Ruth's Reading Roundup: Top 10 Posts of All Time
Jump in, catch up, and join the fun!
I’ve been sharing stories and essays online for a long time. Yes, most of them embarrassing, but what’s a Potato Girl to do?
Since I started sharing here in this particular space, certain posts have really gained traction.
Whether you’re new around here, a busy reader who only catches the occasional essay, or simply someone who likes to revisit and reread old favorites, below, collected in one place for your reading pleasure, are my top 10 most-read posts of all time.
Brew a fresh coffee, scroll down, click through the links, and enjoy!
#10: Wear Black to My Funeral
Sometimes I hear people say, “My funeral shouldn’t be a mournful occasion. I want it to be a celebration of life!”
Maybe that’s fine. Maybe not. Either way, it’s not what I want.
Read More: Wear Black to My Funeral
#9: Time to Stir the Pot
God made me, by nature, a bit of a pot-stirrer.
It’s not that I want to create chaos. It’s that I want us all to enjoy a well-cooked dish. To that end, I see the benefits of giving things the occasional whisk.
Read More: Time to Stir the Pot
#8: Sometimes You Have to Lie Down on a Bridge and Cry
I shuffled one foot in front of the other, actually grabbing the railing running between me and the sheer drop to the Intracoastal Waterway, hauling my body hand over hand toward the Olympic heights of the summit.
Just before the apex of the bridge, I stumbled upon a bench. Don’t do it, I told myself, even as I collapsed onto it.
I rolled onto my back, sticking my hands and feet in the air like a little bug. I shook my appendages, hoping to encourage blood flow and ease the numbness.
Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, trailing toward my salt-matted hairline.
This was happening. I had reached my limit. This race was over.
Read the Full Story: Sometimes You Have to Lie Down on a Bridge and Cry
#7: The Time I Called 911 on My Run
Do you have one of those stories that was terrible to experience but is actually sort of funny in retrospect?
This is one of those.
Read More: The Time I Called 911 on My Run
#6: The Day I Found the Body on the Trail
It’s always the joggers and hikers who find the bodies. Given that these are two of my favorite outdoor activities, I always supposed it was just a matter of time.
Now that it was finally happening, I was completely taken off guard.
We were walking along, headed down a gentle curve in the trail, when I looked down and there it was, just sticking out of the ground.
A human toe.
Full Post: The Day I Found the Body on the Trail
#5: 5 Signs You’re Not Living in a Rom Com
Recently, I’ve been binge reading romantic comedies. One thing I’ve learned is that my life is nothing like them.
Maybe you can relate.
Full Story: 5 Signs You’re Not Living in a Rom Com
#4: Hello from the Other Side
It takes an outsider to tell an insider that the inside exists.
Insiders may not notice it otherwise. Because for them, things just...work.
Outsiders know they’re on the outside. Insiders have trouble recognizing that there’s an “inside.”
Outsiders feel the separation.
Insiders feel normal.
Full story: Hello from the Other Side
#3: Hi, it’s me. The Potato Girl.
A few years ago, I tried Zoom speed dating—not necessarily because I thought it would work but because I thought it sounded hilarious.
At the very least, I would walk away with a good story.
I didn’t think I’d wind up being the story.
Full story: Hi, it’s me. The Potato Girl.
#2: Because We Carry It Well
(co-written with Lacey Keigley)
I wish this didn’t happen as often as it does.
I’m out living my life, doing what needs to be done, when someone says something like this: “Wow. I couldn’t do all that” or “I don’t know how you do it” or “I couldn’t handle it the way you do.”
And I’m never quite sure how to respond.
Because, honestly, who knows. Maybe you could. Maybe you couldn’t. But for whatever reason, you don’t have to. This isn’t your life. But it is mine, so I don’t have a choice. I have to carry the weight.
How do you do it all?
I could never do that.
I couldn’t live your life.
Yeah, I’m fairly confident that statement or that question is intended as a compliment of sorts.
And yet.
It never quite feels like one.
“You’re braver than me.”
No. I am not.
My choices are different, maybe. Because they have to be.
“I could never do that alone.”
Maybe you could. Maybe you couldn’t. But you haven’t had to find out. Me, though? I have no choice. It’s either do it alone, or it doesn’t happen.
“I don’t know how you do it all.”
Well, I don’t either. All I know is that one way or another, it has to get done.
But just because I carry it well doesn’t mean I’m not tired.
Full Story: Because We Carry It Well
#1: While We Were Single
(co-written with Lucy Crabtree)
I don’t remember the first time I watched While You Were Sleeping, but I do remember the most recent time. It was five minutes ago. For years, the 1995 film starring Sandra Bullock has been my go-to Christmas favorite. The narrative moves along at a good clip, the dialogue snaps, and the heartwarming conclusion never fails to give me the warm fuzzies.
I was only seventeen when the film released; and as I’ve matured, I’ve learned to appreciate it for more than just the laughter and the romance. I’ve increasingly come to respect how deeply While You Were Sleeping explores themes of singleness, loneliness, and the complex dynamics of human connections.
Full Story: While We Were Single
All caught up 😊