"How to get stuck in a cycle" by Nathan V

Have you ever wanted to see your life crumble apart? Maybe there was just a burning desire in you to take the low road to nowhere. Or, perhaps, you were just looking for a fun way to give up on yourself entirely. But how could you ever stoop that low with all of the day to day motivations urging you towards your future? Well, what if I told you that failure is easier than it sounds? After minutes of research on top of years of practice, I’ve successfully compiled together a step-by-step process that you can follow to successfully stop any growth in your life, dead in it’s tracks. It is an easy process that you can utilize in order to become the worst version of yourself possible as it slowly eats at your life. I call it, the cycle.

Step 1) Ignore any problems: Just let the pieces fall where they choose. Life will just figure things out for you. Ignorance is bliss after all, so why should you care? Issues in your life? Just sit idly by and wait for something to change. Everything will fall into place one way or another. Or, if that’s not your style, you could always try the other extreme and wallow in self pity. It’s not your fault. Passing the blame onto something else can be an effective choice. Feeling sorry for yourself is a sure fire way to make no progress in your life.

Step 2) Have no aspirations: It’s important to not bother trying to set your own goals, just sit by and wait for something to happen. Pro tip, when it comes to getting nothing done, over thinking can be an invaluable asset. It has the ability to create unnecessary stress in your life, while keeping you from moving forward. Also, don’t forget to complain as often as you can about all the progress you’re self hindering. Everything you do is up to you, so make sure you seal the deal of doing nothing. After all, good things come to those who wait and don’t do anything productive with themselves.

Step 3) Get Comfy: Finally, create a bubble of comfort around you that keeps you safe from anything interesting that comes your way. Don’t be bold enough to try to change things, that might take work. It is much better to just compromise with everything and everyone. You know that idea you had about learning to play guitar? Just go ahead and drop that, it might end up being worth your time invested. Remember that cute girl from class you thought about talking to? Yeah, might as well forget about her too. Who cares if she might be into you? What does it really matter that you might discover a passion for music. Do not do anything that could risk getting you out of your comfort zone.

That’s it, all it takes are these three easy steps and you’ll be trapped. Although, the beauty of this plan is that you could even see failure from utilizing only one of the steps. Take it from me, I’ve used almost all of these tips and it has guaranteed no results, countless times. Just follow these guidelines and you’ll get nowhere in no time!

"The Long Awaited Birthday " by Chelsea G

     It was Jude’s 18th birthday what she wished for the most is to have a perfect day .Most of her birthdays never turn out as planned . Her goal this year is to make this day the best .The time before her birthday was spent planning in advance for her day to go as planned. Her birthday celebration, outfit ,and other activities all planned ahead just in case.Jude’s previous birthdays haven’t all gone so well, there always seems to be something wrong. In past there has been fires , broken bones , and money owed because of this awaited day .Come morning of this important event it seemed to be a beautiful day but that would soon change.The first sing along song “happy birthday” was heard from downstairs and right after the clouds rolled in gray visible through the window so she got a bad feeling but smiled and continued along with the day . Her family was the cause of the song waiting along with her favorite delicious breakfast pancakes! So far everything was good but time for school rolled around the corner.The time was 7:40 am and the bus was running late .She waited for about 20 minutes to conclude the bus was probably not coming .Strangely enough she calls her parents who had gone to work already to ask about what she should do and they allow Jude to stay home this year for her birthday.Not expecting this her plans were mixed up around morning time but this was alright because the real planning went into her birthday party that was after school.During the morning she was figuring out what to do with the spare time so she just watched a few movies.After a few movies it was almost time for her family to get home and all the deliveries to come in order to start setting up for the celebration.Her family arrives home while she is napping in her bed and they are shocked that she is home and not at school and acts as if it were any regular day. She wonders what could’ve changed from this morning.She explains to her family they had pancakes for breakfast and that they sang for her.To later call and ask what to do since the bus didnt arrive and she was told to stay home by her mom . Her parents explain to her that they woke up late so they went straight to work thinking she had gone to school .Apparently she didn't wake up until just then and was dreaming the events of this morning believing them to have happened. In reality her birthday was tomorrow and she was a little too excited/ nervous to see how her day would go.With patience she would soon find out.

