Chosen for Further Reading (May 2021)

A few outstanding stories from The Masterpiece.

In the last month, we edited and published so many brilliant stories in The Masterpiece. From those stories, we have selected a few for you. We think you must not miss any of them.

In her story, berta gershkowitz shares what scenarios appeared on her mind when her husbands told her to go to India with her sister. Reading that story is like exploring her experiences and imagination.

Esther George’s story is very inspiring. It explores the reasons behind your happiness decline over time and then tells you not to take life too seriously. Do you know Josephine Crispin created a blog only to help aspiring writers? In her article, she discusses why she is not going to monetize it.

Agnes Simigh shares her visit to Comuna 13, the former nest of paramilitaries, guerillas, and criminal gangs in Medellín, Colombia. It was a phenomenal experience for her. Another brilliant writer Anthony Eichberger talks about squeamish people sharing his own experiences.

Lisa Alexander’s story is a reflection on our inner peace that will definitely make you think about your ego. Emmarie Hodge talks about an interesting topic. She shares her take on podcasts obsession and tells you how this obsession can make you unproductive.

Have you watched the movie The Terminal and remembered that man who trapped in the airport terminal for months? Isaiah McCall’s story is about that true story. In reality, that man was trapped in the Paris Airport terminal for 18 years. It’s really a fascinating story. Another lovely writer Allison Cecile shares her experience of keeping track of every book she read in the last 21 years. She also talks about her favorite ones. Isn’t that fascinating?

S M Mamunur Rahman, the editor of The Masterpiece, sharing his own journey, talks about how you can make your Medium experience meaningful.

We strongly believe you will enjoy all the mentioned stories and feel inspired to write your own masterpieces. Pick any story from the below links and dive deep into the world of pure awesomeness.

Have a fantastic reading experience!

And Then He Said, “Go to India With Your Sister”

written by berta gershkowitz

On this particular day, the whole city was more frantic than usual. It was the eve of Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, which meant that everyone was hurrying to wrap up their errands prior to the holiday.

Early the next day, the festivities would commence. Every family celebrated the holiday in their own way. But in the most traditional homes, relatives of the deceased would welcome their dearly departed with altars concocted out of candles, pictures, toys, and their loved ones’ favorite foods. These grand displays were meant to guide the deceased back home for their yearly and much anticipated visits.

Later in the afternoon, other rituals would begin. Devotees would fill cemeteries with religious offerings for the saints and the virgins — offerings meant to thank these heavenly beings for having stewarded the dead to the afterlife.

If Life Feels Off, It’s Time to Hit Reset and Recalibrate

written by Esther George

Challenges, obstacles, and disappointments rarely cross my mind. If I fall and experience hurt, I’ll bawl my eyes out, rush to the comfort of an adult, and in a short, brief moment, I’m ready to get back on my feet and catch up on my big adventure again. I’ve got no time to lose, I’m on my way to becoming an adult and nothing is going to stop me.

Then, suddenly, I grew up. I still have dreams, but I got a job now. I filled my days with tasks and activities. I met lots of people and made lots of new friends. But life didn’t turn out the way I had expected. It was different.

Here I was officially all grown up, the place I’ve waited to arrive my entire life. But there was a deep sense of unease. Gone was the childlike excitement, the enthusiasm for life, and the exhilaration to look forward to the next moment.

Is It Silly Not to Monetize Your Blog?

written by Josephine Crispin

Giving back to the community may sound as if it’s a stale idea, even a cliché, to some people. Others may deem this deed as phony, or worse, futile.

Not for me, though. I helped in my humble way a few budding writers in the past when I was a magazine and book editor, reach their potentials.

I was fortunate, in a small way, throughout my writing career, and I honestly feel that there’s a community of aspiring writers out there who can use even the very basic guidance that I am able to share.

“We Work Hard to Leave the Past Behind, We Really Do.”

written by Agnes Simigh

“I grew up here; I will tell you everything. You will have a good tour, I promise! And I even let you have a glimpse into my private life. But if you do not behave respectfully with the locals, I swear I will not say anything.” — started the tour Stevin, a young guy at the beginning of his twenties, who guided us through the district “Comuna 13” of Medellin.

Some years ago, Comuna 13 was known as the most dangerous district of the city with the highest homicide rate globally: Medellín in Colombia.

I quickly understood that he was serious and from then on, I was “hanging on his every word.” We were walking behind Stevin till he stopped and said, “There was a checkpoint here and a curfew in place. Everybody had to get back home by 7 pm”.

