humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Sunshine & Moonlight
Looking back, it was a simple action. I saw it lying there under the paint-chipped bus seat, half concealed by a plastic bag. I didn’t even think of it as an act of kindness, but more of just the right thing to do. It wasn’t old or terribly worn, but I could tell it had been around. Little did I know just how many hands it would someday touch, and how many hearts. How many tears might fall down onto its weathering cover. I turned it over in my hands, hopeful that a name might be inside. When I opened it, I saw neat cursive scrawled over the first page.
By Cherie Robidoux5 years ago in Humans
Keep It To Myself
I came home from work, happy, but nervous. Happy because it was Friday and although I was scheduled to work Saturday it was at last the weekend. As soon as I got off from work I saw the text message from him asking me to buy some beer for him before I got home, so I did.
By TexasChicana5 years ago in Humans
Noodle Diner Miracle 💯%
The bathroom door swung open with the gracefulness of a drunken elephant as Jordan groaned through the doorway. They had been within the confines of the company office for less than ten minutes and they already wanted to quit and never look back. Jordan had been a good student in school, got decent grades and was able to secure an internship at a popular company fairly easily. Their people skills and ability to adapt on the fly saw them hired before the end of the school year and they were able to rise fairly easily through the ranks until they became a supervisor. However, it seemed like the higher Jordan climbed; the harder it was for them to feel like they loved what they were doing.
By Eli Hadam Zucker5 years ago in Humans
Bad Girl House
On a weekend that we weren’t seeing Jonathan, we were on our way to my house. We may have been heading back from John’s apartment, or from my grandparents’ house that was only a short distance away. While riding beside him, I was gazing at the corn fields along the side of the road. wasn’t thinking about his mood —until we pulled up beside another car at a stop light. That’s when I got nervous. At this particular light, when it turned green, the cars in both lanes needed quickly to merge into one. The people who lived in the area were familiar with this. If there was already a car waiting at the light when you approached it, it was common courtesy to stay back a bit so that that the first car could pull ahead when the light turned green. There were of course those people who would still pull up beside the car that was already int he other lane. That’s what John had done. John looked over at the man in the car next us, and gripped the steering wheel tighter. The man in the other car didn’t think much about which lane he was in. He probably assumed that the person beside him would b allow him to safely merge into the one lane. That would send everyone down the street, and on with the rest of their day. Little did he know, that was not what was about to happen. As the light turned green, both cars began to move. The other car seemed to jolt forward in an effort to merge after passing us. John was not going to let that happen. He stepped on the gas, staying right beside the other car. Neither one was slowing down.
By Kathy Sees5 years ago in Humans
Bad Girl House
Before we had even been in Virginia for a few months, John’s father called him about a job opportunity back in Ohio. The contractor they often worked with was bidding on how much it would cost for them to build HUD housing. His father wouldn’t be able to accept the job if John didn’t come back to help him. It would be long term, possibly indefinite work, so turning it down really wasn’t an option. It had been years since either of them had had steady work. It was also not an option for me to quit my job after only months of teaching. We had to figure out how to make both jobs work logistically with one vehicle between us, and Jessica, who had just turned one. Since I had to be able to drive to work every morning, John’s parents really had no other choice than to make the drive to take him to Ohio whenever they needed him.
By Kathy Sees5 years ago in Humans
Bad Girl House
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 began as any other day. John and Jessica were in Ohio, so I was quietly getting ready for a day of teaching. I showered, got dressed, ate breakfast, and put on my make-up. It was a beautiful, sunny morning. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I normally got to school around seven am to make sure I was ready for all of my elementary classes. I wrote the date on my blackboard, along with the day’s activities. I would have a class full of students by eight o’clock, and they would be with me for about an hour. Soon after waking that class out of my room, my second class was approaching. Even from a distance, I could tell that their teacher was shaken up about something. As her students went into my room, she asked me to stay by the door with her for a second. She leaned towards me putting her hand around my elbow. She whispered that an airplane had just crashed into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. I just stared at her as she shook her head. She said that she was going to the teacher’s lounge to see what else she could find out. I looked back into my room, realizing that I needed to teach a class of innocent children who had no idea of the huge event that was currently happening. In order to stand in front of them, I had to push what I had just heard out of my mind. I had to keep them engaged, as well as keep myself distracted. If I stopped too long to think about it, I was afraid that my emotions would be visible on my face.
By Kathy Sees5 years ago in Humans
The Little Black Book
Her life was crumbling like the last piece of a soggy apple pie. She didn’t know what to do. Her boyfriend just dumped her for her best friend, Jessica, who had the longest legs in the world. No wonder he picked her. Now her and Jessica were not on speaking terms, which left her with her only friend, Fluffy. If a cat even counts as a friend.
By Katliliana5 years ago in Humans
Sufficient
I've lost track of what living means. All I do is keep myself alive. I get up, feed my pets, put the kettle on, and dash out the door to work. I'm at a loss to figure out how, at my age, I can get off this hamster wheel. Time to make some decisions. The dreams I had as a kid seem to be fantasy. Enough pity party. Coat, shoes, hair combed, teeth brushed, day pack. Check. Off I go!
By Lady Karina Benish5 years ago in Humans
