The story of the rural folks' stand against the ever-expanding metropolis and its unfriendly denizens, at this point, is almost mythology. And there's good reason behind that. The rural life paints pictures of warm, tilled-earth, dewy mornings bringing the smell of fresh, damp soil, friendly, tight-knit communities, and the down-to-earth, salt-of-the-earth people who inhabit them. Meanwhile, cities bring forth images of inorganic filth and a cacophony of unnatural sounds. Scores of people pass…

Every family faces different challenges. Every family believes that they have won the short end of the stick. We genuinely think that nobody can understand our extraordinary and bizarre family. However, we must always keep in mind that, despite our best efforts to convince ourselves otherwise, there are times when the grass truly is greener on the other side of the fence! The story below is an account of a niece who has always been Uncle Todd's favorite, but as luck would have it, even she fail…

Being a lady bartender isn't easy. You have to pretend to be interested in every patron's woes, while also being detached enough to avoid stalkerish behavior. During every shift, bartenders deal with antagonizers, party-meisters, and worst of all womanizers. But it's all worth it for the tips right? That is until you realize the worst offender of on-shift mockery is coming from your general manager.

If you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back. Handymen and tradesmen have been living by this law for centuries and it's arguably one of the few industries left that follows the old-school, handshake contract traditions. Through the uncommunicated secret bond of fellow tradesmen, most blue-collar guys would go out of their way to help a guy out with their project, simply because they know that the good karma will come back to them at some point.

There's nothing worse than hearing your phone ringing and scrambling to answer it, only to realize it's just another spam call. Seriously, how do these people even get our numbers? But let's face it, if you've got a cell phone, you're bound to get hit with spam calls every now and then. Some folks luck out and only get them once in a blue moon, while others seem to be on the receiving end multiple times a day . Some folks just get the short end of the stick. Well, have you ever thought about tu…

Moving is already stressful enough; getting scammed during a move is about as low as a scammer can go. The closest I have ever been to getting scammed during a move would be during the apartment hunting process in New York City last summer. After applying and securing an apartment that was already near the top of our budget maximum, the listing agent decided that this place was in such high demand that he could then add a ton of extra fees on the place, none of which were communicated to use be…

Apparently some Karens can't do math

Students are not always the primary reason for getting poor grades. Sometimes, it can be stifling extracurricular commitments, overbearing parents, absent parents, a lack of access to proper resources and technology, etc. But sometimes the reason is even simpler. Sometimes, it's just the teacher. This could be the result of a professor doing a subpar job giving lessons or failing to give students a proper understanding of the course material prior to assessing them. In this case, the professor'…

Black Friday deals and mall shopping during the holidays calls for one thing and one thing only: the survival of the Karens . If you work retail, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The manager is being called in extra this holiday season, and they are serious about it. Employees and customers are being bombarded every which way; in the sock aisle, behind the counter, and even in the bathroom. Yes, you read that correctly! The bathroom! Does privacy no longer exist? Does a peaceful ho…

Roommate claims their food in the fridge by adding their own special ingredient

The problem with working in a job where you're providing a professional service is that your clients will constantly tell you how to do your job even when they have no idea what they're talking about—no, especially when they have no idea what they're talking about. This intensifies when it comes to anything people regard themselves to be an expert in just because they've done it at the lowest level a few times in an everyday, unprofessional sense.

Some people flourish under pressure. Don't ask me, something about a tense environment, or rather, a chaotic setting, drives them to excellence. Us mortals, on the other hand, crave a peaceful work environment with warm and amicable coworkers. While we all recognize the burdens of working in customer service, I think we ought to address the burdens of the customers themselves. The story below is an account of an innocent customer who is overtaken by an entitled individual who believes himself t…

From roughly the age of 15 to 22 (fresh out of college), we are expected to accept any position, as long as someone will hire us, regardless of the duties and responsibilities. Hold your horses; what I mean to say is that every position, within 'normal bounds', is acceptable. As a result, I believe we can all agree that for nearly ten years, we have been changing jobs frequently in the hopes of finding one that won't be emotionally or physically taxing. The jobs differ according to age, prefere…

Whatever happened to gift-giving being fun? These days, getting people gifts is about as frustrating and difficult as finding a job with health insurance. There are the people who are impossible to shop for, and then the people who demand items on their wish lists that are uncomfortably pricey. There are the people who don’t want to be festive in the slightest, and the people who go so over-the-top with celebratory decorations that you think you’re in some sort of dystopian version of the North…

There are definitely some (many) parables out there that teach us that we should always seek to rise above the actions of our tormenters, taking the high road and killing them with kindness rather than sinking to their level. Still, you'll often find that the reality in life is that this isn't always an option, and your tormenters won't give you any space to choose any other path than the one that has been provided to you. And, the one that has been provided to you (often of their own making) b…

The infamous sibling rivalry. Where rules are off the table – you're free to unleash the nastiest remarks without a hint of remorse, and maybe even throw a few vengeful punches. It's the kind of fighting only siblings can endure. You can't get away with such antics in the real world, but your sibling? Well, they're stuck with you, so they've got no choice but to take it.