Green Places

Happy national coming out day!

National coming out day isn't very much fun when you're not in the States. But I'm out, so woo yay for outness. Although I still refuse to let my mother into my dorm room, for fear that she will have a coronary. I feel like she's okay with the fact that I'm gay, but she probably won't be okay with the fact that I really truly like women, and I don't hide that fact (if that makes any sense).

I'm still basking in the glow of CT's decision to legalise same sex marriage.

Today was basically uneventful, except for the fact that I had my first (and then second) ever legal drink (in Canada). I ordered something called a paralyser, and it was delicious, sort of like a mudslide only much less thick, maybe more like kalua. And then I had two glasses of Australian white wine. And then I teetered out the door. And they never even carded me! The meal was very good also, but the conversation was the best part of the dinner (and although the trip isn't done, I am going to go out on a limb here and say it will be the best part of this holiday).

My favorite story tonight was probably when my uncle was telling me about being in the army in '69. His platoon was told to go out on the base and clean up anything bigger than a cigarette butt, so they did. But as they were picking up litter, they also picked daises and wild flowers and stuck them in their uniforms. The sixties.

Monday is Thanksgiving but we're celebrating tomorrow, which will be nice. Good food is ALWAYS a welcome change from the standard food at school. And I've been eating nothing but good food since I hopped in the car Thursday night, and that is DEFINITELY something to be thankful for. I'm reading Amazing Grace by Kozol right now and it's incredible and very eye opening. If you're familiar with anything by Kozol you've probably been moved to tears and or made physically ill. I was reading the past I'm about to quote when I had a free minute at work the other day and, luckily for me, there was no one around because I need to maintain my tough facade, but I literally started crying.

"I ask them, 'Is this a good country?'
'No,' says Chevonne.
'Somewhere,' says Kimberly.
'Where?' I ask.
'Maybe in Connecticut,' she says.
'Why Connecticut?'
'It's quiet there,' she says. 'They have green places.'"

I take for granted the quiet and the green. I wish I could scoop all these children up in my arms and save them from the country that doesn't give a damn about them, save them from the world that wouldn't even notice if they were gone. I don't know what to do, I don't know where to begin. I think that's why I want to be a psychologist, and why I want to work with adolescents. I don't want my hands to be clean. If you have the ability you should take full advantage of the opportunity to help, and this world, this country, these people, they need our help.