Bimql chhetry.

I was on my way home after a long, draining shift. The metro was packed, but I managed to get a seat. A few stops later, a guy (looked around my age, maybe 24-25) sat next to me. I noticed he was shaking slightly. I glanced over and saw he was trying incredibly hard to hold back tears. He wasn't making a scene, just silently staring at the floor, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Usually, I mind my own business. Asking "Are you okay?" feels awkward in a crowded train and sometimes people just want to be left alone. But I couldn't just ignore him. I was listening to some lo-fi/calm piano music. Without saying anything, I gently tapped his arm and held out my right earbud. He looked at me, confused for a second, then looked at the earbud. He took it. We sat there for about 20 minutes, sharing the same song in complete silence amidst the chaos of the metro. I could feel him slowly relax. His breathing slowed down. When his station came, he handed the earbud back, looked ...

It started last spring. I eat my lunch in my car at the same half-empty office park every day. One day, I dropped a piece of my sandwich crust. A little bird darted in, grabbed it, and looked at me. The next day, I brought a bag of birdseed. I’d sprinkle a little pile on the asphalt two spaces over. Within a week, a small squadron of birds would be waiting in the hedge at 12:15 sharp. It became our ritual. They’d hop around, chirping, while I ate. We had an understanding. They got lunch; I got company. Today was different. They were there, but they weren't eating. They were clustered around something. As I got closer, I saw it: a single, perfect, blue-tipped feather, placed neatly in the center of the usual seed spot. They watched me. I picked it up. It wasn't from any of them (they’re all brown and grey). It felt like a thank you note. Or a receipt. I sat in my car holding this impossibly blue feather, and for the first time in a long time, I felt truly seen and... blessed.

I’ve been trying to build my own thing for the last 6 years. While my friends were getting promoted, buying cars, and traveling, I was sitting in my room, staring at failed codes and rejected ideas. Honestly, I was done. I felt like a loser. I felt like I was burdening my family. Today, I sat with my Dad and finally let it out. I told him, "Dad, I can't do this anymore. I think I should just quit and find a normal job. I wasted 6 important years of my life." My Dad, who usually doesn't talk much about emotions, looked at me and said something that hit me harder than any motivational video. He said, "Son, those 6 years weren't wasted, they were invested. After every mistake, you learned something new, right?" I nodded. He continued, "Listen, nothing in this world is stronger than you. What belongs to you will come to you, it’s not going anywhere. You just have to keep working hard. You’ve put 6 years into this... if you step back now, THAT would be ...

I’m not sure when the arguments started. We’d never fought before all this. Never raised our voices, never laid hands on one another. I’d remember our anniversary just as well as she did; the same goes for birthdays on both sides of the family. I miss those days. I miss when she’d treat me like her equal and not as inferior. Back before the secrecy. Before the late nights out. She’d begun coming home from her “girl nights” in the early morning hours, and, instead of crawling into bed next to me, she’d rush to the shower, careful not to make eye contact with me. It was odd the first time. It was heartbreaking on the 7th. So heartbreaking, in fact, that I did something that I’d sworn “wasn’t me” at the beginning of our relationship. I still feel dirty just thinking about it, but I was distraught. I was confused, and I made a mistake. A little slip in judgment. I went through her phone. I know, I know. I’m awful. I’d forsaken not only my girlfriend, but myself as well. Not only did I not...

So, a little context. I’m pretty introverted and social anxiety gets the best of me sometimes. At work, lunchtime is my recharge time, so I usually go sit in my car, listen to a podcast, and eat a sandwich. I’ve been doing this for 2 years. Today, about 10 minutes into my break, I hear a tap on the window. I froze. I looked up and it was the new girl from the design team who joined last week. She’s really outgoing and, honestly, kinda out of my league. I rolled down the window, fully expecting her to tell me I was parked wrong. Instead, she held out a Tupperware box. She said, Hey! I noticed you’re always out here. I made way too much pasta last night and I didn't want to eat leftovers alone. Do you... maybe wanna help me finish this? It’s better than a cold sandwich. I was so stunned I just stuttered a Yeah, sure. We sat on the curb near my car and somehow the topic shifted to sports. Turns out, she’s a huge Cricket nerd. We talked for 30 minutes straight about the recent series ...

My name is Jake and I am 23 years old. Growing up I had 2 parents that cared for me and always wanted what was best for me, however, I was always rebellious. With my parents being extremely tight and protective, I would often disobey them and find different ways of having fun or fitting in with people that I now see were not good influences in my life. I am a guitarist and in middle school would join a band with a few close friends. This is where my life of the party would begin. Whenever I was 14 I had my first experience getting slammed on alcohol at a party with some of my band members. I immedietly fell in love with the looseness, uncaring attitude alcohol would provide and began chasing that feeling. Sobriety was boring, getting messed up was cool, and i'd begin looking up to the life all of these rockstar celebrities lived with drugs, women, and adrenaline. This would lead me to my first experience with marijuana at the same age. Soon after, I'd begin smoking regularly, ...