The Everyday Human
Welcome to the Everyday Human podcast. My name is Eastin DeVerna. Each day, I'll share a reflection written by me and inspired by literature, poetry, music, movies, video games, and more. And after that, I'll share a prompt for you to write your own reflection.Together, we'll explore what it means to be human. Every month we'll walk a new path, taking a look at life, death, the universe, and everything in between.Thanks for coming along.For more, visit eastindeverna.com or join me on Instagram @the_everydayhuman.
Snip, Snip
March: On Death
March 16
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Herakles by Euripedes.
It is a powerful thing—grief and our ability to mourn and refuse to let go of the dead.
We have things to say that we wished we would have said when they were still here. We long to see their faces just one more time. We dream of their scent and touch, so much so that it can drive us to madness. Drive us to the point of doing something so categorically human—call t...
What’s the Dove Mean?
March: On Death
March 15
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Notes on Grief.
Since the beginning of humans, we've found ways by which to remember those we have lost. We hold on to items they may have loved in life. We leave their rooms the way they were when they said their last goodbye. We get tattoos of something that reminds us of them.
Once they die, they don't have to leave you. They can stay with you, help you, and inspire you. And...
Second Chances Aren’t a Given
March: On Death
March 14
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the video game The Last of Us.
There are many types of death—the death of innocence, of a certain period in life, the death of a family (metaphorically speaking), and of course, a literal death.
With them, come the many flavors of survivor’s guilt. And whether it’s through surviving traumatic experiences and carrying less of them with you than others, or surviving literal life-and-death scenarios and escaping with your life while others did not, it can b...
Dig Your Dreams Out From Their Graves
March: On Death
March 13
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Howard Dietz.
Make a list right now—in your journal or in your mind: three things you want to accomplish before you die.
These could be big things like traveling to a new country or writing a novel, or they could be small like planting a garden or taking your partner out on a date to the new cafe in town.
Now go ahead and pick one to start today. Don't wait till tomorrow (that word...
Death Runs Beside You
March: On Death
March 12
Today's reflection was inspired by another poem by Stephen Crane: "I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon"
There is no person more human than the man pursuing the horizon. He is forever chasing life and eternally running from death.
Others will say it is futile, and he knows this to be true. A lesser being would take those words and concede, but not the human.
Until his legs give out, he will run on and on and on.
In what ways a...
Close Your Eyes and Picture Death
March: On Death
March 11
Today's reflection was inspired by another poem by Emily Dickinson, "Because I Could not Stop for Death."
We all have our own perceptions of Death--our own beliefs of what it might look like, what our journey with it might be like.
These perceptions are shaped by certain traditions and beliefs that we've been taught about Death from a young age.
But have you slowed down to consider how you envision Death? How you might welcome it when it's time? Is this the perception...
Ephemeral
March: On Death
March 10
Today's reflection was inspired by an untitled poem by Sanober Khan.
Your life, everything in it, and this moment are fleeting. Ephemeral.
That is part of what gives our existence its beauty. Like a tulip in the spring, they bloom and stand tall and bright for all to see, and in a few short weeks, the petals fall, but the impression they make remains.
Nothing lasts and nothing remains, this is clear. So what will you do with this knowledge?
Reflection t...Sometimes, There Is No Answer
March: On Death
March 9
Today's reflection was inspired by another quote from Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage.
At my father's wake, as I knelt before his body, I was hit with a wave of questions: Was he there in the room watching this farce of a wake? Was he somewhere else facing judgment as we were taught would happen? Was he just gone?
No answers came in the form of a random winter breeze despite the closed windows or goosebumps or chills or anything like the books and m...
Love Them Long After They’re Gone
March: On Death
March 8
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye.
Despite what our culture or society or others may have you believe, there is no allotted amount of socially acceptable time to mourn someone or something or whatever it is you might be mourning.
We all mourn in our own time. Don't rush your healing.
So if you’ve lost someone, find the support you need to be able to continue taking care of yourself and your remaining love...
