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21 " But now, everything is so quiet. Not just the pool, but my mind, too. I don't even feel the urge to swim to the beat of a song. I'm mentally spent. Out of words. Out of thoughts. It feels so good to be this empty. It's so peaceful. "
― Tamara Ireland Stone , Every Last Word
22 " Alliteration is alarmingly addictive. "
23 " The trick is to recognize your mistakes, take what you need from them, and move on. "
24 " I am silently correcting your grammar. "
25 " Feeling all the pain of letting them go. And knowing I did the right thing. "
26 " I’m here now.Letting them out.Freeing my wordsBuilding better walls. "
27 " I also think you’re overcomplicating this whole thing. I think that even when good, totally normal, completely healthy things happen in your life, like”—she starts articulating her points on her fingers—“your new car, writing poetry, spending an afternoon at AJ’s house, meeting me…” She sits up straighter wearing a big fake grin, then returns to her serious tone. “You seem determined to find a way to make them unhealthy. "
28 " How many thought does the brain automatically deliver in a single day?""Seventy thousand""That's right. Do you act on seventy thousand thoughts a day?"I shake my head."Of course you don't. This thought was one in seventy thousand. It's not special "
29 " OCD. I’m more obsessive than compulsive, so most of the ‘disorder’ part takes place in my own head. That makes it pretty easy to hide. No one knows. "
30 " You are still here stitched into the words on these walls. "
31 " Yesterday, when I took the stage for the sixth time, I read a poem about unreliable friends, people you love and feel bonded to but can never truly trust. It was about feeling alone and vulnerable, and never being able to fully let your guard down. "
32 " I like to know where I stand with people, and I figure I owe them the same courtesy. "
33 " Everyone's got something. Some people are just better actors than others. "
34 " The thoughts start gathering, butting up against the caution tape surrounding my brain, strategizing and preparing to rush in and take over. I "
35 " I’ve been writing a lot. It’s cathartic, you know? It makes me feel…” I search for the right word, something Sue will like, and settle on, “Healthy. "
36 " the anxiety attacks are like earthquake. I'm always relieved when the ground stops shaking, but I know there will be another one eventually, and again, I'll never see it coming, "
37 " I have a tendency to overthink things, especially when it comes to my friends, and I don’t know…I take things too personally. I "
38 " I think of my naming strategy as a hobby, even though my psychiatrist doesn’t see it that way. I don’t simply listen to music, I study the lyrics, and when I’m done making a playlist, I pick three words from one of the songs—three words that perfectly encapsulate the collection—and that becomes its title. "
39 " -Todo el mundo tiene algo- afirma. -¿Tú crees? -Claro que sí. Simplemente hay personas con mejores dotes de interpretación que otras.- "
40 " My room’s a mess. I scurry around, scooping up piles of clothes and stuffing them into the laundry hamper. “I thought people with OCD were supposed to be neat,” she says. “Popular misconception,” I say as I kick all the textbooks strewn across the floor into a haphazard pile. "