personal - be the future (Page 2)

cropped photo of a wall in Palestine with graffiti that reads "walls are meant for climbing," "land back / turtle island / pa

personal

playing favorites 2023

we're all supposed to try

the castro theater in San Francisco, California

personal

pride and liberation

I still remember the afternoon of the day I came out as gay. There were rumors floating around my family. A few of my friends had guessed the truth before that night, but I denied it was true. That afternoon I felt terrified. I spent years hiding who I was.

personal

Pete

I’m allergic to cats. Maybe I never told you. When I went to the animal shelter the day we met, I actually met with two separate cats before you and your sister. The first cat, an older longhaired gentleman, set me off sneezing immediately. I lasted a few minutes

a statue of Buddha from Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka

personal

moment of zen

I’m a Buddhist. It’s a pretty new development for me! I grew up Catholic but I was never very good at it. I’ve spent the last 20+ years as an atheist, and to some extent I still am. I started meditating a few years ago to help

an aisle between two shelves of books at the seattle public library

personal

playing favorites 2022

we are made for these times

a group of penguins hangs out in a zoo habitat

personal

looking future 2022

What a year 2022 was. I launched my own business! I got covid and the flu. My grandmother and then my cat Waffles passed away. I’ve gotten older and hopefully a little wiser. I’ve found myself coming into a new form of power. I noticed this year that

a brown tabby cat looking at the camera upside-down on a blue bed

personal

Waffles

I often tell the story about the first time we met. We brought you into the viewing room at the shelter and your brother immediately flopped on the floor for cuddles. You, new to the room, looked around with wide eyes and ignored us until you got your bearings. I

a box of salt wrapped in an old advertisement

personal

leveling up

A few years ago I read an article about how friends develop and strengthen their bonds. University of Kansas professor Jeffrey Hall described this in his study from 2018. Two people spend about 50 hours together to become more than acquaintances. These casual friends can spend 90 hours together to

footprints in the snow on a city sidewalk

personal

aging gracefully

It feels great to be back and writing! I celebrated a milestone birthday earlier this month. I won’t say which decade I turned because I’m modest. That said, if anyone guesses “50” then I will be very distraught for a few hours. Over the last few weeks I

squares of farmland in central idaho as seen from a plane

personal

why you'd want to live here

I grew up on the outskirts of a medium-sized town in central Texas. Where I lived, Austin felt to me like the biggest, coolest city around. The underdeveloped suburbs might not count as rural for everyone. I didn’t live on a farm, but I did spend a lot of

streaks of clouds in a blue and orange sky at dusk. train tracks are barely visible beneath the treeline.

personal

when it comes for you

I got covid last weekend. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little afraid. There’s a personalization to the virus when covid is circulating in your own body. Still, I have health insurance and access to care. I have a loving spouse who

a closeup photo of Harpa, a performing arts center in Reykjavic with a honeycomb-like window design

personal

Heartstopper and the interlocking layers of belonging

This week I finished season 1 of Heartstopper, a new series from Netflix. The leads are two boys: Charlie is nerdy, shy, constantly apologetic, and gay. Nick is popular, a year older that Charlie, great at rugby, and appears to be straight. Over the course of eight episodes, they meet,