Past, Present, Future

Think Piece (Academic Purpose) Written By Christian J. Ashliman

The pursuit of mastery in the field of writing is an ongoing, never-ending, bumpy road that leads through twists and turns, around sharp cliffs, down racing slopes, across open fields, and eventually, out onto a blank page. Writing is one of the great passions of my life, but it wasn’t always that way. I remember a time when writing seemed like a chore, a boring act that was required as part of a school essay in a subject that I couldn’t care less about.  Continue reading “Past, Present, Future” →

Small and Simple Things

Think Piece Written By Christian J. Ashliman

Thinking about the looming future, and all it’s possibilities, opportunities, and pathways, can be extremely daunting and difficult. It seems to be a part of our nature: to conceptualize the intense, stressful plans of our lives into small, heavy packages that weigh us down when we think about them. I have a perfect example that occurred just earlier this morning as I was starting my final semester of college. Syllabus Day, as the first day of any semester is known, is filled with handouts and glazed eyes as teachers swathe over what will be the next four months of everyone’s life. Typically an easy day, in regards to homework, Syllabus Day always sort of freaked me out. It consisted of the instructor filling everyone in on everything that will be due, discussed, or worked on throughout the entirety of the course. Multiply that by six courses, and you’ve got an entire spiraling disaster on your hands. Continue reading “Small and Simple Things” →

Unknown

Short Story Written By Christian J. Ashliman

The dense, thick smell of Christmas pines wafted like a swirling blanket over the crowds, filling the air with a cheerful spring of holiday season. Bells could be heard ringing, jingling in delight as the little ones ran up and down the overly populated sidewalks, with a light pitter patter scattered against the heavy thumping of moving foot traffic. In the distance, caroling was picking up, growing in number and volume as the gleeful singers gained more traction. Dusk must have been on the western horizon, felt by the warmth of sunlight cracking through the cold clouds, bathing his face in a tingling radiance. Continue reading “Unknown” →

Taking It Back

Think Piece Written By Christian J. Ashliman

Have you ever thought about your past mistakes or failures, and wished you could scrub them out of your history? Just completely erase them from the timeline you have created for yourself? The human condition feels like it promotes this inclination to repress these awful moments we have all found ourselves in, for better or for ill; and it’s absolutely understandable. How fun is it to dwell in the midst of murky, negative provoking splices of our lives? Times when we have felt so rotten, and experienced such intense emotional or physical pain. What do we stand to gain from bathing in these episodic replays of the depressed, crestfallen events of our lives? Continue reading “Taking It Back” →

Futility

Poem Written By Christian J. Ashliman

A warm, dawning glow reflected off my cold, pale skin
The morning air stands frigid; frozen to the influence of surrounding life
Something stirs within; an opposite of the outside world, warm to the touch
It is both familiar, and yet, foreign; wanted, but forbidden
It has poisoned my thoughts; seeping into every corner of my mind
This place is dark, filled with the torment and anguish of regret
Here, where life’s episodes are replayed endlessly
There is no consolation, leaving me with the thought of what could have been

Never again, I take the vow
Searching for some way to forget
It’s nagging, gnawing presence fails to cease
Ignoring my command, giving way to one final affliction
Useless in solving my own mystery
Futile is my quandary, as there is no meaningful end
To which I can say, I am satisfied

Culture Fair Intelligence Test Critique

Psychological Test Critique Written By Christian J. Ashliman

The Culture Fair Intelligence Test, or CFIT, is an evaluation of an individual’s IQ using methods that strive to remove any sort of cultural bias. Primarily, its goal is to test general abilities that are comparably independent of academic achievement, socioeconomic status, and other similar environmental factors. Continue reading “Culture Fair Intelligence Test Critique” →

It Happens in a Moment

It’s not every day that you get to have a little splash of self-actualization tossed in with your daily-routine salad. The moments that cause you to stop for a moment and ponder an action, thought, or idea, and arrive at the conclusion of striving to become better; it creates a system of growth and change for us impressionable humans. Being a major in psychology within my collegiate career, it’s also entirely possible that I geek out over these types of mental realizations more so than the average person; but who’s to say? Continue reading “It Happens in a Moment” →

European Calamity: The Shaking of Society

Historical Academic Analysis Written By Christian J. Ashliman

Human beings have long been praised as an incredibly resilient and adaptable form of life. Even when we glance at our modern day society, it is vastly evident that no matter what strife finds its way into our lives, we always manage to change, adapt, and find a way to press on. This idea is true of us now, just as it is true of the people who endured through the late middle ages. During the time period of 1300 to 1500, a series of intense calamities swept across Europe, and decimated civilization, theoretically bringing society to its knees. Continue reading “European Calamity: The Shaking of Society” →

Sidewalks

Fallout Themed Short Story Written By Christian J. Ashliman

Sirens pierced the crisp, frigid air like the edge of a knife, spurring the surrounding birds from their nesting spots and jolting awake the world to a fresh, cloudless morning. Theo’s eyes darted open and he winced at the intense high-pitched sound. Another drill? That’s the third one this month and a lot of good they do anyways. Theo shook his head and wiped his face with his hand, letting out a sigh. It doesn’t matter anyways, none of it does. If, no, when the bombs drop, no cave will save you. No tomb, no shelter, no nook, no cranny, and most definitely no vault is gonna save you.  Continue reading “Sidewalks” →