Squeamish People of the World Unite!

written by Anthony Eichberger

So many of us with weak stomachs are often teased and mocked. In the eyes of those who seem to have intestines of steel, we’re melodramatic weenies. Our states of mind, they’d claim, need to become more resilient and impervious.

What I find so intriguing about “grotesque culture” is how truly individualistic it tends to be. The exact details of what grosses others out can vary greatly from one person to the next.

For example, my sister hates maggots and worms. My mom shudders around cats and snakes. One of my aunts is disgusted by birds. A former coworker of mine, at an elementary school where I used to be an aide, talked about how she would faint at the sight of blood; for that reason, she asked me to be the one who’d escort any bleeding students to the nurse’s office. Another time, I was at a plasma donation center where one of the donors was shrieking very loudly as they inserted the needle into her arm.

How Strong Is Your Inner Peace?

written by Lisa Alexander

When I got to the window, it took a while for the drinks to arrive. Again, I did not get upset. Local places often are slower than chain restaurants.

Handing over my drinks, the barista said: “Here’s your Breve and your chai latte.”

Even though it had taken quite some time, I enthusiastically replied, “Thank you so much!”

As she’s turning around to walk away, she says “yeah.”

I almost pulled into the parking lot so I could go inside and tell her off.

“Yeah?” That’s what you say to someone who just paid $10 for two coffees? Who waited 5 minutes at the drive-thru? No “have a nice day” or “thank you”? What’s the matter with you?

You May Be Wasting Your Life by Listening to Podcasts

written by Emmarie Hodge

It seemed like the perfect solution for the unproductive masses: when you’re commuting, turn on a podcast so you can be informed about a topic. Or instead of watching a movie or browsing the internet, you can listen to a podcast and learn about something useful.

Podcasts are an onslaught of words, which is just like reading, right?

We saw it as the perfect solution to avoid being an uncultured couch potato.

However, the statistics behind who listens to podcasts reveals an unsettling truth: we listen to podcasts as passive, pop culture entertainment — and that hits our wallet and hurts our brain.

The Man Who Was Trapped in Paris Airport for 18 Years

written by Isaiah McCall

It was around this time that a French human rights lawyer caught onto Alfred’s situation.

After years of legalese, the lawyer won. Alfred had his freedom. He was mailed replacement papers in 1999 and the French provided him a permit to stay in the country.

Then something crazier happened (if you can believe that). Sir Alfred rejected the paperwork because he thought it was fake and elected instead to remain in the airport.

I can only imagine how that lawyer reacted. I’m sure his jaw fell to the floor.

I Keep a Handwritten List of Every Book I’ve Read Since 2000

written by Allison Cecile

Why do I keep a list of every book I’ve read?

Honestly, I can’t even remember why I started this when I was 9 years old. I must have been going through a phase of obsessively wanting to document things.

In addition to a list of books I’ve read, I’ve also found lists documenting the movies that I watched, the restaurants that I ate at, and which friends’ houses I went to. I also found duplicate handwritten phone books, all filled out with the same handful of phone numbers that a 9-year-old kid thinks are of utmost importance.

I haven’t kept any of those other lists up through the years (I’m not crazy), but I have been loyal to the list of books I’ve read. Whatever my original reasons for starting, I do know that I won’t be stopping this list anytime soon.

This Is How You Can Make Your Medium Experience Meaningful

written by S M Mamunur Rahman

The changes in algorithms with Medium’s relational model impacted many writers, and they experienced a significant views drop. Eventually, the earnings went down as well.

Many writers got frustrated and struggled with the thoughts of what to write next and engage readers. Sadly, some of them started focusing more on sex (as sex sells better) and became sex-writer/porn-writer sacrificing their true potential.

But from the very beginning, I was clear about my expectation from Medium. Yes, I wanted to earn a few bucks, but more than that, I wanted to write better articles and connect with the other writers on this platform. Above all, I wanted to make my Medium experience meaningful. And after nine long months, I can say that my Medium experience is meaningful as I deliberately choose what I do here on this platform.

Read the above stories and be inspired to write better than ever. Thank you.

**We are taking the privilege to mention some of our writers here. We think they should read (or at least see) the above stories because a good story can inspire a writer to write better than before. We hope you will not feel offended being mentioned here. Thank you.

