The Everyday Human

Eastin DeVerna
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Books

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.

  1. 1d ago

    The Whole Reason for Everything

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 30 Let it all go and relish in knowing your presence is a comfort. Relish your moments of happiness walking in the woods with a loved one, giving and receiving gifts, laughing, crying, smiling, and talking together . . . the moments of holding one another, because that might be it. That might be the whole reason for everything. Reflection title: The Whole Reason for EverythingCreative inspiration: Charlotte Brontë, Jane EyreReflection question: Am I taking in the moments with my loved ones and feeling the happiness of being loved and knowing my presence is a comfort to them and theirs a comfort to me? Is this my reason for everything?

  2. 2d ago

    Pull It by the Roots

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 29 If you find yourself mistrusting—there could very well be a valid reason for it, but perhaps more often than not, the mistrust stems from your own insecurities—something you need to confront before pinning the blame on an innocent party.  If you find yourself the subject of mistrust in a relationship, it’s best to refrain from becoming defensive off the bat and consider what has happened and where the other person is coming from.  In either case, take the blaming, sneaking, spying, wall-building, silent treatment—take all of that and pull it by the roots. Instead, open up the floor to honest communication. Ask questions, explain yourself, and quite simply, tell the truth. Can the truth end relationships? Of course it can, but it’s better to breathe in the clean air of honesty and integrity than choke on the clouds of deceit and duplicity. In most cases, though, once the dust settles, the truth will only serve to strengthen the foundation. Reflection title: Pull It by the RootsCreative inspiration: Stephen King, Hearts in AtlantisReflection question: Do I hold any mistrust in my relationships? Are there areas where they could benefit from honest communication and discussion?

  3. 3d ago

    Carry It Together

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 28 The pane splinters and breaks and shatters and the shards fly past them, cutting them, leaving large, gaping wounds that they think is the cause of the end. But the cracks were there all along, digging soft into them to the point they couldn’t feel that slowly, oh so very slowly the flowing blood of their friendship was leaking dry all along. A sad story for Large—he believed this whole time he was helping. Sadder, perhaps for Small, who all along believed he needed help. It could have been a beautiful and tall and green tree, but it became something instead twisted and maimed and disfigured, destined to fail and fall. A reminder here or there would have done them a service. To be there for each other and support each other. To help one another, of course. And to teach one another when you can, but without arrogance and without condescension. A reminder that you can’t carry it all for them all the time. A reminder that friends are many things, but they are not pack mules, nor are they delicate plants that need constant care. A reminder . . . to carry it together. Reflection title: Carry It TogetherCreative inspiration: AkiraReflection question: Am I carrying too much for my friends? Are they carrying too much for me? What needs to be adjusted so that we can carry it together?

  4. 4d ago

    Who Were They Before?

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 27 A young boy living next door. A young girl playing blocks in preschool. An altar boy who rang the bells when I forgot. A new kid in class from the other side of the island. Another kid with brown hair who didn’t fit into any cliques in high school. A barista in a coffee shop. A kid with a BMX bike in the backyard. An expo in the chaotic kitchen at Applebees. A quiet guy in the back of Linguistics. A young woman across the coffee table at a college party. A comic artist in Toronto. A cousin by blood and childhood but friend as adults. A husband to the vendor across the aisle at a small art show. A rock climbing instructor. A~ We are all strangers, or merely a label, to someone . . . until we’re not.  Until they know us and see us for the humans we are. Reflection title: Who Were They Before?Creative inspiration: Maya Angelou, Letter to My DaughterReflection question: Think of the friends you’ve made in life. Who were they before you became friends—when they were still strangers?

  5. 5d ago

    Who Do You See Beside You?

