Stories, Poems & Reflections on the Experience of Being Human
Stories have always helped us make sense of what it means to be human. Long before psychology textbooks, diagnostic manuals, and self-help guides, people used stories, poetry, art, music, and metaphor to explore love, grief, fear, hope, identity, belonging, and the many complexities of being alive.
This collection brings together creative works that illuminate lived experience, mental health, neurodiversity, relationships, trauma, resilience, and the shared struggles and triumphs of the human condition. Where authorship is known, it is acknowledged and attributed.
These works offer the opportunity to recognise ourselves in the experiences of others. Sometimes a story can capture in a few paragraphs what an academic paper cannot explain in twenty pages. Sometimes a poem, a painting, or song lyrics can help us feel understood in ways that facts alone never could.
Take your time. Read with curiosity. Notice what resonates, what challenges you, and what stirs something within you. You may discover that the experiences that feel most uniquely yours are often the very things that connect you to the rest of humanity.
Mind My Mind x
“The Phone Call”
Louise was unloading the dishwasher when her phone rang. Not buzzed or chimed, but actually rang, which felt strangely aggressive these days. She glanced at the screen and immediately felt her stomach tighten. Unknown number.