Orianna Nienan, Rhys McIntyre, Arun Suresh, R. Scott, Ryan Gradoville, Macey Malone, Claire Splan, Jay Krasnow, Rita Rodrigues, Heemeng Foo, Daniele Ihns, Obsidian Eagle, Rosalind Pagan, Karmen J., Luna Laz, Shayla D. Potter, CR Mandler MAT, Nizam Uddin, Rachid Bekhechi, Alexis Busso, Venessa Amber, Felipe Xavier, Manas Bhardwaj, Purushottam Banerjee, Niyatijain, Mike Alexander, Jennifer MacDonald, MsBirgith, Donnie French, Phil Rossi, Glyn Bawden, Walter Rhein, Emmanuel Addo Anderson, Venessa Tj, Varun Mallpragada, Quy Ma, Prajakta unKNown, Nanda Jurela, Angela K. Irvin, M.A., Jennifer Marie, Deepak Jayal, David Cenicola, M.Ed., Zane Dickens, Simona Cazanescu, Lori Miranda, Diana Smyth, Margarette Mathias, Sydney J. Shipp, Mary DeVries, Shyamdeo Ranjan, Harry Male, Muda El Masry, Geetika Sethi, keypressingmonkey, JM Miana, Azim Rushdi, Evan Wildstein, M. H. Rubin, Zac Malik, Nabil Alouani, Vanilla Being, Mike Maher, Fatimah Alayafi, Devin Arrigo, Drew Wardle, Andrew Jazprose Hill, Shawkat Islam, Dominic McIntyre, Cristina Stivala, Rene Cizio, Kerstin Krause, Ryan Frawley, Nazmus Sakib, Louise Peacock, Bryson Owens, Rabia Akram, Sean Smith, Josh “υя_ωιѕємαη* “ Lessie, Lynda Wallis, Jake Mura, Andrew Constable MBA, Indubala Kachhawa, Sophia Lill, Chetna Jai, Ashley Riley, Samantha McDowall, Isaiah McCall, Ashley Hague, Sandija Sproģe, Abishaik Mohan, Cristian Nunez, Marija Martincevic, Karen L. Jones, Shabaira Junaid, J.A. Longs, Todi Afo, Ibrahim K, Matthew Prince, Paul Marsh, Zach Klebaner, Michael Shook, Suntonu Bhadra, Maria (she/her), Jessica Donahue, PHR, Kayla Vokolek, Murad Zamanov, Subha Shrinivasan, Tatiana Santana, Darren Richardson, Edith Sam, Nicole Cooper, Kristina Jancar, Aaron Crow, Amen Naqvi, Muhammad Sakhawat, Melissa Kerman, Yve Laran, Sarah B. Simpson, Michaela K, Fareeha Arshad, Orestis Spanos, Tedd Liners, Walter Bowne, Jessica Rohloff, Elle How, Evelyn Marentette, Justin Jones Li, Nancy Jorgensen, Shenbaga Lakshmi Srinivasan, Katie O’Grady, Kaylan Mah, Akarsh Nalawade, Zara Everly, Junaid S. Hayat, Mary Jones, Beat Schindler, Courtney Burry, Paul Mulliner, Joanne Reed, Anthony R.C. Brown II, Gaby Spadaro, Carla D. Wilson Laskey, Damon Ferrara, Esther George, Justin Taylor, Tjmakesk, Katrina Bos, Brian Tubbs, I. Trudie Palmer, Dennis De Silva, Akos Peterbencze, Pakang Senosha, Deborah Weir, Michael Robert, Jesse Pedersen, Tiago Miranda, Ilinca Doinea, Paulo Costeri, Rick Martinez, Kendra Fogarty, Aldric Chen, Erin Savage Pollaro, Emmarie Hodge, S. Viktorie Chladova, Len Morse, Esther George, John Walter 📣, John Villablanca, Ryan Zaharako, Alex Ghaznawi, Riaz Laskar, Ted Rivers, vidzparu, Mikhal Weiner, Ons Bouneb, Elvie, John Anderson, Shae Massé, ADA, George Blue Kelly, The Abundance Coach | Joyce Ling, Tatum Hamernik, Corrie Alexander, Anna, Panos Grigorakakis, Allison, Josephine Crispin, East Coast Writer, Valentina Tuha, Thuwarakesh Murallie, berta gershkowitz, Vaibhav Bhosle, Dr Sachin pandit, Nikita Kapoor, Ali Hall, Agnes Simigh, Lisa Alexander, Marcus Chan, Amanda Spiller, Austin Harvey, Violet Daniels

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