I was driving home yesterday listening to an On Being podcast (recommended by Lauren) about poetry. It was the first time in a while that I remembered that I love poetry. I always have. It is not something I really ever talked to anyone about or made that big of a deal. I used to write poems for years and years – up until the end of college. Listening to Sarah Kay’s passion for spoken word inspired me to start writing again; mostly because I realized it was one of the only things in my life that I shared only with myself.

Check out her Ted Talk:

Do you ever feel disconnected from yourself?

Lately I have been. Dare I say that I miss my days of unemployment, searching for any words of wisdom that grabbed my attention, like graffiti on the street or a message in an email. I used to spend hours meditating and doing yoga. It was such a quiet and reflective time. When I look back, I realize that it is true, you do your most growing during the hardest times in your life.  It can be challenging to stay connected to yourself when your life starts to pick up and you are in a groove.

Sometimes you need to remind yourself to slow down – catch up with yourself.

Stop in and say hello. 

Reading list

Cleveland Mayoral Race 1977 (My dad was 30)

I wrote this over a year ago and found it in my drafts. It is ironic, because I have been feeling the same way lately:

Last week, my siblings and I went to a fundraiser that my dad held for Tammy Baldwin.

I didn’t think too much about the fundraiser, as I feel like I have been to many in the past as our Dad was a former Congressman, but in truth I hadn’t been to a fundraiser in years.

There was a moment when my father was speaking that I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in where I came from. Being at this fundraiser reminded me that I was raised to believe I could make a difference.  That It was my responsibility as a person in the world to stand up for what I believed in, whether it is a fundraiser or one on one conversation.

I am grateful to my parents that they are brave enough to put themselves out there and support the things they feel strongly about. Thanks to them, I am able to do the same right here.