Biannual Updating..
I haven't been journaling at all for the past six months while I adapted to my new job and began exploring social networking via facebook. I really missed the process and benefit of taking the time to document my thoughts and capture portions of my life so this is to serve as a reboot of that habit.
For the past six months I've been employed by the wonderful people at Wingspan, Southern Arizona's LGBT Community Center as a Youth Outreach Specialist working with the 13-23 year old participants in their Eon Youth Center. It has been absolutely wonderful, inspiring, invigorating, and reassuring that often when you step into the dark of the unknown that you won't be failed by gravity and the earth beneath you.
There's been so many amazing moments in the past six months. Many of these revolve around the incredible strength and resiliency of the youth themselves. Watching them proudly and confidently establish their identities and creating a presence in their communities is an absolute joy to behold. To be involved in helping create those moments is an absolute honor.
To say that I work with the most principled, hard-working, committed, and positive professionals in my career doesn't begin to cover the depth of their knowledge, wisdom, and dedication. While participating in our staff retreat last Friday it suddenly struck me that in that room was perhaps the broadest swath of experience, culture, passion, and diversity amongst any organization I've ever seen. Together we represent and reflect a substantial portion of our communities and all of us come to the table with our passions and knowledge intertwined with a strident activist spirit that springs from those diverse roots.
Every day I head into the center I am struck by how very 'right' it feels for me to be here. That last time I experienced such a profound confirmation of a choice well made was when I was accepted as a volunteer at an agency that would become my employer for nearly 15 years. I remember knowing that I had something to offer and I that along with what I could give I would also take away invaluable exposure and direct knowledge.
There's some exciting news that forthcoming which only serves to confirm my enthusiasm for my work and my future at Wingspan but for tonight I have to hold off on documenting that until it's been made public. Meanwhile I need to get to bed, I have a big week ahead of me.
For the past six months I've been employed by the wonderful people at Wingspan, Southern Arizona's LGBT Community Center as a Youth Outreach Specialist working with the 13-23 year old participants in their Eon Youth Center. It has been absolutely wonderful, inspiring, invigorating, and reassuring that often when you step into the dark of the unknown that you won't be failed by gravity and the earth beneath you.
There's been so many amazing moments in the past six months. Many of these revolve around the incredible strength and resiliency of the youth themselves. Watching them proudly and confidently establish their identities and creating a presence in their communities is an absolute joy to behold. To be involved in helping create those moments is an absolute honor.
To say that I work with the most principled, hard-working, committed, and positive professionals in my career doesn't begin to cover the depth of their knowledge, wisdom, and dedication. While participating in our staff retreat last Friday it suddenly struck me that in that room was perhaps the broadest swath of experience, culture, passion, and diversity amongst any organization I've ever seen. Together we represent and reflect a substantial portion of our communities and all of us come to the table with our passions and knowledge intertwined with a strident activist spirit that springs from those diverse roots.
Every day I head into the center I am struck by how very 'right' it feels for me to be here. That last time I experienced such a profound confirmation of a choice well made was when I was accepted as a volunteer at an agency that would become my employer for nearly 15 years. I remember knowing that I had something to offer and I that along with what I could give I would also take away invaluable exposure and direct knowledge.
There's some exciting news that forthcoming which only serves to confirm my enthusiasm for my work and my future at Wingspan but for tonight I have to hold off on documenting that until it's been made public. Meanwhile I need to get to bed, I have a big week ahead of me.