Language. It separates us from animals. It facilitates communication of complex and abstract thought. It's highly technical and nuanced, yet mostly automatic and natural. Language barriers exist in any instance where the language of the participants doesn't match up precisely, for whatever reason. If you don't know the right language in print, at your job…
The Mama
Mama gave birth to her first litter of kittens at the far end of the park. She nestled herself as far away from the playground as possible between the weeds behind the bench on the trail that led down to the woods. The air was cool, the rain fell hard, and Mama knew something was…
The Fountain
The summer between elementary and high school, my best friend Chloe and I spent most of our Saturdays at Amuseland, the theme park conveniently located down the street from our neighborhood. My mom would drop us off on her way to work in the mornings and then pick us up on her way home. We…
The Parking Spot
She pulled into the parking lot behind the building hoping to find a spot, but all three visitor spots were taken. She texted him, "hey, there's nowhere to park, what should I do?" A few seconds later, her phone lit up with his reply, "pull up to the front of the building, I'll come down."…
The Storm
Another dreary winter in Leafton meant lots of warnings about adverse weather. Flurries, freezing rain, extreme cold, harsh winds and huge snow squalls were constantly impending. None of these things were ever as bad as when they hit right in the middle of the already messy rush hour commute. "They're calling for 30cm of snow…
The Breaking Point
I saw proof that true love existed for the first time when I was 18 years old. I mean, I'd seen examples of it beforehand, so I knew that it had to exist. But it wasn't until I was 18 that I witnessed good solid proof of true love, right before my very eyes. My…
The Anniversary
The anniversary of my first date with my boyfriend Anthony was a day dedicated to commitment, love and that happily ever after ending. But not our own. A coworker asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, which just so happened to fall on the same day. It wasn't a big deal or anything,…
The Cough
"William." The syllables floated lightly outside my bedroom walls. My head swiveled toward my door. I considered that maybe I'd imagined it. Then I heard a cough follow it. Not my brother's loud annoying coughs. A soft, barely audible cough. But it was 3am. Who else could it be? I muted my 15 inch transparent…
The Book Tour
I'm nuts. I have a hyper obsessive personality. When I'm into something, I go all in. Usually for me, "going all in" manifests as creating lists and spreadsheets and graphs. In addition, obsessions in my life are often accompanied by goal-oriented tasks I must complete. You know, to keep life interesting. At the beginning of…
Stories I've Never Told... 