"The Bench Man" by Katherine A

            It began on an October weekday. I was feeling especially overwhelmed from my office job, so, on my way home from work, I took a shortcut through a local park. It was a popular place, famous for its fresh air, wide array of plant life, and peaceful atmosphere. As it was autumn, the leaves on the trees were beginning to turn red and fall, sparsely blanketing the ground with dried plant matter that crunched loudly when stepped on. In my opinion, this, as well as the sunny and pleasant weather, made it an even more beautiful, serene location and encouraged my desire to take the new route.

            Upon strolling through the park along the main path, I noticed a man sitting on one of the benches. This wasn't strange in itself; however, unlike the others, he was alone, smiling broadly and greeting passerby cheerfully. His appearance was that of any normal man's; what captured my attention was the pink flower he had in his hands. The bushes surrounding him didn't bear that particular type of plant, so he, peculiarly, must have brought it with him.

            I avoided eye contact as I walked by, but he spoke up in an exuberant voice, "Good evening!"

            I, intent on getting home quickly to spend some time relaxing, replied with a terse, "Evening," and kept walking.

            He, however, continued. "How are you doing today?"

            As we lived in a large, bustling city where strangers almost always kept to themselves, I found this to be unusual. Curious now, I stopped momentarily, turned to face him, and said, "I'm good. And yourself?"

            His strange grin grew wider. "I'm doing great! Where are you coming from, if you don't mind me asking?"

            I stared at him in awe. He continued gazing up at me, and I couldn't help but reply to him; his childlike excitement over such a trivial conversation was contagious. While his inviting demeanor beckoned me to sit beside him and engage further in conversation, I greatly yearned for a hot cup of coffee and a novel, so I politely ended the conversation and continued on my way.

            I maintained my new routine, heading through the park after each work day; the man, however, was never there. For two weeks, I kept my eyes peeled for him. I had just about given up on making a new friend when, one day, there he was on the same bench from before. He waved at me, and I made my way over, meeting him with a smile and a "Hello again." After exchanging our greetings, I joked that I had been waiting for him to show up again as we had never finished our conversation from before. He seemed pleased to hear this; in fact, he did continue our exchange with even more enthusiasm than before. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the bench beside him, chattering away about nothing of significance.

            I called him the Bench Man as we never actually exchanged names; it simply didn't feel necessary. We were just two strangers who sat and conversed with one another, though more often than not I lead the conversation and he listened, nodded politely, and occasionally commented on an interesting statement or provided me with much-appreciated guidance.

            I considered him a close friend of mine as he was a source of constant support, helpful advice, and smiles in a time where I struggled daily over fairly trivial personal and work matters. However, while I constantly lamented on the iniquities of my boss, he rarely spoke of himself and his problems despite my attempts to convince him to do so. In addition, while his lips constantly smiled at me, his eyes depicted another story. They had a glassy, glazed look; in fact, when I think back to it, the best word to describe them would be empty. Devoid of emotion, they chilled me to the bone, and I avoided their haunting gaze as much as possible. I found these things, and him, to be bizarre, even unsettling, though I enjoyed his rather benevolent personality and soothing company too much for this to drastically interfere with my opinion of and visits with him.

            One day, the Bench Man was acting strangely. I asked him if he was feeling okay, and he just nodded with a small grin and motioned for me to continue my description of the mountainous pile of paperwork waiting for me on Monday.

            I did so but watched him stealthily out of the corners of my eyes. He had no coat despite the sudden chilly breeze and clouds that loomed overhead. His usually upright position was now somewhat slumped over, and he inconspicuously fiddled with a sweet pea in a restless manner. Something was wrong, but I couldn't identify the source nor did he seem willing to speak of it when I asked. Unwilling to anger him, I regrettably let the matter slide.

            "I think I should leave now," he finally spoke up after a moment of uneasy silence. I checked my phone for the time and saw that it was later than I usually kept him.

            "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take up this much of your Friday night."

            "Don't worry about it."

            With a smile not unlike a grimace, he handed me the flower, thanked me for my time, and walked down the path, almost floating above the blanket of leaves.

            I never saw him again.