Overwhelmed ft got a third place for the university newspaper storywriting competition

[Against_the_current]

I called dad because I had an excuse to call him (the award) and i was talking at the bus and some old grumpster yelled at me and said youth has no brain. I got scared and get off the bus even though i payed and i walked in the heat with an injury on my foot and with a panic attack. Meanwhile worrying that now dad expects both the final exam results and job afterwards. I can't even go to a positive event where i recieve an award without feeling terrible. Idk how am i supposed to take the exam and get a job when even this overwhelmed me. And I have to book grandma's stay at a sanatorium and pay rent and do laundry. I tried to buy food and i bought the wrong one and had all the staff come change the receipt 😭

[SoporRose]

Congratulations! Tell us more about the award! What did you write about for your story? That is fantastic and should open some more job options for you. What did your dad say about your accomplishment? I am so proud of you!

And what is this about booking your grandmother a stay at a sanitorium?

[Against_the_current in reply to SoporRose]

Thank you! It didn't have a theme, i sent a story that i had already written. It's called Moonlight sonata and it's about an artist with anxiety who can't suffers insomnia and draws all night in attempt to escape their thoughts. The person goes to a concert to "distract" themselves but the lead violinist isn't appearing. The character feels anxious and goes to the balcony for some fresh air where they see an interesting conversation between the lead violinist and a staff member begging him to go to the stage. The violinist has a social anxiety flare and their convo is actually written with my sence of humour. The staff member leaves and the character goes there and hands one drawing to the violinist. The resume sucks but the real story is better written.About grandma, she had a heart attack and wants to go on a rehab (she hates her daughters in law) and she said that that place offers treatment for mental illness without me having to go to the dirty psychiatric hospitals and have it on my documents. (A proffesor on psychiatry wrote an article about how mental hospitals in Bulgaria are worse than jails. They litterary have no bedsheets, the beds are old and moldy, pathients are tied up and eat "standing like horses". And the guild scolded him instead of correcting the hospitals).

[SoporRose in reply to Against_the_current]

Wow! That sounds like an excellent story. Does the violinist ever go on stage? What happens after your character hands the violinist the drawing? I like the way you describe the effects anxiety has on your protagonist.

So is the idea that you and your grandmother would go to the sanitarium together?

[Against_the_current in reply to SoporRose]

Thank you. Glad you like it, your opinion is really important to me. It's an open ending but it feels like the violinist wants to share their art with the anxious artist who shared theirs so goes on stage. It's how anxious people are stronger toghether and how art inspires art.And yeah, the idea is going toghether as i can't get in a normal mental hospital.

[SoporRose in reply to Against_the_current]

Your story sounds really excellent. Yo often write so well in English that I wish I could read Bulgarian because I think when you are writing in the language most familiar to you, you must really be phenomenal.

I'm interested to know of the plan to go to hospital with your grandmother is coming together. I feel as if any break where you feel safe and can relax a little will do you good.

[Starrlight]

Congratulations please tell what you wrote about.

[Against_the_current in reply to Starrlight]

Thank you! It didn't have a theme, i sent a story that i had already written. It's called Moonlight sonata and it's about an artist with anxiety who can't suffers insomnia and draws all night in attempt to escape their thoughts. The person goes to a concert to "distract" themselves but the lead violinist isn't appearing. The character feels anxious and goes to the balcony for some fresh air where they see an interesting conversation between the lead violinist and a staff member begging him to go to the stage. The violinist has a social anxiety flare and their convo is actually written with my sence of humour. The staff member leaves and the character goes there and hands one drawing to the violinist. The resume sucks but the real story is better written