On Anxiety and Speaking Up

[Image Description: Photo is in black and white and shows a tight close-up of two hands. No other part of the person is visible, but you can see a watch on one of their wrists. One of their hands is closed in a loose fist over the tip of the index finger on their other hand, suggesting a feeling of fidgeting and apprehension.]

You speak with volume and determination. Your tone does not waver.
My voice is quiet. My words stick and stumble, stop and start.

You stand with confidence. Your body language is bold, fearless.
I close up outside-in. My shoulders want to sink into my heart.

You betray no doubts in yourself. Your words are facts, jammed
close together – no room for dissent.
My mind is doubts and questions and worries. Every thought and
feeling is examined, dissected, put back together a thousand different
ways.

Your face does not blush. Your body does not sweat.
Sweat slides down my arms, pools in my palms. My face is burning.

You are a leader.
I still have a voice.

(Photo: Copyright -Taro cc // Unaltered)

First Blog Post: What’s This All About?

Hello! Thanks for checking out my blog!

I’ve been wanting to jump on the blog bandwagon for months, because writing has always been a natural form of expression for me. Pretty recently, I’ve realized that I have a lot of stuff I want to talk about, and that’s when I got the idea to start this thing.

So, what exactly is this all about?

Basically, I want this to be a space where I can share my thoughts and hear what others think. I would love this to become a respectful community open to dialogue and discussion – and where, hopefully, we can learn from each other’s perspectives. A huge focus of my life right now is trying to be the best ally I can to causes that I care deeply about, and I want to use this blog to not only participate in the online community of advocacy, but also to continue learning about what being a good ally means by engaging with other people.