Archive - Big Feels

Big Feels on How to be Yourself

It’s not lost on me that I’m a 34 year old woman on garbage duty at the pasta shop, but I like being a 34 year old woman on garbage duty at the pasta…

Jul 31 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

June 2025

Big Feels on God and Being Gay

The first girl I dated after coming out six years ago was a chaplain at a local hospital. It makes me laugh because of course she was...

Jun 17 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

April 2025

Big Feels on Kumbaya Friends and How They Got Me Through the Big Stuff

Love is a hellscape, money eludes me, but friends? Oh, I got ‘em. Thank god.

Apr 22 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

February 2025

Big Feels on Stretching My Legs and How I Learned to Drive in a 16 Passenger Van

When we pulled into the outskirts of the Wal-Mart parking lot (it’s easier to park such a big van on the margins), we would get pointed looks from the…

Feb 18 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

January 2025

Big Feels on Growing Into Future Me

I haven’t been able to think about the end of this year without thinking about the last two years, the last eight, my whole life.

Jan 6 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

November 2024

Big Feels on World Peace

He says, “For you, it has been hard before, it will be hard again, but there is nothing to fear here,” then he kisses my forehead.

Nov 19, 2024 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

October 2024

Big Feels on being Yelled at by Men, and Other New Things in a Huge City

"Go to karaoke, especially if it is a lesbian bar and you are a lesbian. Say yes to singing a duet with a stranger; why not, you are fun and this is…

Oct 16, 2024 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

September 2024

Big Feels on Being a Bumpkin in a Big City

It is not all bad to be a bumpkin. Sometimes there is pity. Sometimes you charm them by how pitiful you are.

Sep 9, 2024 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

July 2024

Big Feels on Curating a Perfect Divorce

In his car, his music starts to play, “Can you play one of our songs?” I ask. He puts on “I Slept With All Your Mothers” by Harriet. We always…

Jul 23, 2024 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

June 2024

Big Feels on being Closeted

That girl in the video didn’t know she was gay (she just had no problem with celibacy, like, it’s not even that hard to not want sex with a man, like…

Jun 24, 2024 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

May 2024

Big Feels on Being Too Tired to Hate Myself

It’s no simple thing to love yourself greatly when you have been taught to pick apart even the smallest things of your personhood. But I’m really tired…

May 27, 2024 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

April 2024

Big Feels on Being at the Dentist During the Eclipse

I am at the dentist during the eclipse (whoops). She carves a little statue of David into my mouth.

Apr 10, 2024 •

Tahna Bargen-Lema

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