Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A Short Reprise of D.C.


When the wind starts blowin' from the east to the west, maybe you'll be who I like best!

Tomorrow I mark a short adventure to D.C. for the Planned Parenthood Youth Initiative Conference. I've been invited to speak on a panel to talk about what it means to be a young person talking to people of power, and what it means to be an advocate. Basically, I'm going to be telling my story, and relating it to these students that anyone can do this! For me, it all stated with being provoked, and then I just couldn't stop! Whether it's talking to people who are trying to shift the balance of power, or when I want to do the shifting, I find I am empowered by my own sense of being and identity to clearly articulate myself; that's all it is!


The people that make me most nervous to talk to are people that it's most inconvenient to harbor those feelings for: prospective friends and folks I think look interesting. Someone inevitably tells me I'm "so outgoing", but I always had the sense that I'm pretty shy -- it's always such a huge leap for me to start a conversation. But golly, when I get started... You can attest to that!

Speaking of people who can talk your ear off, I'm cultivating an appreciation for limits and boundaries by working at GLSEN. Some people want us to save the world! Some people just don't seem to care. Some people just want to be fair. We just want to have a good time (while making schools safer for all students regardless of sexual orienation and gender identity/expression)! As people begin to ask us for more than we can chew, I become very aware that even the beheamouth that is GLSEN has limits to what it can do. Like any entity, there are just certain things that are beyond it's means. I wonder about myself: What is beyond my means?

My day was filled with wandering around the lower east side with a possee of friends and aquaintences. We eventually made our way to the Highrise Park, which is an above ground park! They converted an old railway to a greenspace, and I'm absolutely impressed.

I came home today and had a good long chat with Ron about all sorts of things. It was very relaxed, but I am happy to hear that my perfect old-lady friend is far from perfect; I like to hear that people who are beyond friendly and hospitable do have some "quirks" of their own that other people deal with. I'm especially interested in how she treats women, her daughter -- Weezie --, and what her dynamic was when she was younger. As I understand it, there's a lot to know about.

Other than that, I have manuevered myself out of Marie's apartment into a lovely place in Brooklyn. I wont tell where out of respect for the even lovlier person who has helped set this up for me (she's a saint!), but I will say that my comfort level is already rising! I haven't seen a cat in NYC at all until I saw her cat, and I didn't want to stop petting it! I miss my cats, and today I spoke on the phone with my dog.

CONRAD'S MUST-DO'S:
** STAND OUTSIDE THE CENTER AND MAKE MORE FRIENDS.
** MAKE A SOUTHERN MEAL WHEN YOU'RE FEELING TIRED OF ETHNIC CUISINE.
** REMAIN POSITIVE WHEN THINGS SEEM INSURMOUNTABLE.

CONRAD'S MUST-NOT'S:
** WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO PACK.
** BUY/DRINK RASBERRY SODA (UNLESS YOU LOVE COUGH SYRUP).
** DWELL ON HOW AWFUL A PERSON IS.

1 comment:

  1. Conrad, I loved this post. It was very powerful to read about how someone learns to rise above problems and advocate for others. About how you figure out what you can do and what isn't realistic. I hate to gush, and I don't want to embarrass you, but I think it takes a lot of courage to do what you are doing.

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