-
On My Horizon
Today marks a turning point in my life, on my horizon is a moment that feels both liberating and profound. After years of carrying the weight of my past, encapsulated in the worn pages of my old diary, I’ve made a decision that feels like a bold step into a new chapter. My diary, filled with painful memories and trauma from both my job and personal life, has been my silent companion through the darkest of times. Yet, today, I decided to let it go, to release the hold it has had on me. In a symbolic gesture of moving forward, I chose to burn my old diary. The decision…
-
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
It’s a peculiarly early Sunday morning for me, the world outside still shrouded in the quiet darkness of the pre-dawn hours. As I sit here still in bed, a thought lingers in my mind: the more things change, the more they stay the same. This phrase echoes through the generations, each one pointing fingers at the one before, blaming them for the world’s woes. But really, aren’t we all just a continuation of a cycle, a pattern as old as time itself? Our current chapter, the Information Age, has us enthralled with numbers and statistics. Our worth, once measured in character and deeds, is now quantified in likes, followers, and…
-
Writing, Photography, And My Life With Amelia
As I sit here, my fingers poised over the keyboard, I can’t help but feel a wave of exhilaration mixed with a hint of disbelief. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life, one that is entirely dedicated to my deepest passions: writing, photography, and my beautiful relationship with Amelia. For years, I found myself juggling the demands of a conventional career with my innate desire to create. My days were filled with tasks and responsibilities that, while vitally important, didn’t ignite the spark within me. Each evening, as I sat down to write or sifted through photos from my latest adventure, I felt a surge of…
-
It All Started With A Pair Of Converse Shoes
I have been holding back from saying these things for far too long. It’s been a lifetime of silence, of conforming to society’s expectations, and of suppressing my true self. But this new year, I’ve made a resolution, a declaration of independence, if you will. This new year, I’m going to say, “fuck the world.” It’s been a rollercoaster ride of self-discovery, acceptance, and self-love. It’s taken years to muster the courage to fully embrace my identity, and now, I’m going all in. I am going to start demanding that people use She/Her pronouns with me from now on. There will be no exception. My name is Thomas, and I’ve…
-
The Midnight Owl’s Unspoken Story
In a forest swathed in the velvety embrace of the night, an enigma called the Midnight Owl reigned. This owl, with plumage as dark as the inky black sky and eyes that shimmered like a nebula, was no ordinary creature. It was said that this owl knew every secret, every whisper of the trees, every heartache of the beasts, and every dream of the stars. The Midnight Owl was a keeper of stories, a guardian of memories, and an observer of all things under the night’s canopy. Yet, there was one tale that the owl didn’t know: the story of you. Every night, when the world lay blanketed in silence,…
-
A Girl With Abstract Dreams
I have lived my entire life as a girl with abstract dreams and obscure fascinations. I live in color, dream in black and white, write in poetic prose, and speak in metaphors. My résumé paints a picture of a quintessential free spirit. To those who know me, I am an enigma. Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be? Charles Bukowski When I was a child, teachers called me an idiot. When I was a teenager, I knew that I was indeed different, and it was during this time in my life that therapists said that I was a child who was gifted.…
-
From Ties That Bind To Freedom: How I Escaped The Cycle Of Codependency
For many years, I lived in a constant fear of being abandoned by the people around me, so I did everything in my power to keep them happy and close by me. That strategy worked fine until the day I found myself standing all alone without anyone else to turn to. My earliest memories are of chaos. Chaos both at home and school, one seeming not to escape the other. It’s because of this that I made sure as soon as I had the means, I would turn and run away. But, I could never get away from the broken ties of ropes left over from the circus of our…
-
Lyrics That Influenced A Generation
Much of my writing was influenced by the song lyrics I grew up listening to as a child. The music artists from the 1990’s era were especially influential, such as Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Toad The Wet Sprocket, Counting Crows, and Sarah McLachlan. They are lyrics that influenced a generation, and those which inspired me creatively. While a handful of the individual song titles eventually became titles for my writing and photography, creativity in and of itself is nothing more than a mashup of the experiences in ones life. It is the culmination of thoughts, experiences, conversations, and ideas. Recently, Amelia and I were discussing the band R.E.M., and how it…
-
11th Grade English And Other Musings
I still remember my 11th grade English class like it was yesterday. My teacher was someone whom my parents and I regarded, and to this day, continue to regard as a blundering idiot, who, throughout the duration of the school year, failed to teach me anything useful about English. My teacher would grade my work unfairly. He liked to intentionally mispronounce my name in class and call me Slaytone. He knew I wanted to be a writer when I graduated, and found fault with my work, regardless of what other faculty members thought of its quality. I clearly remember my parents complaining to the school about the overwhelming and obvious…
