humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Chapter 1
1/15/18 I believed I had reached the plateau of stability as an adult. Thirty-two years old with the highest paying job I had ever acquired, and a relationship with a man that I truly believed would last much longer than four months. I thought I had found the peaceful, stable, path that would make me happy, but then it all fell apart the way it does every time I start to believe in the stability of my circumstances. In the destruction of the external imagery of who I was going to be, my identity became a mash of uncertainty. I lost myself in holding on to the boy and job, warping myself into whatever would keep the fantasy real. But now in the third month of the isolationist life of unemployment, I can’t figure out what to do next. I can’t go back to who I was, and I don’t know who to become.
By Siedeh Rezaei-Kamalabad7 years ago in Humans
Another Word For
In the beginning things were pretty good. It was fun and I knew things were going faster then what I was comfortable with. Our first date we spent hours talking and we seemed to like the same things and had similar dislikes. Everything seemed amazing and went very well. I was happy that I had found a caring family man! Because of our age, we decided early in our relationship to start a family. After all, I did find my soulmate, as he called me. We moved in together and we became pregnant with our first child together, a son. He would text me several times and hour how much he loved me- I love you. I asked him nicely to stop the frequency and that was apparently a huge hit for him. I was working and I couldn’t keep responding to them all! He didn’t understand. Things progressed and as things were brought up, suggestions were made and I received pushback, more red flags started popping up. Random things that did not make sense to my over logical thinking.
By Danielle Rae7 years ago in Humans
Elders Need to Follow the Youth and Tell Their Stories
When I grew up I was always told to listen my elders. I’m sure a lot of people are still taught this today, but what have our elders done to deserve our attention? With the changes that we’re going through in society today should this still be acceptable? Traditions change and our world is very different from what it was before. Some of our elders remained silent and were complacent when they saw wild injustices in their lives. To this day some are still withholding their stories. Some of our elders have perpetrated hate and taught it to future generations. I realize that not all of our elders are the same and times were different back in the day. I also know that not everyone can be a superhero, but everyone should at least have a conscience. Change has to start somewhere. We’ve seen a ton of growth in social awareness in today’s youth but this change could have happened much earlier. Maybe it’s the seniors that need to listen and understand the youth rather than the other way around.
By Brian Anonymous7 years ago in Humans
The Mask
That beautiful mask I wear upon my face, like who am I going to be today? Will I be the perfect girl or will I be that beautiful disaster? Will I be that person that I normally am or hiding in the shadows? Will I be who I really want to be? Or will I be what others want me to be?
By Sheena Ann7 years ago in Humans
Why One Tattoo Wasn't Enough
Tattooing has a history all its own, from tribes decorating their bodies with stories and milestones, to being viewed as unsavory and the underground in Western society, and now to an expression of art and self-identity. Looking at any continent on our planet, tattoos and the people that continue to create them have shaped the way we tell our stories, helped handle difficult aspects of our lives, and to remember the paths our lives have taken. From the far East of Japan and Thailand, to name a few, to the Pacific Islands of New Zealand and Samoa, all the way to African nations such as Togo and Burkina Faso. Heading over the Atlantic or Pacific, you will be introduced to South America and North America where tattooing culture has tribal roots in the Amazon, to the more modern styling from the mid- to late-1800s in the United States. From wanderers, vagrants, sailors, and military men to the modern human canvases that pass by us daily, tattooing is a piece of our human identity and can be found in many tribes, cultures, and nations. Today, a new breed of tattooing is around for many reasons, it is not just a rite of passage or a story to tell anymore. It is self-identity, individualism, and a full art form.
By Steven Altman7 years ago in Humans
You Make Your Own Luck
A thirty-four year old man sits wrapped in his scraps of clothing on a chilled winter night. He sits in a cold alley, nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no gloves, nor flames to warm his hands upon. He lets out a soft, yet heavy sigh and his warm carbon dioxide is visible in the air. He is shivering as he holds himself, and spies a shard of glass stuck in the snow beside him. As he pulls it out, he realizes it is the remnants of a broken mirror. He sees his reflection in the glass, a tired, ragged, unshaven man. “What have I done to my life?” He asks himself. “How have I turned into this man looking back at me?” Tears of some warmth enter his blue eyes, he rests his head back against the cold brick wall. And then he hears the shuffling of something slow. Someone helpless and weak. He moves the shard of mirror to the side of the brick wall and sees an elderly woman walking in the direction of his alley. She is very old, helpless, stumbles on each step while she holds her cane, and she is alone.
By Miranda D.7 years ago in Humans
The Fundamental Shift in the Definition of Community
When I was a kid my community was my family. My siblings, parents, grandparents. My aunts and uncles, cousins, and all that extended outward. Less a family tree, and more two very intricate and complicated mandalas that touched in only one point. My parents were married only briefly, and I was the only child produced. Both families have complicated histories, dark secrets, and uproarious laughter that is contagious, no matter what mood you are in. I love my family, and in many ways they are still my community, but as I have gotten older, I have drifted away in search of independence, and a place to find myself, and I have ended up roughly 3500 miles away from everyone save a scattered few that I share kinship with. When I was little, if I had a problem, I reached out to these people for love and comfort. For aid and succor. And while they didn't always deliver in ways that I expected, I never was left alone in my struggles. There was always someone, at least one person who would demonstrate compassion, and help me, even when the rest of them thought I was being a brat.
By Paige Graffunder7 years ago in Humans
Why I Moved To India
No matter where you are in the world people often will ask you where you live, it’s often a difficult question to answer. As the child of an expat it’s question that I honestly try to avoid, just simply because its hard to explain that I’m an Australian who up until I started university lived in India.
By Harie Calder7 years ago in Humans
Should I Be Polite or Sincere?
I would love people to be honest with me. Talk to me straight. At least I tell this to myself until someone decides to criticize me. When they do criticize, I think something along the lines of -—How rude is this person? No one asked for your opinion.
By Toni Koraza7 years ago in Humans
