…and then something unexpected happened. — This week, I accidentally sent a sexually explicit text to my employer. She is one of my tutoring clients, the mother of one of my students. I have my own business as a tutor for elementary-age children. …

Capitalism has ruined our ability to enjoy relaxation and be present — Sundays are the worst day of the weekend, by many accounts. I’ve heard friends talk about crying themselves to sleep on Sundays, simply because they dreaded work the next day. I’ve met many people who waste away in bed on Sundays because they cling to it as their last moment…

Will this narrative ever be retired? — On my lunch break from work on Friday, I eagerly beelined to my car so I could listen to it on the way to get coffee: 20-year-old Olivia Rodrigo’s new song, “vampire.” Rodrigo’s lovesick ballad “driver’s license” had been my anthem during the latter part of Covid, and her album…

I’m tired of having to ask myself this question — Lately, amidst all of the chaos going on in the world, there’s one thing in particular weighing heavy on my mind: money. Because it’s occurred to me, frighteningly, that I may not be able to afford to live next year. And I don’t exactly know what to do with that. …

This tragedy was very preventable — Imagine being buried alive. But instead of being stuck in a coffin underground, you’re stuck in a bolted-shut vessel at one of the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean. That’s essentially the fate that five passengers on a missing submersible water vessel may be facing. By now we’ve all probably…

A natural process has turned into a money-hungry nightmare — I turned 21 about six months ago. I’m normally hesitant to share my age on public writing platforms because I fear people won’t take me as seriously, but in this case it matters. I turned 21, and I looked forward to all the pomp and circumstance around it. I was…

How a New York serial killer highlights misogyny — and more — A little less than a month ago, I learned through the grapevine about the existence of the Long Island serial killer, also known as LISK. A quick Google search gave me the troubling facts: between the years of 1996 and 2011, 11 bodies had been found (many on separate occasions)…

It’s painful to witness — So around Christmas time, my (“very liberal”) friend began dating a conservative Trump supporter. He hasn’t told her who he actually voted for in 2020. But he’s one of those “Biden is worse” and “Trump is the lesser of two evils” people (I can’t fathom how someone could believe that…

Language matters, but so does the truth — We live in a transphobic world. Things may be slightly better than they were a few decades ago, and there are a lot more people out there now who are willing to learn and accept individuals for who they are. But the fact remains: transphobia is all around us. …