humanity

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

You Call That a Job?
(VLOG posted at bottom for those who prefer to watch and listen rather than read.) Let's talk about jobs. For starters, what is a job?
By Eric Durland6 years ago in Humans
Behind the Drawings
Have you ever noticed how there are people in your life that you have known since like kindergarten but you’ve never really gotten to know them? Maybe because of the way they dress or the way they act around people? This was the case for me freshman year, when I finally broke through a girl's wall that had been going to school with me since elementary and even lived by me, and I found out that there was more to her than amazing drawings and quiet thoughts.
By Teya Hooper6 years ago in Humans
Global Masked Hero Sightings Expected
I recently joined a very exclusive club. Now I know I shouldn't be talking about it, but since I didn't sign any non-disclosure agreements or official secrets documents I'm going to go out on a limb and out myself and the rest of our club. Find your secret decoder ring, it’s in that shoe box under your bed, and keep reading below.
By Craig Braquet6 years ago in Humans
I.C.U.
Her name is Nita. I’m not sure of the spelling but I saw her sign: “Stranded”. That’s all it said, and I felt compelled to sit next to her and ask her about it. She smiled obligingly and started to tell me about the circumstances that have left her stranded in Denver, Colorado and trying to get to Montana where land and life wait for her.
By Becca Willson6 years ago in Humans
Lost Letters
I don’t have a lot memories of what I thought about you growing up. As I got older, people would say things like, “If you don’t leave before you turn 21, you’ll never leave,” or “Go as far away as possible for college, leave the valley,” or “You’ll come back, everybody always comes back;" which were all extremely daunting for a 13 year old. I was pretty much scared shitless. Yet, here I am as a 21 year old who still lives with her parents back “home” and I promise I’m not shaking in my boots. I think everybody at one point or another not only wanted to leave, but had a plan to leave. Then reality hit them like a bus. I should say they just realized how much of a bitch you really were… and that’s putting it nicely. You’re a little behind the times, like seven to 12 years behind. So, the expectation from literally everyone is college right after high school. Which isn’t fine, because college isn’t for everyone. College can also get ridiculously expensive and take it from someone who has witnessed at least a quarter of their former classmates drop out of college or transfer to a college that was closer to you. So, why push people away just to pull them back? You know that’s toxic behavior, right? You give the option for someone to just leave, but that is expensive as fuck and you don’t really let people make good money while living here. The option to just work after high school might be entertained by few because the pressure of what everybody else their age seems to be doing or what older people think they should be doing is just as strong as it was when the youth was in high school, I highly doubt they’ll pick that option. A gap year? Unheard of and bullshit in your eyes. You’re called one of the most miserable places ever for a reason. You don’t allow any money to be made and the people who do have money use it in favor of those who have power and connections. Small businesses don’t stand a chance, making mom and pop stores hard to come by these days. Between crime and poverty, finding a good location for a new business is trying to find a needle in a haystack. Then trying to keep that business in business? Oof, seems almost impossible. You’re not what you used to be, which growth and change usually is a good thing and strongly encouraged. Except, you’re going backwards and down hill. I’m not sorry to be the one to break that information with you. Everybody knows it because it’s what everybody sees on a daily basis. Your schools aren’t safe; nowhere is safe. Gang activity is in your schools and on your streets everyday; it probably feels like a problem that has gotten out of hand and isn’t fixable anymore. A lot people feel like you’re a lost cause and people certainly are right to think that. Not only have you given up, the people around you have given up. You have potential, but nobody knows how to use it. The people that could help you have their heads too far up your ass, and the ones that do want to help don’t know where to start, or it’s too much money for them. You might’ve been great back in the day, but you aren’t anymore. You are filled with toxicity, close minded individuals, and just not good people all together. So, don’t get offended when I don’t want to be here. This is where I grew up, raised by amazing parents, and you’ve helped shape me in to who I am. You’ll always be my hometown, but you’ll never be my home. Oh, and for god’s sake, clean up your river.
