I miss that about being faculty. There was more freedom to say “this is what I stand for” in my job, surprisingly.

How quickly we scrub out the things we used to say were “core values” …it makes me wonder what’s gonna happen to the DEI mission statement I wrote for the psych department.

(11) The dandelions who continue to grow in cracks despite all efforts to weed them out.

And today, I am feeling quite yellow.

(10) It is the color of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and the descent of a woman into madness in a world of societal and professional oppression (thank you, my English teachers).

It’s also the color of dandelions, who have my smile… and who will keep it until I can find it again.

(9) I don’t know why it hurt so much to remove a simple statement in my email.

My values are the same. I still do the work of kindness. But something feels so deeply stupid and petty about making me change my email.

Did you know yellow is the color of madness?

(8) Call it DEI. Call it social justice. Call it whatever. At the end of the day, I call it “being a kind person.”

Yet we politicize and twist the roots into words that are to be scorned: Diversity. Equity. Inclusion.

When at the root, it’s kindness.

(7) I was followed by trucks who told me to leave a country I was born in. (And why is it always dudes in TRUCKS?? Why not a van, or a jeep??)

Which is why my values are so deeply rooted in making people feel 👏welcomed, 👏included, and like they 👏fit in somewhere.

(6) Being a nerd… gay… a child of immigrants… I was almost always an outcast.

Hell, my friends literally made fun of me with words like “Ching 🎶 Chong 🎶 Chang a Chang 🎶”.

I was bullied and whispers followed me in the halls for being gay.

(5) Yet… it feels like a spell has been cast keeping our hearts apart. Keeping us angry and hurt and believing the worst of our neighbors.

I felt it deeply as I was nicely ordered to replace my email sig with a statement that feels like fake sugar.

(4) And it’s stupid this is the thing that tips it for me, but here we are!

There are such deep divides between us as Americans… over things that we should not be divided on. When talking to Republican friends, we actually share a LOT more in common than not.

(3) I replaced it with something “tamer” without the forbidden words of DEI. It’s almost the same, but not…

I’ve been asked a lot lately if I’m okay. And I keep saying I am…

“Yeah. yeah. 👍 I’m ok. Good!👍 I’m doing good. I’m OK.” 👍

But I’m no longer sure I am.

(2)Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
I am committed to helping all kids and teens access opportunities that change their lives for the better – regardless of their socio-economic status, gender identity, color of their skin, or other factors that contribute to inequity or prejudice today.

And the fact is, when you look under the hood of life, you see amazing complexity. It’s like gazing into a sea of stars.

Biological sex is like that—a more complex tapestry than just XX, XY, or punnet squares.

There’s always more to know about life and that applies to gender too.

100%! For every 1 post I see from friends, I see like 5 ads or posts from “groups I might like”.

And I miss seeing more from just my friends. Their little joys and life moments or current frustrations. It felt more like a community.

(4) I could use less of the “force fed food” and “Jason why you so fat? You need to exercise more!” 😅 but it’s her. It’s part of her culture and part of her trauma.

It’s her saying “I want you to be happy.”

So, thank you mom. I’ve missed you too. And hope to see you more.

(3) And woe befall you if you say “yeah I liked that” because more orders of it are going in and put straight on your plate 😭 or in a to go box “for later”