It's Been A While, 2020

Yep, I took a Six-month Hiatus from Blogging*

I'm writing this from my dining room table, and it's nearing the end of October. Which means the last time I blogged was in April. Normally I would advise that you should have a minimum of at least one blog post per month if you launch a blog. You want to maintain a regular cadence for your readers and build trust with them through regular posts. Normally. However, this year has proven to be anything BUT normal! So I'm giving myself the grace to pick things up where I left them despite the lapse in time.

Where do I begin? We continued through the challenges of COVID-19 this past spring, hunkered down, started wearing masks, life ebbed. And then it flowed again, and all of a sudden, the novel Coronavirus became a political tool in which far too many people started thinking this whole pandemic is a hoax! Some believe herd immunity is the way, not considering the vast number of lives that will be lost to gain said immunity. And mask-wearing became an "infringement on rights" to some individuals that make excuses for why they can’t wear masks, despite the science proving that mask-wearing does reduce the spread and severity of the disease. People don't like wearing masks because they don't want to be uncomfortable, and ultimately this requires a change. And to change, you have to accept and admit the reality and be willing to adapt to move forward and evolve. So here we are, it's now fall, and it looks like masks are here to stay for the next while because our country has not been able to control it.

And speaking of change, racial injustice has finally reached a precipice. This past summer, we became more aware of the everyday injustices of being Black in America. I support Black Lives Matter because I believe that Black Lives Matter. Personally, it's been a time of learning and unlearning all the things you think you know and understand about the history of slavery in the U.S., based on what we are taught in the current education system. My dad has always said that "history is made by those who write it." Isn't that the truth!?! It makes me stop and question everything I've read about history, the art of storytelling, and the harmful effects of propaganda. I'm doing my best to listen and learn. Some of the books I'm listening to on Audible include: You Can't Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum, and In Search of Black History with Bonnie Greer.

And now, here we are, two weeks before our next Presidential election. And I can't remember a time in my voting life, which is half my life, in which an election meant so much. Thinking back, my first date with my husband was over tacos at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Denver, and it was election night 2012. As two young 20-something minorities, we were so excited about Obama's reelection and felt the energy of hope that his Presidency exuded. This year, I am happy to share that I have already voted. I think The Everygirl Media Group did a great job of summarizing viewpoints that align with my own and the candidates I support: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, "be the change that you wish to see in the world." The thing about change is that we have to realize it's going to be uncomfortable. I learned the comfortable vs. uncomfortable lesson from a yoga instructor I had in Denver almost ten years ago named Ben. Ben was always pushing us to expand our limits in class, and he has been one of the best teachers I've had to help me connect my mind to my body. I distinctly remember feeling discomfort during one of the many plank positions he'd have us flow into in class, and him equating the discomfort of holding that position to the discomforts in life, the challenging moments when you want to collapse and give up. Mentally if you can stay focused and push through, you'll realize that you have it in you all along to hold a plank for five minutes.

If you've made it this far, thanks for catching up on my blog from my POV. Stay healthy, safe, and if you haven't already, get out and vote.

Best,