By B6 years ago in Humans
My Friend Karen
Friends come and go. It's just a fact of life. Sometimes we age out of each other, move away from another, grow apart, or have falling outs. All we can hope is to keep a good group of close friends around us, they help us get through life. But, if you're anything like me you have that one friend that you just can't seem to get rid of. She comes and goes in and out of my life, I can never quite get her to just stay away from me, but when she's around, I embrace her in all of her hot mess status. She is after all my oldest friend. I've known her since I was a teen, she's been there with me through everything I've ever been through, so I can't just say good bye. Unfortunately, whenever she's around she's fine in small increments, but she usually overstays her welcome. But how to you tell an old friend to kindly fuck off? I don't want to her he feelings after all... and yet... why do I care so much about her feelings?
By H Martin6 years ago in Humans
The Worst Generation Ever
(VLOG posted at bottom for those who prefer to watch and listen than read.) One of my greatest pet peeves is how every generation is perpetually claiming that younger generations are "undisciplined" and "worse" than their own—as the younger generations then mimic this same ignorant example, and perpetuate the perpetual circles of these ignorant social trends. And the point I want to make is, this is one small reflection of mankind's worship of ageism—one's seeking's of superiority, or triumph, as I call it, through one's age—that is so unconscious, that the majority of us haven't the slightest idea that we ourselves, in fact, embody it on a daily basis. This game of triumph teaches us to perpetually weigh our social worth against others as we conform to unanimity to all of mankind's vices—bullying, facilitating ignorant gossip/banter, trolling, nitpicking, nagging, etc.—all as a means of proving said social worth to our peers; as we furthermore deflect and deny anything and everything that could take away from us our given rank of triumph that we've worked so fervently (and/or despicably) to earn. And in this instance, we so readily take our guaranteed levels of rank over our (physically) younger peers by claiming ourselves superior to them (in any of a multitude of ways) via age, then waving that rank out into the world as if from a flag post so everyone can see—particularly those we are subliminally claiming to be superior to. Because it is the one card that is presently guaranteed as to why someone will always be "wiser," "smarter," always having the "best" or most "right" ideas or opinions, and claiming they are "above," "cooler," more worthy of leadership, or generally more "socially clean" than their peers.
By Eric Durland6 years ago in Humans
The Kinds of Bitches
Yes, there are different kinds of bitches. There's the good kind and the bad kind. There are also girls who are accused of being the bad kind of bitches. I'm the good kind of bitch that's been accused of being the bad kind of bitch.
By Lena Bailey6 years ago in Humans
Me Too and Time's Up
I was sexually assaulted by an ex-boyfriend, so I understand what people are going through. I was lucky because my assailant wasn't a boss or someone I needed in my life. He also wasn't someone who could fire me, get me fired, or get me kicked out of school. There was nothing bad he could do because I hid from him and he blocked me on social media. He thought I wronged him. In sexual assault or misconduct cases, "lucky" or "fine" are relative terms. I recently ran into someone who made fun of the Me Too movement because he didn't believe most of the stories. A low percentage of stories are made up. Because of people who don't believe the stories and the fact that sexual misconduct actually happens, the Me Too movement became popular in 2017. After the popularity of the me too hashtag rose, the Time's Up movement was created.
By Lena Bailey6 years ago in Humans
What I've Learned from Volunteering at My Local Food Bank
Since April 2017, I have actively volunteered and supported my local food bank. I have served clients, seen people in crisis, and met people from all walks of life, who, due to unfortunate circumstances, have had to get help. It is both challenging and rewarding, and seeing the difference made in people’s lives makes it so worthwhile. These are the main things that I have learned from helping out here.
By Flower Violet6 years ago in Humans
What Old People Can Learn From a New Generation
Young generations are growing at a much faster rate in today's era than they ever have before. With the advancement of new technologies, puberty is occurring much earlier than one can imagine. There is no doubt about the fact that old people have more experience and skills than young people. However, there are too many things that young people can teach the older generation. The young generation can teach them about new technology, a new trend in fashion, and many more things. Young people are more in touch with new digital devices, they have more information and knowledge about the planet earth and heavenly bodies. They can teach the old generation how to use these devices and help them to upgrade themselves.
By Ambreen Sajjad6 years ago in Humans
Making Our Connections Meaningful
I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person. ~Walt Whitman I have two nephews that love to say, “When Mom’s not happy, nobody’s happy.” I understand where they come from.
By Pete Wiley6 years ago in Humans