let it snow!
"When it rains, it pours"
NWS has issued a winter weather warning: 5-10 inches of snow are predicted for the next 24 hours or so. classes might be cancelled classes might be cancelled classes might be cancelled! and meetings, too! It's Keiko's birthday this month (she's turning 8!). At the moment she's laying in my lap, purring and getting pet a lot. Finally I've begun to feel better; I think it helps that last night I was able to sleep. I actually went to classes and meetings today; it wasn't so bad. And I didn't miss nearly as much as I thought I had.
This afternoon I had a meeting with the new LGBT Taskforce (name to be changed in the next month or so!) The meeting rocked. My contact, Michael, who informed me of the group is such an awesome guy. Incredibly positive person with a kick ass sense of humour. Normally going into something I'm a little hesitant, unconfident, etc. But I barely had a moment of those feelings -and partially because he was so welcoming; he treated me like an old friend. I think part of my achieved comfort level also came from having previous experiences -in Vermont; while there I didn't always have complete confidence in my voice. It was only towards the end that I began speaking up more. It appears that I've continued to grown some. There was also a womyn there who was in Womyn's Lit with me last year; hoorah, another feminist! This was only the second meeting, so we talked some about mission goals and a mission statement. I was actually asked to draft a mission statement, incorporating the goals we discussed. It's a good exercise for me, as an english major. We also talked some about the community and networking...problems with ignorance and receptivity. It sounds like we've had respective experiences in regards to acceptance and prejudice... The point is that there's room for improvement. I think that's where the group comes in. It's all very ground level at the moment. In fact, it doesn't sound as though this group will be at all permanent...but pave the way for a more permanent group/organization in the community. We need to start somewhere in order to get federal grants..set up a support group. Michael keeps promising that there are tons of queers in the community; they're just "coming out of the woodwork". We just need a place to unify..
My thought the past few years has been that if there was some good reason for me to stay in Manitowoc-something to get involved in, politically, I would be happy to stay. I could achieve some sense of fulfilment and contentedness. Moving back here felt like a step backwards, and has felt and been, in many instances, steps backwards. And I've actively looked for ways out of here. I struggle being here, and maybe I always will. But getting involved with this group now is such a good thing and it's what I would look for anywhere else. Being involved with it here, though, actually adds an element of meaning to it for me. This is the first of it's kind for this town and being involved from the ground, as it starts, sparks the possibility for so many good experiences. I keep thinking..if I hadn't enrolled at SLC, if I hadn't been told about the class Michael was guestspeaking at, if I hadn't gone to that class, if I hadn't contacted him afterwards, if he hadn't contacted me about the group.. -It's a mini-series of events..reminding me that some things happen for a reason.
NWS has issued a winter weather warning: 5-10 inches of snow are predicted for the next 24 hours or so. classes might be cancelled classes might be cancelled classes might be cancelled! and meetings, too! It's Keiko's birthday this month (she's turning 8!). At the moment she's laying in my lap, purring and getting pet a lot. Finally I've begun to feel better; I think it helps that last night I was able to sleep. I actually went to classes and meetings today; it wasn't so bad. And I didn't miss nearly as much as I thought I had.
This afternoon I had a meeting with the new LGBT Taskforce (name to be changed in the next month or so!) The meeting rocked. My contact, Michael, who informed me of the group is such an awesome guy. Incredibly positive person with a kick ass sense of humour. Normally going into something I'm a little hesitant, unconfident, etc. But I barely had a moment of those feelings -and partially because he was so welcoming; he treated me like an old friend. I think part of my achieved comfort level also came from having previous experiences -in Vermont; while there I didn't always have complete confidence in my voice. It was only towards the end that I began speaking up more. It appears that I've continued to grown some. There was also a womyn there who was in Womyn's Lit with me last year; hoorah, another feminist! This was only the second meeting, so we talked some about mission goals and a mission statement. I was actually asked to draft a mission statement, incorporating the goals we discussed. It's a good exercise for me, as an english major. We also talked some about the community and networking...problems with ignorance and receptivity. It sounds like we've had respective experiences in regards to acceptance and prejudice... The point is that there's room for improvement. I think that's where the group comes in. It's all very ground level at the moment. In fact, it doesn't sound as though this group will be at all permanent...but pave the way for a more permanent group/organization in the community. We need to start somewhere in order to get federal grants..set up a support group. Michael keeps promising that there are tons of queers in the community; they're just "coming out of the woodwork". We just need a place to unify..
My thought the past few years has been that if there was some good reason for me to stay in Manitowoc-something to get involved in, politically, I would be happy to stay. I could achieve some sense of fulfilment and contentedness. Moving back here felt like a step backwards, and has felt and been, in many instances, steps backwards. And I've actively looked for ways out of here. I struggle being here, and maybe I always will. But getting involved with this group now is such a good thing and it's what I would look for anywhere else. Being involved with it here, though, actually adds an element of meaning to it for me. This is the first of it's kind for this town and being involved from the ground, as it starts, sparks the possibility for so many good experiences. I keep thinking..if I hadn't enrolled at SLC, if I hadn't been told about the class Michael was guestspeaking at, if I hadn't gone to that class, if I hadn't contacted him afterwards, if he hadn't contacted me about the group.. -It's a mini-series of events..reminding me that some things happen for a reason.