Just the Beginning
March: On Death
March 7
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet.
Watch the ocean waves crash endlessly upon the shore. Restless, stubborn in their eternal struggle against land. Admirable in their tenacity? Perhaps. But should not all things rest? Even the stars must rest when they’ve expended their energy, and so must we.
Your life is one never-ending climb to the top of a mountain. But when you reach the top of a mountain, is that the end of the hike? Or do yo...
You Will Be With Them Again Soon
March: On Death
March 6
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Hyperion: A Romance.
There’s something about graveyards or old graves, places where those who have lived out their lives, however long or short, come to rest—for good.
They are peaceful, as though nature and those who have gone before us are welcoming us to join and rest with them for a while.
And whenever I visit them, I can't help but hope—if I feel welcome here among these dead strang...
Does the Olive Fear Falling from the Branch?
March: On Death
March 5
Today's reflection was inspired by another quote from Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.
In one season you can watch the flower of a tree become pollinated and bear fruit. The fruit will be picked by a hand or eaten by animals or remain on its branch until it withers and falls to the earth to be taken back into the soil.
Do you hear it complain? Do you hear it wish for more time?
There is much we can learn from books and conversations and...
Car Accident? Disease? Jelly and Ice Cream?
March: On Death
March 4
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett.
From the moment you are born . . . no, no, even before that. From the moment you are conceived, and perhaps contrary to what you’d like the truth to be, you are on your way to meeting Death.
And we all have different ideas about how we'd like to go. Most of us are hoping to go quietly and in our sleep, surrounded by loved ones.
But, if I could be fr...
How Will You Live On?
March: On Death
March 3
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Kenzaburō Ōe's Hiroshima Notes.
There is a biological urge to live on. But have you ever really thought about what that means?
What do you want to live on when you're gone? Your genes? DNA?
Or would it be better for your actions and ideas and kindness to be passed on and echo through the generations after you've left this good Earth?
Consider it, and consider the way you live now. Is it up...
Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust
March: On Death
March 2
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan.
Adventures great and small—like them or not—are a part of us. Life itself is one great adventure. And yet we are most afraid of the one we all have in common—death.
Countless humans have gone before you, countless more will go after you, and we have no idea what awaits us on the other side.
But maybe it doesn't matter.
And maybe instead of worrying about it...
Alpha and Omega
March: On Death
March 1
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from The Muppet Christmas Carol.
You will meet countless people in your life. Anyone from your parents, partner, and children to the waiter in a restaurant, the stranger on the street, or even someone online.
But all of these meetings will eventually become partings. That is the way of it.
If you find yourself saddened to know you will one day leave your loved ones and friends, or that they will leave you, count yourself fortunate t...
Worth the Price of Admission?
February: On Life
February 28
Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "A Question" by Robert Frost.
Count the scars on your body—if you have few to none, count yourself lucky. Now count the scars on your soul, if you have few to none, count yourself even luckier. But chances are, you are riddled with a mess of them, physical and of the soul and mind, great and small.
You can't predict what life will throw at you. But it’s important to remember that life is not supposed to b...
All the Things We Cannot See
February: On Life
February 27
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Mark Twain's book Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World.
As wonderful as science is (and it is!), there is something sad about it in that the more we know through science, the less magic there seems to be in the world.
The mystery of the stars becomes burning balls of gas, rainbows become light refracting through water in the air, mystical herbs and chanted spells to heal the sick become essential vitamins and proper rest.
The End of a Beginning, the Beginning of an End
February: On Life
February 26
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the 1982 film The Dark Crystal.
You can’t be sure you’ll wake up in the morning, but you can be sure that if you do, things will change. Sometimes small—you’re just a day older, your hair’s a little grayer. Sometimes big—a child is born, a loved one dies.
Sometimes good—progress is made in the fight for equality and climate restoration. Sometimes bad—evil people come to power and wars break out.
But remember...
