a reminder of once was and our strength to bring them down.
By The Kind Quill5 years ago in Humans
home
Twice a day the tide in Bar Harbor, Maine parts to reveal a quaint path that leads to a sandbar. The locals call this mysterious strip of land Bar Island. The tide is reliable, like rain in Seattle, and doesn’t stay parted for too long. The locals will be sure to mention this casually by whipping out their phones and showing images of tourist’s cars submerged in the cold, salty seawater.
By Kelsie Eldridge 5 years ago in Humans
Never Normal
Finally, the world is being forced to recognize, there is no “normal”. Even more exciting is without a normal, there is no normal to go back to; meaning the world can relax and learn to accept the unpredictable as our everyday reality. For instance, my daughter’s high school now calls snow days more often as these Covid times have prepared them for better contact and online learning. The yearly schedule may be set, but changes are now easier to accept due to online communication and students and parents are able to adjust without as much difficulty as before. In Colorado, these changes have even increased talks of the four day school week with both sides presenting arguments which used to sound crazy. It’s as if doing things different is being accepted since we were forced to accept major change last year.
By Johnna Crawford 5 years ago in Humans
Unrequited Farewell
I am so pissed off. I feel used. I am literally bruised. I was so frustrated with you before you got here, but as soon as I got in the van, all of those feelings floated away. Your smile made me dismiss the prior pain. Give you yet another dose of grace.
By Stephanie Morris5 years ago in Humans
