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I Disappeared Down A One-Way Track
I returned to the place where I grew up. Everyone I knew has left in search of fairer weather. All that’s left are the faces and the names in faded grade school yearbooks. My past has become a jumbled collection of distant, and often faded memories that feel as if they belonged to someone else in another lifetime. All the memories seem to center around my parents house; the good times, and the bad. I remember looking at the house, and my mom falling in love with the property and saying to the sellers that it was perfect. I remember the time when we were moving in and the house…
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I Have Been A Lot Different
I have always been a little different. Even as a young child, when other girls were content with playing princesses and tea parties, I found myself more engrossed in embarking on imagined adventures, climbing trees, and dreaming of the vast, untouched world beyond my backyard. It was a divergence that sometimes isolated me, a tiny ripple in the fabric of conformity that set me apart. Yet, I cherished this difference. I nurtured it. Even then, I understood it as a flame, a flicker of an identity that was distinctively, and blatantly unapologetically, mine. Sky above me, Earth below me, a fiery passion forever burning within me. Thomas Slatin Throughout my…
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The Enchanting Aura Of Nostalgia
In a world that constantly propels us forward, there is something undeniably captivating about the past. The allure of nostalgia is a gentle whisper that beckons us to revisit cherished memories and bask in the warmth of bygone days. As a woman who finds solace in emotions of nostalgia, I have come to appreciate the enchanting aura it brings to my life. Nostalgia has a unique way of resurrecting the forgotten sights and sounds of our past. The mere scent of an old book, the crackle of vinyl records, or the delicate touch of a handwritten letter can transport us to another time. As I thumb through the pages my…
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The Fervor Of True Love
The fervor of true love is not to be mistaken for the mere fluttering of the heart, as it goes far beyond the physical realm. True love becomes the palpable feelings of the heart which binds souls together, as closely woven as the petals in a peony’s embrace. It is the whispers of a thousand winds telling tales of unity; it is the laughter of the stars above, cascading in melodies only the heart understands. Thomas Slatin
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May 2023 Selfies
Thomas Slatin’s May 2023 Selfies (*The last picture of me was taken at Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park by my wife, Amelia.)
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Live Fearlessly, Love Unapologetically
Life, I’ve come to understand, is for living. I must pursue those sparks that set my soul alight. I must engage in activities that elicit joy within me. I have to choose to be around those who ground me, those who respect me, who embrace me in a manner that reassures me of my worth, my acceptance, my love. Healing myself is a task I have to take on, even when it stings, particularly when it stings, so as not to approach my existence within the confines of my internal burdens. I must venture out into the world, undeterred by the perceptions of others. I cannot rob myself of experiences,…
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The Sun Still Rises, Even Through The Rain
Whenever I find myself engulfed by the waves of a bad day, I take solace in the knowledge that the sun still rises, even through the rain. There are moments when it feels like the stormy clouds have gathered solely to cast shadows on my life, drenching every aspect of it in a torrent of melancholy. But as a woman who has weathered many such tempests, I know there’s always light waiting to break through. I remind myself that there’s beauty to be found in the storm, in the droplets that weave intricate patterns on my window, and the way the world seems to hush, as if listening for the…
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Finding Inner Peace
As the first light of day broke through the horizon, I felt an irresistible urge to seek solace by the water. The cool morning air kissed my skin as I sprinted towards the shoreline, my heart racing with anticipation. Once there, I peeled off my clothes, one by one, casting aside the layers that shielded me from the world. I stood at the water’s edge, the tips of my toes sinking into the damp sand, and gazed out into the endless expanse before me. For a moment, time stood still, and I found solace in the soothing embrace of silence. I inhaled deeply, my lungs filling with the fresh air…
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The Complexity Of Self
As I reflect on my innermost feelings and desires, I realize that I’m a complex individual with a myriad of emotions that often seem to be at odds with each other. While I strive to be happy and positive, there are times when my mind seems to get trapped in a negative loop, causing me to feel sad and downcast. It’s a paradoxical situation that I find myself in, where I both want and don’t want to feel this way. It’s frustrating, and I often wonder why I can’t just shake off these negative thoughts and emotions and move on. However, I know that it’s not always that simple, and…
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Echoes Of A Lost Love
As I stood by the window, my heart swelled with a deep longing. I wanted to see you walking backwards, as if time itself could be rewound and that familiar sensation of you coming home could be recreated. I ached for those days when your arrival filled our shared space with laughter and love. A time when our hearts danced in perfect harmony, and my world seemed to make sense. I imagined the scene: You, gracefully stepping down the pathway, your strides in reverse, as if the universe understood my yearning and was pulling you back into my life. The wind would tease your hair, playfully lifting the strands and…
