The Love-Hate Relationship with Publishing: Writing vs. Promotion

Let’s be honest—writing is magical. It’s an escape, a liberation, a way to build worlds out of nothing but thought and feeling. Few things compare to the thrill of crafting a story that flows from your imagination to the page. But there’s a shadow trailing that magic: publishing and promotion. And if I’m being fully …

I Left My Coffee and Protein Bar on the Counter — And I Don’t Regret It

Today, I stopped at the gas station, just chasing a simple craving. A hankering, really. I wasn’t looking for much—just a cold Starbucks Lite and a protein bar to hold me over until lunch. Something I’ve done a hundred times without thinking. But when the cashier rang me up and said, “That’ll be $10.98,” I didn’t reach …

Eighteen Years Since Diagnosis: My Open Lung Biopsy Story

Eighteen years ago this month, my life changed forever. That was the day I officially began this journey with sarcoidosis after undergoing an open lung biopsy—the most brutal medical procedure I’ve ever experienced. Four years later, I wrote about it, but never shared it. Until now. Despite the trauma, I’ve never regretted doing the biopsy. …

The New Trend in Unhygienic: 72-Hour Deodorant and the Death of Daily Showers

There’s a disturbing trend creeping into everyday life: deodorants and body sprays that promise “72 hours of freshness.” Seventy-two hours. Three full days. And people are buying them like it’s a revolutionary breakthrough. It’s not. It’s a symbol of how far we’ve strayed from basic hygiene. Have we really gotten that lazy? I grew up …