It’s Waiting for You. Are You Coming?
February: On Life
February 25
Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "Opportunity" by Berton Brayley.
There's something about doubt and dismay. They'll creep in on you, making you think less of yourself and your abilities.
But if you are aware of what's happening in your mind--the what and the why of it--and if you keep pushing, you'll eventually break past them.
You'll see your dreams and goals still lie ahead of you, despite your past. You'll see there are still books to be written, songs to be s...
To Err Is Human, To Be Human Is Divine
February: On Life
February 24
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from John Lewis' book Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change.
Humans are a mess, no way around it. We do things that are against our own best interest on a daily basis. We do terrible, terrible things. When you look at individual instances of the horrors committed by humans—destruction on a mass scale of the planet that gives us life, genocide, fathomless greed and lust for power, slavery (the list goes on)—the word divine migh...
Love Your Caterpillars
February: On Life
February 23
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
If I could wish anything for all humans on Earth, it would be that each one would have the opportunity to garden at some point in their life.
Learning to love the caterpillars in your garden is learning to love the caterpillars in your life. And in life, there will be many. They will come in the form of heartache, sickness, death, job loss, financial woes, political and social tu...
Personas Are People Too
February: On Life
February 22
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
You wear a different mask in every situation you are in.
This is not a bad thing. It would be impossible to be the same person at work as you are with your partner, friends, or children. Nor would you want to be.
Though, you must be careful of letting these personas stray too far from your true self, or at least, your ideals and values.
And if...
Who's There?
February: On Life
February 21
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Strength to Love.
If you are not under threat of a whirlwind of despair, count yourself currently lucky, because the winds can change at any moment, and to live and be human means you cannot escape the storm at certain points in your life.
You can face down whatever storm comes your way on your own, but this can only last so long.
Eventually, you will need support--faith in s...
“Here Be Dragons.” “So what?”
February: On Life
February 20
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.
Fear is powerful, yes.
But it is only as strong as you allow it to be.
This thing you have feared for so long, this thing you built up in your mind to be some great and terrible beast that would devour you on sight, it turns out, is not so hideous as you had imagined.
It is wretched and weak and though you could sl...
Will You Protect It?
February: On Life
February 19
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII.
The planet is a sick little kid, and we are to blame.
But the future of a dead world does not have to come to pass.
Humans are capable of great destruction, yes, but we are also capable of great care and love—we are capable of fixing things that we have broken, because it is in our nature to not give up.
It starts with you. It s...
Up, Up, and Away
February: On Life
February 18
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the graphic novel Superman: For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
It's easy to fall into the trap and be pessimistic about what we see going on in the world. It appears that those with power, status, and money are using all of those things for their own gain (and it's true, many of them are).
But fear not, they are but a few in a sea of billions.
Look around at those y...
Be My Guest
February: On Life
February 17
Today's reflection was inspired by Jalāl al-Dīn Rumi's poem "The Guest House."
Will today be a good day? Or a bad day?
What a notion!
How will I feel today? Happy, sad, weird? I'm hoping for happy, because I should be happy, right?
What a notion!
Your body and mind are a guest house, and they're open to every emotion you can possibly feel--24/7. At any point on any day you can go from sad to happy or...
Old Friends
February: On Life
February 16
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from E. E. Cummings' poem "Suppose."
Life wouldn't be what it is without Death: fleeting, fragile, precious.
And part of Life is slowly building a relationship with Death. We see it all around us in many shapes and forms. Sometimes brutally obvious in wars, sometimes as subtle as a a flower losing its petals in autumn.
The important thing is to not run from Death, but to cherish Life while you have it--like an old man h...
What’s on the Table?
February: On Life
February 15
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
It's inevitable that we will stray from the path of life. It happens to us all, and it happens to us all many times, you can be sure.
You may believe that you're being led astray by external forces, but really, can these things, people, or circumstances force decisions upon you?
Ultimately, you are responsible for your decisions and actions. Nothing and no one else can...
