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Topic
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What Makes a Dad?
Better Days
Stress free
I wish I could tell you how to stop stressing, but in all reality I will fail to inform you, as our lives are so different from one another. What I may consider to be a blessing, someone else will consider it to be a curse. Hence, all I can possibly say to you is, just think about where you stand, where you desire to be, and how this moment in life will help you reach your dreams. Take your stress and turn it into the lesson of a lifetime, and find the new opportunities to grow and develop as a person. Let go of all your stress and worries, forget about overthinking and procrastinating. It's...
My experience at the 2nd Pan African Youth Forum 2019
Ocean of burqas
Wrapped in a burqa silently in the corner of a decrepit bus, I embrace the nostalgic tune that begins my daydream. The tune creates images of the sea and its powerful stream. I think of how the waves extend outward to protect us. An ocean of burqas on board beguiling ships, Singing their hearts out to the fearless seas. Underneath the burqas, the expression of joy, And jubilation that comes with the tune eventually slips. A bolt of lightning slams the starboard side. My dream fades away, here comes the stormy sea. Cursing, a calloused hand viciously pulls at me, He is horrifying, as strong as...
Lets be kind this summer!
“Kindness” to the world might be an act of generosity, but to me it’s a lot more. Being kind is to be encouraging, supportive, positive, helpful, honest, considerate, thankful, responsible, respectful and most importantly, being a friend. From the farthest I can recall, I was never taught kindness in a class or was given a lecture on how to be kind. But I remember reading the Mark Twain quote on the wall of my school library “Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see”. My mom is a regular visitor to a local NGO and it’s been about ten years. Each time she visits she...
That's my family
I love my family. I got to see some of my relatives today from my mom and it was very lovely. They are people so they're not all just good or bad. But they are kind. They are selfless. They take care of each other. My family couldn't always afford to go to school or have their own clothes or nice houses or sometimes any house to live in. Or shower frequently or have good medicine or buy makeup. Or have nice paper to write on or envelopes to send. Or much to eat sometimes. They may talk different, you would too if you grew up there. They have mental disabilities and physical disabilities. They...
"Barbies" everywhere
Free Nelson Mandela
July 18, Mandela Day, the day that Nelson Mandela was released from prison, 28 years ago. I cannot say anything else than that Mandela is one of my heroes and biggest examples. It started in a very dark period in my life where I faced many and big problems. In my family, where there was no harmony and a big lack of love, I just broke up with the girl I loved and I studied in France where I got terribly depressed. Suffering mental illness is difficult. It feels like a trauma and you don’t know how to solve it. There is no positivity, it feels like someone has driven over you with a big car and...
What is there to be celebrated?
As she gears towards the celebration of her 172 birthday, I mutter, confused to confide in her curse of ceaseless disasters. What is she truly celebrating? Her long but fruitless existence leading her children to beg and bootlick as they crumble at the mercy of exploiters. She stumbled, startled at the impediment placed upon her by so-called colonialism. A complete dissolution to her sovereignty. She claimed to be independent when truly dependency is at the avenue of her already weakened appearance-leading her children skedaddling in search for solace. And I wonder, what is there to be...
My case-study on marriage rituals among Christians in India
During my final year of high school, I had conducted a case study to understand the marriage rituals that took place among certain Christian communities in India - such as the Christians of Kerala, Goa and Mizoram - compared to the marriage rituals among Christians in western countries. The objective of my case study was to highlight the noticeable differences in these marriage rituals among the Christian communities in India as opposed to the Christians living in the west. To begin, a questionnaire was sent out to twenty three respondents belonging to Christian communities in both India as...
Miami
We rode the morning metro heading to Miami Beach on the last day of school, which we had a little discussion and skipped it together. It was a radiant morning, and the excitement inside of us was in the brink of bursting. I smelled the perfume of fierce. Sam wore a pair of sunglass, looking perfect on her. Putting on her smiles only, Sarah looks stunning. Five of us sat on the smooth sand, hoping to get tan without peeling, which is highly impossible. Luisa was immersing herself in the transparent-blue ocean and facing toward the Bahama islands. She always wanted to be a sailor, which...
A gentle reminder for millennials to be kind
Kindness. An act from deep down in the heart human, without want feedback. In this era, I believe kindness can be fake and ignored. Many people misuse kindness. They know what kindness is, but they don't know how to use it, therefore, there are many people using kindness for gaining popularity and getting a good image. One day, I was doing charity work in my community by giving food and clothes to flood victims. My friend asked me to take a photo of him giving food to a child, which he then posted on Instagram. Later, I asked him why he did that and he answered that he wanted everyone to know...
You have a voice, use it for good
I believe living in the United States is the greatest privilege. I have been so blessed to be able to claim the many constitutional rights of an American. I honestly believe that the first amendment is the most significant right given to Americans. Having the right to express myself makes me excited. The fact that I can speak my mind on any topic is also frightening. I need to be careful that I do not speak before thinking. ‘With great power comes great responsibilities’. Solely because I am able to say anything does not mean that I should. There are things I think that should not be said. As...
Every day is a chance… to be selfish
Being selfish to make a change. I have lately worked at a summer leadership academy for international students aged 11 to 16. On the last day we wanted the students to write a “letter to self” as part of their reflections. Joining in on the activity and rereading the letter before slipping it into the envelope, I suddenly had a terrible awakening: I am living a very unhealthy lifestyle – and I would argue that many other young active people are doing just the same. My days are tightly packed: university, night shifts in the hospital, tutoring, teaching at the institute for anatomy, sports, my...
The individuality epidemic
At the beginning of 2019, I fell in love with myself. To who do I give the credit? Social media (and myself, of course). Social media has been viewed by many as a double-edged sword, the source of downfalls and plenty of problems, and while it is, if used correctly, it doesn’t have to be. This is my story of how I found light in the darkness. I like to call it “the individuality epidemic” or the 9 millionth social revolution and it is one that holds the story of a 17-year-old from South Africa. Hi, I am the 17-year-old from South Africa. I have been blessed enough to be part of a group of...
The edge of time, the persistence of imagination
I am not the biggest fan of science. Although it was my favorite subject throughout much of my childhood, a love-hate relationship soon developed during my high school years. I even jokingly labeled myself as “anti-STEM,” much to the dismay of my mother and older sister who are ardent enthusiasts of the field. Although I still believe in the significance of developments under this scholarly discipline, my passion has manifested itself within other fields. One major interest of mine is culture and the forces that shape it, particularly as it relates to the representation of minorities. Being an...
Preoccupied
Preoccupied with our futures Preoccupied with the idea of doing “something” Preoccupied with the fear of doing nothing Preoccupied with absolutely nothing but thoughts. Thoughts that have proven to be quite deceitful. Thoughts that have made life seem so busy in the midst of virtually nothing. Stressing over the future, in a world where there is consequently no present. No time to live, to do as we please, not solely because we have work to do, but rather because of the stress children are under. Stress from the hope of doing something, being someone. Stress that is diminishing one’s ability...