When I was younger, other people had to tell me I was good at something before I would believe it. Now I prove it to myself…or I keep working until I feel competent. I was raised in a sheltered homogenous small town environment. I was scared to travel anywhere by myself. So I hopped a…

We are born emerging from the womb, a warmth and comfort we will probably never feel again in our lives. In the first quarter of our life we are exposed to all the elements: cold, hurt, pain, rejection. We slowly but surely build armor around our thin, delicate skin…scales of protection against the harsh reality…

I run out of the house at full speed, screen door slamming behind me. I am off to the races, meeting some neighborhood buddies to play some pick-up basketball. After a game of two-on-two with my sister and a couple of brothers who live three doors down from us, we go bike-riding…girls on the back…

When we are young we are an open field, running, jumping, frolicking even. Laughing and trusting, bouncing and gliding. After that first heartbreak, whether a parent or a love or even a friend, those first bricks are laid, building a barrier between self and pain. A tentative laugh and yet still a willingness to go…

Once I was a young girl Dreaming of my future It looked a lot like the lives of my parents Teacher, four kids, a loud and chaotic house. Love and promise, nothing gray and ugly. I transformed into a woman Somewhat confused My reality looking nothing like what I was promised in my head. Not…

I attended a discussion forum tonight entitled “Vectors of Violence: Persecution and Complacency in Nazi Germany and the Great Plains.” The discussion featured several scholars in various fields of study including the removal of Native American tribes (specifically the Cheyenne) from Unites Sates territories, the Holocaust, and immigration policy in America today. A discussant response…

Why are people afraid of confrontation? If you hold any principles at all, you are going to piss off some people. Your views threaten their way of life, you see. You confront their fears and their illusions. You make their bubbles disappear until they are vulnerable and naked. You see, if you don’t speak up,…

We sit across from each other, outside in the warm, blazing sun. Beautiful brown waffles and cheesy layered omelets sit in front of us. The conversation is always good, chatting about everything random and fun. I’m engaged with him, interested in what he has to say…still curious. Friendships are funny, they happen unexpectedly. There is…

I had an amazing coffee date today with a similar soul. We were discussing our paths and journeys towards enlightenment and our purpose here on this Earth. Our conversation got around to the feminist movement at one point, and my friend expressed that she wasn’t fully on board with it because she felt there was…

I walk up to the cold iron bar Standing over it, hot and sweating Feet planted, looking straight ahead The burden of putting this over my head weighs on me.   Burdens are illusory. We perceive heaviness that isn’t really there. All that is required to get that weight out of the way is practice…

Every time I attempt to write about politics, what I want to write about is love. Love is the reason I care about politics. To me, our politics are representative of our morals and beliefs. There is no bigger forum with which to take a stand than on how policy affects people. Republicans and Democrats…