All Different, All Same, All Connected
February: On Life
February 14
Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "Stream of Life" by Rabindranath Tagore.
Looking at others and at the world with our limited perspectives, it's so easy to forget that we are all connected--to each other and to the world and universe.
But if you step outside of yourself for a moment, read different books, travel to different places, and speak to different people, you might come to remember that we all have the same blood in our veins.
The same stream of l...
Can You Fix It?
February: On Life
February 13
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Derek Walcott's Nobel lecture, "The Antilles: Fragments of Epic Memory."
We take so much for granted--family, friends, jobs, culture, even our lives. But it can all be broken in an instant.
And when this happens, we are left with a choice: leave it where it lands to rot and return to the dirt, or pick up the pieces and glue it back together with love, ensuring we no longer will take it for granted.
What i...
The Child Poet
February: On Life
February 12
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Wendell Berry's poem "How to Be a Poet."
It is a curse, not to grow old, but to grow up.
We can all be poets in how we live our lives.
We all start as poets, it's just that sometimes we forget.
Watch a child in nature--she is the truest poet.
Learn and remember.
Leave your screens and your wires. Breathe the fresh air and feel the grass.
The Good, the Bad, the Anything
February: On Life
February 11
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the little piece of paper at the end of the tea bag--specifically from Yogi Tea (no affiliation to this podcast or me, I just like the tea).
Beyond the tenuous structure of routine that we build into our days, life is filled to bursting with the unknown. You have your expectations of how your day and life will go, but anything could happen—anything. Your day could benignly go exactly as you planned, but more often than not, it wo...
Echoes Through Time
February: On Life
February 10
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the anime/manga Demon Slayer.
There is growing evidence that some of the trauma we carry with us may have been passed down to us from our ancestors, and that we may pass our trauma down to the generations to come.
We are all connected--here in the present, and to those in the past and future.
So we can also inherit and pass down ideas and causes.
Let's make sure what we're passing o...
The Land of Dreams
February: On Life
February 9
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the anime/manga Kino's Journey.
We have grand and wonderful dreams and aspirations when we're young.
But then the realities of life storm in and our responsibilities grow and change.
Our dreams then shift and those of childhood are replaced. The destination changes, and we don't recognize where we are anymore.
But it's never too late to slow down, reflect, and ask yourself if this is really where you want to be. It's...
Play God and Create Something Today
February: On Life
February 8
Today's reflection was inspired by another quote from Kurt Vonnegut's A Man Without a Country.
The act of creation is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, for our souls, for others, and for the world.
It allows us to stretch, grow, and reflect.
And while creating, you needn't worry if what you are making is any good, you just need to do it.
Sing, dance, write a poem--even if you're horrible at these things, because you'll get th...
Who’s Afraid of Little Ole Life?
February: On Life
February 7
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Maya Angelou’s poem/children’s book “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me.”
When you hear the words courage, bravery, and mettle, you might think of a superhero, a soldier, or a firefighter.
You probably don’t imagine a child putting themself back to sleep in the middle of the night without getting Mom, or a child taking a deep breath at the top of a slide before going down, or a child stepping past the tree line into the wood...
The Dangers of Being a Necromancer
February: On Life
February 6
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the graphic novel Samurai Grandpa, by Eastin DeVerna (me!) and Shawn Daley.
Memento mori.
That's the Stoic practice of reminding yourself each and every day that you will die.
It is a great practice to fall into as it can help humble you and remind you not to waste your time while you are here.
But you must be careful of falling into the trap of becoming obsessed with death or fearing it.
...
All I Know Is That I Don’t Know
February: On Life
February 5
Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Dorothy West's short story "The Richer, The Poorer."
In your brief lifetime, and with your limited perspective, there is just so much that you do not know and will never know. That’s a good thing. We weren’t meant to process and retain infinite knowledge.
But to live is to learn, and to learn is to live. You need to learn. It’s good for you. It’s what humans do. We get curious about something, and we le...
