As I have been immersed in this city, I am learning so much about myself. I know it is the place where I need to be at this point in my life. I love the fast-paced life. I love how I can be myself with out the stares and the blatant judgement. I am so thankful to God that I am here. Being in Oxford, I am so stifled, so oppressed and so uncomfortable. I love being uncomfortable, because it keeps me from becoming complacent. It keeps grounded and keen on the things that matter most in life.
Each day I go to work, I love it more and more! My supervisor is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I love her so much! She is teaching me so much and a daily inspiration to me. She is so fearless. More than that she is a mentor to me on how we can serve the world better. She's a constant reminder that we need to more and more inclusive to ALL people. We have just finished our Women & Leadership Retreat and it was great. I think the women really loved it, and I have heard wonderful things from the staff who staffed the retreat. Kudos to the Diversity & Operations department. :) Also I think the highlight of my job up until now was going to the Senate Hearing in Maryland for Marriage Equality. It was a blast! Seeing the Senators drill the opposition just made my day, because majority of them did not make sense. Below is the message that I shared with one of my supervisors within the Diversity department:
Donna,
First off, I would like to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to witness yesterday. It was an amazing experience! Just being within the Senate Hearing made me happy. Watching the many allies wear their “Marylanders for Marriage Equality” sticker also delighted my heart.
I think what I learned most from the Hearing, though we have people in opposition of us, there are so many allies out there - so much support. You do not find this often in Mississippi. There were so many people from all facets of life who came out to support the Civil Marriage Protection Act. The governor himself even supports the bill. That made my heart smile.
I think the most compelling thing about the Hearing was hearing everyone’s story. Just listening to some of the people’s stories made me cry. In some of the stories I could hear my own story. That for me was the most compelling and most liberating.
As for the opposition, it only affirmed in my mind that most of their arguments were very fallacious. Many of them were irrational, discriminatory, and very bitter. And most of all, I feel for them. Looking and those people made me think that by them being in opposition, they were oppressing someone’s friend, someone’s family or even their own.
Again Donna, I truly thank you so much for the wonderful experience! It served as a beacon of hope in my life, and so I thank you so much!
Warmest regards,
Ray Mays
Diversity Intern
Human Rights Campaign
Classes are going well. I love the professors, and I am even enjoying the pop quizzes that Professor Anklam keeps me on my Washington new segment. It makes me more aware about the world. Kudos to him. Professor Clark's class is also interesting. I love his lectures, and most of all I'm happy that he doesn't use too much jargon.
The miscellaneous things that are going on in my life: well Susan Follet, an author who wrote a book entitled "The Fog Machine" wants me to read her book because I won the Student Diversity Award. I feel so honored. I accepted her invitation and I want the rest of the group to join with me to read her book. As for the group there is so much drama going on... Enough said. The is a love triangle going on, there's room mate conflict, and people are cheating on their love one's. I need not to go on. Anyway, as for things in my life, they are getting better and better as time go on.
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