humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Happyness is a Green Pasture
It’s 2021, if there was ever a time to need hope for a bright future, it’s right here, right now. A little over a year ago, a global pandemic changed the face of global society when the best way to keep each other safe was for us all to cover up our mouths with masks. One year into this, we’ve all got a rotation of face masks and I haven’t seen a stranger’s smile since. Amidst the actual virus that has plagued our world, some of our older—and somehow even more pervasive—societal illnesses have also come to light. We began to see the illness that caused the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many more in the Black community was given a name: death by racism.
By Nikki Malupa5 years ago in Humans
And to Rachel, thank-you for everything
Four days before Christmas of 2018, at about 5am, my life changed forever. I woke up the sound of wailing and screaming down the hall. I wasn’t really sure what was going on at first to be honest because all of this muffled noise was the very thing that woke me up. I remember lying in bed trying to make sense of what I was hearing. At first I thought my counsins annoying dog, Muppy Doo, was making a ruckus again and annoying my cousin. As I listened more I started to recognise the voice was my dads. What was he wailing about I wondered? Is something wrong with Muddy Doo? “Ahhhhhhh!” He seemed very concerned. Maybe it wasn’t Muddy Doo, but my sisters dog, Moz, instead? Surely not Moz. Moz was my dad’s best friend! “Noooooo! She’s gone!” Wait. “She’s?” That can’t be right. Moz is a boy. Who’s she? I thought as I rolled over in bed. Mum? What’s wrong with mum? “Baby!!!! Ahhhhhhhh!” Okay I better get out of bed and see if everything’s okay. I kicked off the doona. I heard another voice now. It was all so muffled through the walls. I was so confused. Am I dreaming this? Am I even awake? I couldn’t really tell so I rubbed my eye’s again. Both voices we’re getting louder and more frantic now. “SHE”S GONE!!!” Yep. Understood that one loud and clear. Okay my hearts beating really quick now. I don’t know what’s going on out there. I better hurry up. I quickly got dressed and swung open my bedroom door. To my surprise my little sister, chook, was standing right on the other side of my door. She was on the phone. I can hear dad loud and clear now. “WE WERE GONNA GO TRAVELLING!” I made a simple gesture to my sister that questioned who she was on the phone to. She covered the phone speaker and aggressively yelled “The ambulance!” The ambulance? What? That means she called 000. Isn’t that for emergencies? It’s the holidays. It’s Friday morning. Christmas is next Tuesday. What is going on? I gestured in a way that suggested she give me the phone. She quickly muffled something to the person on the other end and then quickly handed it over. “Hello is this Alex?” A calming polite voice said through the phone. She didn’t sound too old, maybe in her late 20s? “My name is Rachel and your younger sister Georgia mentioned you’re trained in CPR. Is that right?” I don’t know why but I imagined Rachel to have straight brown hair and brown eyes. I could picture her in my mind. It was like she was smiling right at me while she waited my response. “Alex, are you there?” “Yes sorry, I’m here. Yes I have.” She was right, I had just finished renewing my first aid training for work 2 days prior. Why did she want to know about that anyway? It’s the holidays. I have no idea what’s going on. Chooks is staring back at me with the most worried look in her eyes. I can hear dad still wailing up the hall. I still haven’t heard a word come from mum yet. Maybe Rachel knows what the hell is going on up the hallway. “Um sorry, Rachel, what’s dad upset about?” I asked her nervously. “Your sister mentioned you might’ve been asleep, have you just woken up Alex?” She said. “Yes I have. Could you please tell me what’s going on?” “Okay your mum is in bed and your dad and sister have just discovered she isn’t responding, so we might need you to perform CPR is that okay?” My heart has started beating incredibly quick. There’s still sleepy dust in my eyes and my vision’s still kinda blurry. I rubbed my eye’s again in a effort wake me up from this super vivd dream. “Should I go check on mum?” I asked Rachel sheepishly. “I think that’s a good idea Alex” I started walking up the hallway slowly. I knew dad was yelling and wailing so loudly but it was like somehow his histerics were getting quieter and quieter with every step I took towards their room. Until suddenly I stood frozen at their door way and everything went mute. I couldn’t hear a thing anymore. Dad was rocking back and forth on the floor at the foot of the bed balling his eyes out, but I couldn’t hear it? He looked like a little baby. Chook was hiding behind me tapping at my shoulder. I think she was trying to say something to me but I couldn’t hear her at all. I knew Rachel was trying to talk to me through the phone but I could hardly hear her either. I was so confused. Everything felt so confused. But then when dad slowly looked up and when our eyes met, it was like for a just a moment all time and space didn’t exist anymore. Dad has brown eyes, similar to what I imagined Rachel’s to be. Unlike Rachel’s, his were not calming at all! In fact they were the complete opposite haha, his eye’s screamed out in pandemonium. His eyes told me everything that had just happened and they told me everything that was about to come next. I couldn’t bare look into them any longer, it hurt too much, so I just decided to avoid looking into them altogether.
