If ALM, BLM.

It is 100% a privilege, especially right now, to be able to take a break.

I’ve spent the last few weeks going to protests, having uncomfortable conversations and really making an effort to listen, specifically to BIPOC voices and those of people with different opinions than me.

I’ve tried to be more open about my sexuality (I’m bi/pan) and my religion, or lack thereof (I’m an atheist) because I believe honest discussions begin with vulnerability and an open mind.

I’ve also listened to people, specifically online, whose “listening,” turned out to be trolling, and I’ve hit my personal limit on listening with an open mind, speaking without name-calling or “foul language,” (Although I’m not personally offended by curse words, in general) and still getting xenophobic hate speech in return.

I’m here to say:

~ Be tolerant, but don’t waste your energy where it isn’t healthy/productive.

~ Be kind, but don’t feel obligated to be a watered down version of yourself.

~ Listen openly, but be aware of those who just wait for their turn to speak.

~ Call people out for bigotry/hatred, but also evaluate your own contribution to the problem.

Black Lives Matter is not a political statement. It’s an acknowledgement that human lives (Yes, all of them) matter, and some of them are being ended by the police because of the color of their skin (No, not all cops are bad; see Chris Rock’s pilot analogy).

If you’re white, you have privilege (myself included). Full stop. Please don’t use it to support white supremacy.

tl;dr: Take care of yourself and your neighbors. I’m taking a break from social media to recharge (Hate speech is draining), but I’ll be back. BLM.

Here’s a picture I took of a pretty bridge.