As the new year begins, I am thinking ahead to the start of my fellowship and all the ways it may change things in my life. I have met again with folks from the Regional Internship Center in order to get further acquainted and also to get a better idea about what it will be like to work with them. I met with Mad over dinner last week and she asked some really tough questions. I'm talking more and writing more and reflecting more...
I can more clearly now the scope of this project, how the missions of Coro Pittsburgh, the Regional Internship Center, the Initiative for Transgender Leadership are all wrapped up in my own mission now. This is not just a 10 month job to get me through. Here is a chance to do all that self-work and more I doubted I could do. Here is a chance to ally myself with a lot of people doing a lot of good work. All those goals and big ideas that have been clattering around in my head for some time might now get a chance to take center stage.
Michael Baltzer at the RIC asked me a great question when we met a few weeks ago: Where do I see myself and the ITL fitting into the RIC? Why here? Why now? I shared my own questions about how it would be to be more fully out on the job than I have ever been before. Being so out has great potential to initiate discussion and bolster the RIC's and its parent organization Coro Pittsburgh's missions.
So--why here? Why now? I think it helps that I am so excited about being in Pittsburgh now. I see myself as a part of this community--as a queer person, as a young person, as someone who votes, as a part-time farmer, as someone who cares about social justice and environmental issues, etc. This fellowship is one avenue by which I can serve all of these communities and all the parts of myself.
I see many themes emerging as this project moves forward: community, meaningful work, being one's whole self, commitment to diversity, "talking through it", why here? why now?, telling our stories, solidarity & support.
I like where this is going...
--Rayden
Great post, Rayden. I like that you are thinking about thinking. (I'm also wondering what "really tough questions" Mad asked ;-)
ReplyDeleteYour description of the various communities to which you belong, i.e. young, queer, voter, part-time farmer, etc. reminded me of Lee Harrington's notion that we are all complex, multi-faceted ecosystems and if we look around us, we can recognize the many possibilities for interstitial collaboration. He wrote an essay about this at: http://passionandsoul.com/audio/growing-flowers .
I look forward to reading more on this blog and learning how your internship progresses!
Briana
Thank you for recommending this article! I read it the other night and thought it was amazing. Would like to write something about it soon...Also--I recognized Lee's name and then realized we met in Baltimore a few years ago. Very cool!
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