3 Steps To Implement Change When You’ve Finally Decided To — When I think about any potential high-school reunion, a little dread bubble rises up my head. It’s been years since I saw many of my school mates. Some are now parents, further along in their careers. Some have been through life-altering events: losing their spouses, parents. Others are no longer…

Where I’m from, color means little. That made my transition to the United States a chilling one. — This time last year, I was free to travel anywhere I wanted in my native Cameroon, and no one blinked an eye. All I needed was my identity card and the privilege of my first name. Kamga is the most popular name in the Bamileke tribe, historically situated in the…

Don’t commit the error my 12-year-old self did — He lied to me. We were teenagers, and he lied to me. There was a nauseating ball in my stomach when I discovered that all his stories of travel, adventure, and seeing the world were lies. My 12-year-old mind did not understand what betrayal felt like. I just knew I…

What your “break” is doing to your gift, and how to revert it — I was wearing my army pants and hat. My bulletproof vest snug tightly. He pointed the revolver, firing a single round into my left shoulder. The pain didn’t sting as expected. Before he could lead another, I caught his arm and moved him into a headlock. He pushed me away…

The Struggle to Fit Into The New Country is Easy to Note — Pain Caused by the Old? Not So Much. — “This must be what dread tastes like “— note to self. You know that moment when you catch yourself about to say something you’ve said so many times that you’ve now become aware that the person listening to you is sick of hearing it? I’ve felt that a lot since…

How Can I Learn To Love My Single Life? — I got married to my high-school sweetheart. Technically, we met in high school and knew each other for over a decade before I popped the question and she said yes. We were on two different continents. For various reasons, our marriage didn’t last as long as we’d hoped. After that…

Short Fiction from a Quora Question — His face appeared in the milk. I froze in mid-action. By the time I blinked, he was gone. Only the rising vapor from the ceramic cup and Sophie’s gentle call. “Annie, is there something in the cup?”, she said. She was going to tear the shop down for our money’s…

5 Reflections from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran — Have you ever read a book that made you wonder: why had I not read this yet? A book whose title you’d heard before, a book mentioned enough for you to recognize the author, but you’d never gotten around it. I finally got around to The Prophet and found the…

This is What You Must Understand To Keep Going — “What if you don’t get admitted?”, he said. I will never forget how surprised my father was with my confidence on my third attempt at college. “I will”, was my response. In the most matter-of-factly tone. I wasn’t even trying to be cheeky. I just knew I’d get into the…