humanity

For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.

To the Person Who Paid for My Drive Thru Order
I’m not sure what compelled you towards a random act of kindness. There are a few possibilities I’ve come up with. One, you just received a raise at work and had the cash to spare. Two, we’re at the beginning of a pandemic and a coping mechanism for you is to put as much kindness into the world as possible. Three, you looked in your rearview mirror and you could see me crying. Head tilted back, chest heaving, hands running over my blotchy face, trying to compose myself quickly before pulling up to the next window. I don’t have the answer and I never will.
By Sam6 years ago in Humans
26+ Degrees Between My Cousin and Al Pacino
Today's Spanish word was inspired by a cousin in Panama, who I've reconnected with through all this Quarantine madness. Gracias Prima, y Senorita Hoch en Isla Larga, y Google Translate, and plate tectonics. I always knew that Long Island was a woman. Look at it, the right way, from above, turned quarter clockwise. That ain't no tail of a fish.
By Karen Lichtman6 years ago in Humans
Why the Enneagram
If you’ve ever met me, you’d know that I am always fascinated with personality tests, or rather categorizing people neatly in my head. Eventually I had gone through the obsession of Myers-Briggs 16 Personalities Test, though I’m not sure exactly how. As far back as Grade 8, I remember telling my friends what type or combination of letters I thought they were and then invited them to take the test themselves. I had used them with EVERYONE: my friends, family, and love interests (often to everyone’s annoyance), but for me it was the best because I thought that personality tests were a great way to make reality seem a little bit more clearer, a little bit less scary.
By poetryinwaiting6 years ago in Humans
The Introvert Curse
Before you read, I'd like to make a note that this is all coming from my personal experience. Everybody is different and what I may experience as an introvert is likely very different for another introverted person. That being said, please enjoy!
By Madeline Keys6 years ago in Humans
Statue in the Park
I stand still. Not moving. Never moving. No heart. Nothing inside. Just the cold hard bronze outside. Tunnel vision gives me a view of just one spot, the one spot in the park that’s important to me. The one spot in the world that’s important to me. Every single day I stare at that one spot, unblinking. A brick building towers the park, ivy creeping up its side, holding it in a deathgrip, and extending to every edge of my view. Behind it, a gloomy grey sky sobs into the soft wind, creating puddles along the only road I’ve ever known. And in front of the road is the grass. I’ve never seen any other grass, but I’d bet this is the greenest grass in the world. Its vibrant color glowing against the misery of everything else. That grass is green for one reason, and one only, because the old man with the top hat cares.
By Margot Sonia6 years ago in Humans
A Terrible Start to a Beautiful Morning
By Kova April 12, 2020 This morning, motivated by my son, my husband and I decided to run Ridge Road with him, together as a family. Corona has been wonderful in reminding us of the value of family time. I started off first, but my son quickly galloped past me. My husband, getting a late start, seemed much farther behind. As I was running, I counted about 10 people at different points along Ridge Road, which, at 7am on a Tuesday morning, is considered busy but expected during this quarantine times.
By KoVa6 years ago in Humans
Pisces Moon
A guy that I met on the club in a late last year. we keep bumping on to each other. He was just a stranger but I don't know why he was on my mind every time nothing distracts me.
By 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓻𝓸𝓼é6 years ago in Humans
The World's Bullying Problem
Yesterday I took a 30 minute walk around my neighborhood to take a mental break from work and self-isolation. Since I can't get a normal workout in given the current global crisis, I take walks throughout the day to get moving and let go of stressors. I plug into a podcast and spend 15 - 30 minutes learning about entrepreneurship, how to speak French, or ways to process my thoughts and feelings.
By Kristi Jacobsen6 years ago in Humans
Living Colorful in a Black & White World.
“I’m starting to hate this town”. I didn’t reply to what he said but I heard it and even if he didn’t feel it, I felt it. We were just hanging out, smoking a joint on the road. I could’ve just been high but those five words were so deep and I thought “what a great way to start an article.” See even though I'm an eighteen year old girl I don’t go to community college, or any college to be exact. So I need something to occupy my mind. Not my head - I could zone out for hours, but my mind. When you write a lot everything turns into a scene and if it’s not a scene it’s an idea for one. Anything could happen when you write a book, there are no limits. You can express your dreams or you can express your greatest fears. It will still always be a good read because you know what you like. You are your own biggest supporter and your own worst critic. If you are proud, you have succeeded even if others don’t understand what the words on the page mean. You do. And you know how it feels. How it truly feels. No matter what you’re writing for, enjoyment, a book, or simply for stress relief it doesn’t matter how other people feel or what others say about your writing. It is all opinions. And as hard as it is to decipher opinions and facts nowadays - there still is a huge and important difference. At the end of the day It’s how you feel and what you say about your own work. It is work. Writing isn’t something that comes naturally. Sure anybody can write but to be descriptive and actually halfway decent takes time, practice and patience. People in this town are too absent minded to talk about interesting things like their feelings or conspiracy theories. All the people in this town think of what's going to happen next. It’s easy to think that type of way. Next i’m going to light up a cigarette. Lit. But nobody wants to stir up an hour long conversation about something that’s pointless. If it doesn’t benefit them then what’s the point? Therefore in this town you have to talk to yourself and I hope those thoughts end up on paper so I can read them. What happens in the next town though? What are you going to say when you realize everybody is the same? You can change your house, your town, your school and your job but you will see how every human being - acts the same way. And it will upset you. Don’t get me wrong I am not a depressing person and I am not trying to spread negativity. That’s just simply how it is.
By Brandy F6 years ago in Humans
Happy Birthday... or Not
Birthdays are akin to a double-edged sword- they can be either wonderful or awful. But, there really is no escaping them. Some people cherish this day, and make it a grand celebration. But for others, it becomes more and more dreaded as the weeks pass by and it gets closer. Chances are- dependent on the year- you’ve had a combination of the two, or perhaps your celebrations tend to fall somewhere in the middle. For me, it has always been an existential day. No doubt, this has to do with the fact that my birthday falls very close to the end of the year and so, the start of another. I tend to look back on the year that was with an even bigger magnifying lens. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that with every passing year, the pressure that builds becomes greater and more combustible. Well, you still haven't accomplished this… or that…
By Olivia Petras6 years ago in Humans
A photo, A social media account, A video
first thing, a photo Here's a little backstory. my life is as uninteresting as it could possibly be, to make things worse I'm an introvert that doesn't even try to change it. I've been in Minnesota for five years without change but it's not home. This picture was taken in Iceland, a place where if I could choose a location for my home would be my place of choice. I love Iceland, I dream of a day when I am free of the worries of life, a day where I could pack up everything and move to Iceland. It's a fairytale, the land is gorgeous, the sceneries to die for. When I look at this picture I see what I want. I see what I could have if I keep moving forward. I'm not an adventurous person, I'm a realist, I am unathletic to a fault. the one thing NOT on my bucket list is definitely skydiving. One thing I desire more than anything is a reality that is this picture right here. It's calming, it feels out of this world and the vibe is just right. Credit to folksouls, for this wonderful photo, follow them on Instagram @folksouls.
By Sarah Musa6 years ago in Humans
COVID-19 and the Homeless
With everything going on these days and everyone doing the whole social distancing and self-quarantine, how many people have actually stopped to think about those living out on the streets. Social distancing could work for them if they were not in fear of being beaten, robbed, or even killed. The homeless have no where to self-quarantine, so is it safe to say that no one cares about their health or safety?
By Brandi Payne6 years ago in Humans