By Alexandra Bull5 years ago in Humans
Aged to Perfection
Harold had a lot to do today. The first being that he had to pick up his suit from Terry's Drycleaner. He’d been going to them for years, but the new kid Terry had hired made Harold nervous. She seemed nice enough, but her electric green hair looked fried. Anyone that didn’t protect their own hair from heat damage were probably not that careful with fabrics either.
By Bria Chaffin5 years ago in Humans
Introduction to Me
If you’ve read any of my stories before reading this, you’ll get the impression that I’m not a very good writer. That’s because I’m not! I’m not really a successful adult, at least how the world describes successful. Who am I? Well, for starters, I question everything. On a regular basis, I analyze aspects of everyday life that don’t make sense to me, like why we still have to pay for food to survive or why we still use controlled explosions within a hunk of metal to move us from place to place.
By Tyler Meek5 years ago in Humans
To my 8th grade math teacher, Ms. Gough
Dear Ms. Gough, I'm not sure you'll remember me, but I have a feeling you're one of those teachers who don't forget their students. In 2002, I came into your pre-algebra class with a pretty depressing track record from the years before. I even failed 6th grade math my first quarter at Jack Jouett Middle, so I wasn't expecting to do much better.
By Nola Browning5 years ago in Humans
What Is Life?
Everytime I read about tragedies that have left permanent scars in someone's life, it breaks my heart. No one should suffer pain or loss in any of its forms. I don't mean this only to humans but to all living species in this world. A homeless dog hiding in the woods for shelter and struggling for a single meal, but without hope, is not something that any canine should experience, simply because they're pure in their heart. I wish we lived a harmonious life in this world, in which every being is equally provided for and equally treated. A disabled person longing to possess what he/she can't have is hurtful. Life isn't fair, is it?
By Rajaroy Joseph Alphonse5 years ago in Humans
Quarter-Life Crisis?
As a little girl and throughout my adolescence, I hadn't put much thought into what my life would be like past the age of 25. I expected to be at the peak of my life by this age, which is kind of sad considering the amount of time I may have left on this Earth. So now that the mark of being alive for 25 years is only 3 months away, I am possibly going through my quarter-life crisis.
By Gloria Mendez5 years ago in Humans
every three days
Saturday - March 27, 2021 The sunshine was so warm after such a cold week. It brought so much peace to me, something I didn't know I needed until I went outside with no expectations at all to just enjoy and experience the surrounding life that exists around me constantly. There was such a beautiful moment where I realized that life is so beautiful and it is right before me. To look and see and feel is so important when it comes to my life and how I want to live it. It is probably harder than it sounds only because it is easier to say things than to do things, but getting outside as much as I can is so important especially when I really don't want to get out of bed and the process to even just wash my face feels like climbing a mountain. But altogether, today opened my eyes to the fact that I need to make it a special part of at least my week, if not daily. I'm gonna make it a priority for me.
By Emmalee Edwards5 years ago in Humans
I Don't Know Them
Strong women. Where do I even begin? Is the American Revolution too late? Sybil Ludington of Connecticut was only sixteen years old when she hopped on her horse and rode into the night, warning American militiamen that the British were coming. She carried only a stick to defend herself against any stripe of hooligan, as well as the gun-wielding English. Sybil rode twice as far as Paul Revere, but no one has ever heard of her.
By Ashley Herzog5 years ago in Humans