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 26 But you looked to your companion and said, “What do you think?” “Die here with him or go on looking for his paradise,” they said. You know it’s foolish to believe. To hold on to such a fragile thing as hope, but you nodded and the two of you continued on. You crest the hill the fool spoke of, but you’re already wary. There has been no change in the hot and poisonous winds and no color has painted the sky. You stand at the top, looking out. It’s a valley, alright. But where there might have once been a crystal lake, there is a bubbling pool of black sludge, not even deep enough to cover the white bones growing from it. Great pines have become charred skeletons from another world. Piles of ash where once grew grass, now waiting to be scattered on the wind. Yes, hope is a fragile thing. Your companion sits, reaches up and takes your hand and you come down beside them. You can go no farther. The land forbids it as does your body. Your companion leans on your shoulder, sighs. “I’m glad you’re with me,” they say. “Here at the end of all things.” Reflection title: Who Do You See Beside You?Creative inspiration: J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the KingReflection question: Who was it you saw beside you, there at the end of all things?

  6. 6d ago

    My Best Non-Human Friend

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 25 Any time I’d find myself uncomfortable in school, it’d pop into my head—a reminder that when I survived the day, I’d have Bowie, Jaha, Sarah, Peter, May, and the rest of the Shining Force to hang out and save the world with. I’d laugh with them, strategize, and get dead serious when it was time to take down King Galam and Zeon. It was a game, sure, but it was also a place where I found the belonging I was looking for. Something which started as just a fun JRPG to pass the time became a friend . . . a best friend. It’s an odd but natural thing we humans do, and there can be a certain charm to it, that is, befriending inanimate objects or animals or plants. It can be a display of companionship and empathy and connection. Kids do it all the time with their stuffed animals or imaginary friends. But we must be careful, it can also be a sign of deeper underlying troubles—an indirect cry for help rising from a distraught individual sinking in turbulent waters. So, yeah. There it is. My best friend in my freshman year of high school was a video game. And I still have it. It’s in my Sega Genesis (which still works!) on the small table right next to my desk as I write this.  I think I’ll say hi and give it a replay soon.  Reflection title: My Best Non-Human FriendCreative inspiration: Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1931–1934: Vol. 1Reflection question: What was my best non-human friend? What did it help me overcome, and how was it there for me?

  7. Sep 24

    For the Sake of Laughing

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 24 The laughter and silliness shared with my friends was fun and goofy, and while, to a degree, these friendships served to help me through some of the toughest times I had growing up, I also laughed and goofed around for the sake of laughing and goofing around. Staying up late, playing video games, or watching silly movies and cracking up until our bellies near split—those were some of the most wonderful times of my life. Yes, much can be said about friendship, but it cannot be overstated how important and wonderful it is, no matter your age, to shed the titles and cares you carry for just a little while, to act a little silly, to goof off, and to laugh. All for the sake of it. Reflection title: For the Sake of LaughingCreative inspiration: Markus Zusak, The Book ThiefReflection question: What were some of the funnest and silliest times I’ve had with my friends? Am I overdue for a little laughter with them?

  8. Sep 23

    You Don’t Have To Carry It Alone

    September: On Friendship and Connection September 23 Someone being there for you, you being there for someone. To have another to sit with you and share in your sorrow, that is a sort of rescue in itself. And while someone is with you, you’re able to experience it for yourself . . . this very human thing of being broken by emotion. You’re able to let the pain feed on you. To let it bury its fangs in your flesh and tear you asunder. To give yourself the permission to cry and to sob. Because you know in that moment you are safe with another.  A friend, a partner, a brother, a sister, a parent, and you—you all have this power.  And while it is a kind thing we can do, to ease the suffering of others, it is also an obligation. We all share in a common humanity and if we can all share in our triumphs and pleasures, then we must also share in one another’s suffering. It is how we get through it. It is how we survive. By being—truly being—together.  Reflection title: You Don’t Have To Carry It AloneCreative inspiration: Virginia Woolf, The WavesReflection question: As a friend, who have I helped by sharing in their pain? Who has helped me? And am I currently in need of that support?

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Eastin DeVerna
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    276
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Everyday Human
  • Show Website
    The Everyday Human