Tag: fall

Life, Travel

Back To The Real World

by Jasmine D. Lowe2 Comments on Back To The Real World

It took literally getting hit by a small boulder in my left leg to check back into the “real” world mentally. You know, the one where people live indoors and are accustomed to interacting in spaces with more than two other people in them. The amount of time I had spent on my own in the outdoors allowed me to nearly escape the pandemic entirely. The hiking buff that covered my face reverted to its intended summer use as a shield between my mouth and nature’s most annoying flying insects (sorry entomologists). However, a recent hike with a friend helped knocked me back to reality.

Continue reading “Back To The Real World” →
Life

Dealing With Death

by Jasmine D. Lowe2 Comments on Dealing With Death

Dealing with Death

I could tell that he was falling deeper into a more confused and disoriented state. My friend couldn’t comprehend why his family member was acting so rudely in this way. Rather than the light-hearted jokes and kind remarks that were sent back in forth via text or over the phone, the voice on the other end grew distant and cold. They lashed out at everything that my friend said and used the spaces and pauses in-between conversations to bad-mouth my friend who had done so much for this family member. This person was dying and was leaving a dry and bitter taste in the memory of my friend as this person was reaching their end.

I’m not sure why death has been swirling around me this year. Friends have either had their own brushes with death, had family members pass all around the same time, or have recently died. However, the reactions that come from these timely, or untimely, passings have varied widely from complete denial to complete breakdown. What I have learned from all of this is that there is no one right way to deal with death. Continue reading “Dealing With Death” →

Life, Writing

What’s Woven Into The Fog

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on What’s Woven Into The Fog

fog, foggy mist

I opened my door one morning to a vaguely thick layer of frigid gray fog. My charcoal-colored car, which was parked out front, barely emerged from the winter-like surroundings. I thought to myself that it hadn’t been this foggy this far inland in a while.

As I made my way down my apartment steps towards my car, a felt a small smile creep onto my face. It felt like it was now officially autumn, and not what felt like the perpetual summer, with brief pauses that allowed a chilly breeze, that most Southern Californians were accustomed to experiencing. I didn’t want to jinx it by grabbing a jacket, but I did think about all the sweaters I could now break out of the small “winter” section of my closet. Continue reading “What’s Woven Into The Fog” →

Life

Fall And The Basic Girl

by Jasmine D. Lowe3 Comments on Fall And The Basic Girl

fall or autumn boots and dry leavesI could feel the beads of sweat forming at the base of my hairline. I tried my hardest to subtly dab the evidence of my beginning stages of heat stroke with the sleeves of my cute light-pink sweater that I was wearing in 80-degree weather.

I didn’t want to submit to the rational thought of removing my article of autumn attire. It was now September, and in my head, that meant it was fall. Therefore, I had to jump head first into the shallow end of all the fall-like things.

I didn’t realize that admiring the season of autumn was a “basic chick” thing until the marketing genius at Starbucks headquarters made it socially acceptable to only consume pumpkin-flavored food and drink for three months out of the year. Continue reading “Fall And The Basic Girl” →

Life, OctPoWriMo, Writing

#OctPoWriMo: Day 12-15

by Jasmine D. Lowe2 Comments on #OctPoWriMo: Day 12-15

OctPoWriMo Day 12: Writing Through Writer’s Block

There are days when there is a need to write and yet nothing to say.
A need to feel a fountain pen in hand gliding across a smooth page,
Or the demand to feel plastic keys move up and down like a ballet.

There’s a mission to move thoughts birthed and housed in gray matter
So that they can entertain and engage others out in the rest of the world.
Those days are the ones where the page is filled up with empty chatter.

The subject evolves from nothing into writing for writing’s sake,
And when the writing’s forced the theme takes a U-turn into procrastination.
Having nothing to say leaves the writer with so much heartache. Continue reading “#OctPoWriMo: Day 12-15” →

Stories

Are You Ready?

by Jasmine D. LoweLeave a Comment on Are You Ready?

The power of the threaded four wheels propelled her rapidly down the city streets, and left the light flooding from the street lamps blurring behind them into the darkness.

She let her bare foot slowly fall down on to the gas pedal, which made the car gradually speed up on the cool autumn pavement—and as the wheels spun, the car flew forward, and her heart pounded at a heightened pace.

Her hand rose to clutch her chest as if it were trying to catch the throbbing muscle before it leapt out of her body. She began to take a few deep breaths to slow the rhythm’s pace and, as she exhaled to release the carbon dioxide from her lungs into the frigid air, a breathy-whisper followed with a question. Continue reading “Are You Ready?” →