To Make A Difference

What really concerns me is the spiritual question. How do you go through an experience like this from a spiritual standpoint? Do we stick our head in the sand? Do we hide in therapist's offices? Do we play iPods with wind chimes and flutes and chants -- until we drown out reallity? Do we meditate until we find Samadhi? Do we throw back a handful of Prozac, or alcohol cocktails, or smoke medicinal marijuana all day? Do we lose ourselves in Torah or in religious ecstasy? Do we find sexual partners and do nest-building?

Or do we speak out on behalf of creating a safer, healthier community for us all?

If we speak out, won't others tear us down? Won't we inspire jealousy from the Old Guard Lefties and Handlers and Allies?

How do we speak out in ways that really educate, and in ways that provide tools to shape our independence, and build community, and perhaps shed some of those who make their living off us not with us?

And on a personal note, what does any of this have to do with meditation or Yoga, or any of the other things I really care about? For me, this advocacy can sometimes feel like a real intrusion, and in some ways, I can feel trapped into viewing it as a waste of my time on this earth.

I start to think, I just want to minimize this time suck, and focus on more meaningful things.

On the other hand, I find meaning in this. I'm not here to vent, nor to do self-analysis, nor to power-trip. I'm not here to embarass anyone, or to harm anyone.

I'm here to make a difference.

It's my aim to contribute. It's my purpose to help teach about the subtle, yet institutionalized forms of disablism, prejudice, ignorance, imbalance of power, psychological aggression, bullying, internet bullying, relational aggression, enabling, jealousy, competition for resources or competition to become "the voice" of the community, especially as found among the LGBT community, the spiritual community, the healing community, the disability community, the political left, and our allies.

My goal is to empower each other to overcome it.