Fordpride

Warning: not about tots I'm sitting here, in the school I work at, in a real live lockdown. When I was a child, we didn't have lockdown drills.  It wasn't even something we thought about...you know, huddling in a corner in fear that someone with a gun might come into our school and shoot someone else.  It was a childhood luxury, not fearing something like that. But here I am, in my 6th year of teaching.  Dozens of drills later.  I am an outward expert on these types of things. But inside?  I am less of an expert.  I am still a 13 year old girl, trying to  hide my concern for the community of which I was, and will always be, a part. When Columbine happened I was in middle school.  I was in French class, waiting for lunch, when we heard an announcement over the loud speaker that simply stated someone at Columbine had been shot.  In the foot.  We would be kept in our rooms until further instruction.  I spent  the en...

I have always had a positive relationship with tater tots. When Napoleon Dynamite came out, I saw that movie 7 times in the theatre.  This was especially impressive because for the first few months it was in theatres it was only at the art house movie theatre on Broadway in Denver, and I was in high school and barely drove to school and back, so I had to enlist and convince a variety of people to see it and also, then, drive me along.  Thankfully it expanded later on, and I was able to see it to my hearts content close by.  I loved it. All this to say that I was proud to see the power of tater tots coming to light from this film. My family had always treasured a bag of Ora Ida tater tots.  That cheerful red bag could light up our whole freezer...that is for the short amount of time before we cooked and ate the entire bag in one sitting.  And eating in our house was not for the faint of heart; if you loved something and wanted more than a normal portion, ...

I was walking near Times Square on Saturday because I wanted to sneak a Big Mac into the movie The Founder and that theatre time was the best option for me.  I'm super busy* (*jokes. I'm not) and didn't want to wait for a late night show.  Look...I'm really cool...I promise. As I was passing Madame Tussauds wax museum, one of those guys that tries to shove a $5 coupon in your face tried to shove a $5 coupon in my face.  I usually ignore or nod my head no in these situations, but I was feeling content so I smiled at him and said a cheerful "no thanks". He immediately pulled me aside, held my hand, and said "that smile! It's like I was waiting for that smile all night!  You just really brightened my night!" This gentleman was probably 10-15 years my senior (being generous) and so he wasn't old enough to have it be grandpa-ly cute, but he also wasn't young enough for me to feel alarmingly flattered.  But his cold hands held ...

I'm sitting on my bed on a Friday night, so so so exhausted from this last week but unable to sleep.  Tears are forming in the corners of my eyes and I consider some of the mighty changes this week that will have undeniable effects on people who deserve better.   It's been a strange few weeks for me.  Clawing out stronger beliefs is challenging and sharing those beliefs is terrifying, but I've finally arrived at a point where I can no longer remain silent. I hate labels.  I've hated labels my whole life.  I've often prided myself on the fact that it sometimes takes awhile for people to realize I'm a Mormon.  Because people always have an idea in their minds about what being Mormon looks, sounds, and acts like.  And I'm very often not those immediate stereotypes of the word.  It contains moments of insecurity and disappointment for both me and the person with whom I'm speaking; the constant question of "Am I being the person I need to be? Am I...