I first heard of Juneteenth in 2015, when I was working at a YMCA that served one of the most racially diverse zip codes in Washington state—and one of its most impoverished. I couldn’t believe that I had lived in this country for twenty-five years and never known the full story of how the institutionContinue reading “Decolonizing My Bookshelf”
Tag Archives: freedom
Write Like Hell
The last few weeks have been tumultuous in this country, in my circle of friends, in my own life. After a major political upset on Election Night, many are worried about the direction we’re headed in — and rightly so. We’ve elected a man with disturbing authoritarian leanings; who believes dissent should be punished andContinue reading “Write Like Hell”
Day Three: Pirates of the Oregon Trail
The open road is synonymous with freedom. If you have wheels, you can go anywhere you want. The further I get from Arizona, the more free I feel. Not to say that I felt trapped in Flagstaff, but going somewhere new on my own is extraordinarily liberating. The stresses are miles in the rear viewContinue reading “Day Three: Pirates of the Oregon Trail”
The Last Full Measure of Devotion
My grandfather spent two weeks in the military during WWII, during which he passed out during drills and battled a mysterious illness in the infirmary before being discharged. Before him, I had a great-grandfather and a great-grand uncle who served in the trenches of WWI. On my father’s side, my uncle Greg served in VietnamContinue reading “The Last Full Measure of Devotion”