Self Discovery Archives

I’m What The Kids Call A ‘Content Creator’

By : Reno Banzai March 30, 2021 Comments Off

Last December, I started as an official creator for the app Likee (pronounced like-ee). If you’re unfamiliar with it, I best explain it as the lovechild of Twitch and TikTok. What I mean by “official” here is that I have a signed contract that lets me get paid to be there. Yes, really. Your boy has finally arrived. Kinda. I have for most of my adult life wanted to have a job that I liked. That it would be fulfilling enough that even if the pay were abysmal, my soul would be satisfied. The truth of every dream job lies therein ― it is but a dream. Intangible and unrealistic. Anything worth having and doing well at takes energy, hard work, and time. Like many others, I thought being a

Discovering the Secrets of the Universe

By : Miranda Kargol March 30, 2021 Comments Off

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, is my absolute favorite book. The first time that I read it was in the summer of 2019. At the time, I had been reading through some queer young adult literature, and this one caught my eye. The moment that I started reading, I was absorbed into their world. The book centers around a young boy named Aristotle, who goes by Ari, as he struggles to find ways to fill his free time during the summer. He decides to learn how to swim, and while he is at the pool, he meets another boy named Dante. They quickly bond over how they both have unique names, and their connection continuously develops throughout the book. One aspect

Abnegation

By : Kirslyn Schell-Smith March 16, 2021 Comments Off

Undetermined date, 20216:13 am “You understand me. We mirror each other. You’re what I see when I look in the mirror and I’m what you see when you don’t.” Undetermined date, 202111:27 pm I wrote something similar several years ago, right when you entered the hospital for the first time. And that was the last time, I think, that I wrote about you. And I didn’t tell you this morning, but you’re not wrong. I am afraid. Not afraid of how your recovery looks or what you are doing, but afraid that it could be me, that it would be me. Your videos, your photos, your messages, your voicemails, your texts, your audio recordings—are what my brain feels like frequently—and I know that you know that. It scares me because

Homosexuality Is Not a Sin

By : Shelonda Montgomery March 16, 2021 Comments Off

One of the biggest debates in society is whether or not homosexuality is a sin. Religious fanatics tote their Bibles and doggedly contend that LGBTQ+ people are destined for hell; whereas the LGBTQ+ community disagrees and maintains that one is born with his or her orientation, irrespective of religion. In the African-American community, the church is sacred and the Bible is the law. As a result, homosexuality is rebuked and condemned. On the extreme end, there is a pervading belief within the African-American community that homosexuality is a demonic spirit, which can be exercised. The idea of a demonic possession contends that evil is abounding inside of LGBTQ+ members and that they are all bestial, hedonistic, and lascivious miscreants who are devoid of morals, values, common decency. These notions are

How My Gender Expression Has Changed During the Pandemic

By : Miranda Kargol March 9, 2021 Comments Off

Self-Discovery | Miranda Kargol | How My Gender Expression Has Changed During the Pandemic The most unexpected part of the COVID-19 quarantine for me was my questioning of my identity. At the beginning of 2020, I had just transferred to a new university and was preparing to start the second half of my bachelor’s degree. At the time, my only concerns were how I was going to succeed in this new environment and find some friends. Gender was the last thing on my mind. Once the quarantine began, I found myself doing remote learning all day, living at home with my parents and having no contact with other people from school. My first impression was that I would be lonely. Yet, I had no idea how this period of time

In a Time

By : Shelonda Montgomery March 1, 2021 Comments Off

The rain falls delicately as the sun rises The sweet smell of jasmine fills the air He sleeps atop a mountain of maroon pillows I lay beside him on a Persian rug and trace his lips with my finger The thick plush leaves of the bird of paradise hang lovingly over our heads I tousle his hair and watch the thrashing willows His untuned guitar leans carelessly on a wooden chair It will fall soon The rain falls like diamonds as the lilies dance divine Honey filled mason jar rest atop the small wooden table beside a bamboo She sleeps in a small hammock that is affixed to peach trees I lie beside her and take her hand. She arches her fingers and slips them between mine Her lavender-scented hair

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Category: Self Discovery

Discovering the Secrets of the Universe

Abnegation

Homosexuality Is Not a Sin

How My Gender Expression Has Changed During the Pandemic

In a Time

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