Tryna Be a Grown-Up

I have a real problem with a continuing conversation I've been having with someone (let's call him Bob) about this whole COVID-19 thing. And it's pissing me off. In general I've always realized Bob does not share my civic ideals of people coming together for the common good. Instead, he leans toward that whole worry about your own profits and pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality that I detest on a very deep level. Policy is something I'm very interested in and passionate about, and I love hearing about different policy responses to society's pressing questions on sustainable development, education, energy efficiency, immigration reform, health care reform, etc. What I don't love is when we come to a place where we can't agree on what basic human decency is. Let me explain. So here's the crux of the argument: My general thoughts on governmental response to COVID-19 (as a big government liberal) -- The disease is spreading, kudos to the

Here's a rambling blog post about how I suck at building community. And how I break my neck to do things on my own instead of asking for help. I didn't realize this was an issue until about my mid-20s when I was in Peace Corps. Through a lot of self-reflection and journal writing, I realized my priorities were messed up.  Interpersonal relationships are more important than your professional career. (Ok, that doesn't seem like a groundbreaking idea, but back then I was too future-oriented and didn't stop and smell the roses and make friends and do silly things and all that jazz.) When I first arrived in Panama, I thought it was silly for everyone in my community to be confused about why I moved there alone when the rest of my family was in North and South Carolina. While I regret absolutely nothing about moving to Panama and would do it again in a heartbeat--THEY HAVE A FUCKING GOOD POINT. Why didn't I think twice about leaving behind friends, family and community

I wrote this blog post back in December  (2019) when I went to a Shawn Mendes show. Little did I know that'd be my last concert for awhile.  I was supposed to go to a Snoh Aalegra show in San Diego last week (March 2020) but obviously that got cancelled.  Here's the post! So I went to the last show of Shawn Mendes’s world tour, in Mexico City. Yea, I planned my holiday flight itinerary around it, I’m not here to talk about that. What I DO want to start with first and foremost is telling you about how Shawn Mendes really played me right from the jump. I cannot explain the heartbreak I felt when I walked up to the venue at exactly 8:30p, crossed the stadium lot (which was empty since everybody that wasn’t me was smart enough to show up on time), and heard the stadium go apeshit. From the screams I knew that Shawn Mendes had obviously just hit the stage, and I could have gotten over that, except HE OPENED WITH MY FAVORITE SONG. The audacity. By the time I jogged into the stad

It's not a secret that all the cool kids nowadays are switching jobs and careers like shoelaces.  Gone are the days of gettin that good manufacturing job and sticking with it 'till retirement.  First of all those jobs don't exist anymore, but secondly, regarding the comparable, stable jobs that do exist--kids my age are getting bored and our idealism isn't meshing with the concept of coloring inside the lines.  We want to have careers that align with our values and allow us to do some good in the world.  We're also willing to take on some risk in order to achieve that.  We don't have kids, houses, or other assets that create drag on our willingness to drop a good job for something more fulfilling.  We gotta save the planet and like the environment and public health and like voting rights, racial discrimination and homeless or something. #Resist As I look around, I've realized that a lot of my peers are engaged in this hunt right now.  Even as us millennial

Here's a story about my day at work. Today one of the cleaning ladies (who I love and adore) that works at my office struck up some small talk with me, providing me with some sage advice.  (She's 57 years old and I'm 29 so it makes sense.)  We'll call her Martha. Martha's advice was basically to move home and find a husband, because "life isn't all work." We had a short conversation about her stance on this.  Now, I understand where she was coming from.  She meant it from a kind place.  She doesn't want me to grow up alone and lonely, and  because of my job I moved far away from home a couple years ago, and I live by myself.  I'm not angry or offended by what she said, but I am HELLA annoyed and frustrated.  How do you fight that logic? No, life is not all work.  Family and loved ones are important.  But I mean, like I told Martha, I got bills to pay.  (She was like "we all have bills to pay."  But like whaaaat?  Somebody gott

In my old blog I used to keep a running update of what I was reading at the time, so to kick off this blog, here are all the books I've ready so far in 2019 (in the order I finished them).  The underlined ones are the ones I'd recommend: Becoming -- Michelle Obama Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer  -- Kamala Harris Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel -- Tom Wainwright The Dictator's Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy -- William J. Dodson All the President's Men -- Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein Daring Greatly:  How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead --  Brene Brown The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts  -- Gary Chapman We Should All Be Feminists -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower  -- Brittney C. Cooper Americanah -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Homegoing -- Yaa Gyasi Marching Powder: A True Story