Last Name4break, the water was calm. We floated there soaking in the view and enjoying the cool water on a hot summer day.Facing the cove, I was able to get a broader view of our set up than I had been able to before. There were large blackrocks piled to the top, making the cove look likea game ofJenga. Each one jetted out in an awkward position, making it seem that if one rock moved they would all fall down. On the bed of bright white sand, my mom and dad looked like tiny ants laying on their beach chairs. The view was absolutely breathtaking. It was overwhelming to think about just how small I was,floating in a body of water that encompasses the whole world. The feeling of bliss spread over me as I floated on my back feeling the warm sun kiss my face.This is the best summer vacation ever.*It was time to swim back ashore. Anastasia and I discussed how we would leave the water. Just like when we camein, we had to time it just right. As I looked ahead of me, I came to the conclusion that the waves had gotten significantly choppier.

Facing the cove, I was able to get a broader view of our set up than I had been able to before. There were large blackrocks piled to the top, making the cove look likea game ofJenga.

. There are a million ways to die in this world. When it comes to increasing those chances of getting hurt, Ineed to step back and take a look at my situation.From that day on I learned that my actions have consequences

My family and I tried to enjoy the rest of the day but the waves stared back at us making us constantly conscious of the trauma that we had just endured. The beach no longer felt relaxing and fun

Last Name5The beautiful blue water which I had lovedimmenselyslowly turned grayas I faded away in to the chilly water.Goodbye world.

I was,floating in a body of water that encompasses the whole world. The feeling of bliss spread over me as I floated on my back feeling the warm sun kiss my face.This is the best summer vacation ever.

eah, we’ll be fine. What’s the worst that could happen? I’m a strongswimmer, you’re a strong swimmer. We’ll be fine.” With that decision, our fate was set

As the afternoon wore on, I started feeling the effects of the hot summer sun. I could have sworn my skin was just about to melt off;

As I watched them tinker around, a man approached the woman.He was tall, with dark hair, and tan skin; he harbored a look of deep concern.

When I opened my eyes, the sky greeted me warmly. I slowly sat up and began to take in the scene. I was on a beach in Lefkada, a small island in Greece riddled with gaping cliffs and spectacular views.

’ve always loved fast cars. Ever since I was a child, I’ve felt the need for speed.So naturally, when I was 16, I decided to get a Ford Mustang

Most people have heard of OCD but there is much confu-sion about the condition. It’s commonly seen as a behavioural quirk. In fact, OCD is a severe and crippling illness, and one defi ned as much by the mental torment of recurring strange thoughts as physical actions such as repeated hand-washing.

My rational self knows that these fears are ridiculous. I know that I can’t catch Aids in those situations. But still the thoughts and the anxiety come.

Th ose are my strange thoughts. Th at is my obsessive-compulsive disorder. I obsess about ways that I could catch Aids. I compulsively check to make sure I haven’t caught HIV and I steer my behaviour to make sure I don’t catch it in future.

I thought, could easily have injured themselves in the way I had. What if one had been HIV-positive? Th ey could have left infected blood on the screw, which then pierced my skin.

An Ethiopian schoolgirl called Bira once ate a wall of her house. She didn’t want to, but she found that to eat the wall was the only way to stop her thinking about it.

It respects no cultural, ethnic, racial or geographical boundaries. OCD is a social handicap and a societal burden. Children with OCD are more likely to want friends, but less likely to make them.

I can toggle between these windows, make them bigger or smaller, open and close others as I see fi t.

Th e whistling man was ready to swim. He came to the sink, grabbed a paper towel, blew his nose and threw it into the bin. I did the same. He looked at me. I smiled. He didn’t. He walked away. I didn’t. He fi nished his swim and left . I couldn’t.

Th e day that the Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna died in a crash during a Grand Prix in Italy, I was stuck in the toilet of a Manchester swimming pool. Th e door was open but my thoughts blocked the way out.

An average person can have four thousand thoughts a day, and not all of them are useful or rational. Mental fl otsam comes in many forms