Today not only marks Pride Festival and dancing and a big party for me and my LGBT friends and family and myself it also marks 6 months of being graduated from college. I had a B average in college and a 3.45 in my major after spending 14.5 years and 9 summers part-time. In addition to being gay (OK mostly there is still 10 percent or less of straightness in me), gender non-conforming (I love pink and purple and do my nails and other items often I am in pink and purple and wearing lipstick right now as well as hair spray), I also have autism, depression, anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar, ADD and ADHD tendencies, the HLA gene, chronic knee and ankle pain, 2 food intolerances, and 15 different allergies. So yes I have had to overcome quite a bit to have 6 months of post-graduate life because of all the hardships to graduate. Keeping this in mind, here are 4 lessons after six months that make me learn what I need to do to stay happy, healthy, and fabulous:
1) therapy is important: I have had two types of therapy- at the gym 3-4 times a week for physical therapy which I only took one week off of and therapy with my counselor which I have done pretty much weekly for several years. Having the gym community and the counselor has been literally a life-saver: if I wasn't with these people and the arena of these things I would most likely be dead. I have also used bestie therapy quite a bit as Jason (Jessie), Camilla, Mona, Alexis, Alex, Kathy, Shannon, Christine, Sadera, Zech, Desta, Roberto, Kiran, and several others have springboarded to make myself even better situation than I was. I am grateful for my friends and support system and have also used acupuncture, chiropractor, massage, will start doing manicures more often, and have been genuinely appreciative of all the people in my life such as my essential oil dealer and my support broker that have made my life even better.
2) finances don't get easier without college activity payments: I am still struggling with finances and often live Social Security Adult Disabled Child Benefits paycheck to paycheck and struggle to find a way to live better off of that and my work paycheck I often have a less than ideal and extravagant lifestyle which is sometimes a bit compromised with what I make. This is kind of an issue and I genuinely look forward to saying no to hanging out with friends because I can't afford it and have dinner at home. I genuinely am appreciative of people in my life and am trying to take care of myself and still enjoy life. It is a delicate balance and one that I am learning which takes a lifelong commitment.
3) Safety is amplified living downtown: I live between downtown and Hyde Park and it is a bit amplified safety wise living down there. I have had a homeless woman sleeping just barely outside for a few days, a pimp and his hoe (sorry that is technically what it's called) walk by my complex and have my support circle the block to make sure I was more or less safe, a person knock on my door at 4 in the morning, and have had a psychotic breakdown from a neighbor who was complaining about the Mormon Militia as well as a verbally aggressive homeless man by Albertsons' and that is all since the beginning of April. Yes it is a bit safer off of Fort or Hill or Hays but BUS access isn't as great so there are trade-offs and I have had solid safety training lately. So I guess even without a sign I can be successful.
4) As an advocate you are going to have haters: there are plenty of people who don't like me. Shocking but true. I am one of the nicest people you will ever meet and way genuine but I am an opinionated punk and I am an advocate for the LGBT community, the environment, the poor, the homeless, the refugees, and the disabled which I am sure (not even being totally cocky here) that no one in Boise's recent history helps the disabled more than me. I am the Vice-Chair of the Council, a recent Partner's graduate, a Special Olympics Intern, on the safety committee, helping with the Democratic Party, my churches, the ACLU, and possibly more at the Rescue Mission and Youth Ranch and donate to the Pride Foundation, the Youth Ranch, the United Way, the Mission, the Metropolitian Community Church and Southminster, the Y, Special Olympics, the Womens' and Children's Alliance and other places when I can. This is the life of an advocate and a way to continue to make my voice heard and yes I do go to Lucky Dog and the Balcony. As all of this is true there is a lot of controversy and a lot of people who aren't sure what they think (and being tall and parts of plenty of marginalized groups doesn't help either) we all have to consider that we are genuinely a part of this world and while part of the controversy comes from christians I am one of the strongest Christians I know and a caring individual but the controversy that comes from being a cause champion is a bit dicey when it comes to being loved by some due to the connotations.
So these are some of the things I have learned. I will do a health blog on hiking on Friday next week and will do another AutBott blog after I have come back from Alaska. Look forward to a health bog biweekly and AutBott and ProBottIantern monthly. I am not going away anytime soon. Have a fabulous day!
