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 th...