Like clickbait, but the stories are genuine

One of my favorite hidden gems is the “Experience” column in The Guardian. Sometimes one will pop onto the main page and it’ll almost seem like clickbait, but there are genuine stories. There is a vast archive going back many years. I’ve rarely learned so much, laughed so hard, or been as deeply moved.

One article is published each week and is basically the bizarre but true stories of individual people. Here’s a sampling of what’s there currently:

• I didn’t burp for more than 20 years
• I gave birth to the world’s 8 billionth baby
• I almost died while pole dancing
• I’m a world champion stone skimmer
• I paddled a giant pumpkin down a river for 11 hours

If you’re pressed for time, skimming through the headlines is a nice diversion. I’m a subscriber, but if I weren’t, I’d subscribe just for this column.