Chapter 1 (I-IV)
June 1, 2024
I
When I think about Pride, I try to remember its past and its present. I try to remember that Pride has always, at its core, been about liberation. Pride is about liberation for all of us who at some point have felt we couldn't let the world see our true selves. To be visible is to free yourself from this confinement.
We all want liberation from not being authentically seen. However, some say that in order to receive the rewards of being loved, we must submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known. If that's true, then letting yourself be known takes courage. It's then no wonder why I see so much courage in the LGBT+ community. Courage is what has united us in the past and it will be our way into the future... a future where we are all more free. There can be no liberation for some without liberation for all. Dare to be courageous. Dare to love. Dare to be yourself.
II
Sometimes I find myself introspecting, and I think about how I present myself to the world. I think about my hair.
Strange as it may sound, my hair is one of my greatest tools of empowerment. I love having out-of-the-box hair, crazy curls and all. To me, it represents how I'm never afraid to be perceived as "too masculine" or "too feminine". It represents how I choose to break free from the rigid molds of society. I love breaking the mold. I must even confess that I find it a bit amusing when on occasion a stranger in public struggles to decide how to address me ("sir/madam", etc). I'm me, and that's the only thing I ever want to be.
III
Sometimes I feel I get too caught up in things, too preoccupied with the grind of daily life. I think I sometimes fail to remember what it's all for. I think sometimes I forget to enjoy the moment. I think a huge part of personal growth is just learning to take it all in. Learning to close your eyes and feeling the wind on your face and coursing through your hair. Simply unwind. I think remembering all the small things like that are a large part of healing and moving forward. Healing is the way to growth.
IV
There seems to be a lot of negativity in the air these days, it's seemingly inescapable. It's hard to maintain a positive outlook sometimes. However, it helps to take a look around sometimes. I wake up everyday and I see people doing fantastic things, and I'm willing to bet you might find those people too. If you don't you can always make your own positivity. There are always ways to "spread the light" as I like to call it. Creating positivity in the face of adversity is the only way to remain sane. Even though things might not always be great, do what you can whenever you can to make things better. Again: Do what you can, when you can... that is what is going to save us. That is how we break free from negativity.
