Creating Change
So I volunteered at the Creating Change conference this weekend. Basically it is the nations largest LGBT conference focused on political change for the community. Being someone who feels stuck between mainstream hetero and queer culture, I do my part to find ways to get involved in queer politics because if I had to choose one, I would go with the queer culture.
Anyway, twas nice to be a very very small part of something so huge. I saw some people there that I knew and they were really cool to say hello to and what not. Once again I did very badly at meeting new people. It is kind of hard to do that though. I mean I really wish I was attached to some rad movement. I thought becoming a social worker and working in the HIV/AIDS community would attach me to something. People all the time, upon finding out that I'm a social worker say something like, "That must be really tough work, that is so cool that you do that." When it comes down to it, I'm just a beaurocrat within the system. Granted I'm a "good" beaurocrat, but it doesn't change the basic fact that I am one with the system.
Those out there and organizing outside the system and creating change are the real heros. I don't like it when people tell me what a good person I am for being a social worker cause I do so little. If my life is some huge benevolent thing then this world is fucked cause I am nothing.
But going back to what I was talking about, it is hard to go up to someone who works for a human rights watch organization and advocates at the United Nations level and be like, "Hi, I'm a social worker, I fill out forms and file them. Lets be friends, hehe." Oh well, I'll just keep taking these opportunities to rub elbows with these kinds of people and hopefully something will happen or if nothing else I can die knowing that I was at least tiny help to all these things.
Today I was riding my bike home from the conference which took place in the renaissance center downtown (about 3 miles from my house) and as I turned north onto Cass off of Michigan Ave. the wind hit me. It hit me hard. Basically my bike came to a stand still and I had to put my feet down on the ground unless I wanted to fall over. As soon as one of my feet hit the ground, the wind kept blowing me over. I had to lean really hard into the wind as my bike was being blown sideways below me. I did everything I could to keep myself from falling over. I then walked most of the length of Grand River from Cass to MLK. The wind was really bad and gave me a brain freeze kind of feeling. I felt like I was going to throw up. When I got home I had to lay down on my bed to get rid of the dizy feeling I had. Is that hypothermia? Or maybe I was just hungry. I don't know, but it hurt a little bit.
I get to have lunch with my friend Sarah Marie this Thursday! This is good news. She is a social worker as well, but I have a feeling she is going to be more than a paper pusher like me. She is going to change things for the good. She is really smart and compassionate. She is a great human being, I can't wait to see her.
Also, I may or may not have used business reply mail the other day to send about 2 lbs of metal to a credit card company.
Anyway, twas nice to be a very very small part of something so huge. I saw some people there that I knew and they were really cool to say hello to and what not. Once again I did very badly at meeting new people. It is kind of hard to do that though. I mean I really wish I was attached to some rad movement. I thought becoming a social worker and working in the HIV/AIDS community would attach me to something. People all the time, upon finding out that I'm a social worker say something like, "That must be really tough work, that is so cool that you do that." When it comes down to it, I'm just a beaurocrat within the system. Granted I'm a "good" beaurocrat, but it doesn't change the basic fact that I am one with the system.
Those out there and organizing outside the system and creating change are the real heros. I don't like it when people tell me what a good person I am for being a social worker cause I do so little. If my life is some huge benevolent thing then this world is fucked cause I am nothing.
But going back to what I was talking about, it is hard to go up to someone who works for a human rights watch organization and advocates at the United Nations level and be like, "Hi, I'm a social worker, I fill out forms and file them. Lets be friends, hehe." Oh well, I'll just keep taking these opportunities to rub elbows with these kinds of people and hopefully something will happen or if nothing else I can die knowing that I was at least tiny help to all these things.
Today I was riding my bike home from the conference which took place in the renaissance center downtown (about 3 miles from my house) and as I turned north onto Cass off of Michigan Ave. the wind hit me. It hit me hard. Basically my bike came to a stand still and I had to put my feet down on the ground unless I wanted to fall over. As soon as one of my feet hit the ground, the wind kept blowing me over. I had to lean really hard into the wind as my bike was being blown sideways below me. I did everything I could to keep myself from falling over. I then walked most of the length of Grand River from Cass to MLK. The wind was really bad and gave me a brain freeze kind of feeling. I felt like I was going to throw up. When I got home I had to lay down on my bed to get rid of the dizy feeling I had. Is that hypothermia? Or maybe I was just hungry. I don't know, but it hurt a little bit.
I get to have lunch with my friend Sarah Marie this Thursday! This is good news. She is a social worker as well, but I have a feeling she is going to be more than a paper pusher like me. She is going to change things for the good. She is really smart and compassionate. She is a great human being, I can't wait to see her.
Also, I may or may not have used business reply mail the other day to send about 2 lbs of metal to a credit card company.