So, today, the director of the Underground Railroad called me today and told me that my article made her cry. And I was like, "wait, what?" I mean, I wasn't shocked because my writing came from the heart, and I had a great time experiencing what so many enslaved people on the road to freedom experienced (at least a modern interpretation because we will never truly know...) and I was so proud of myself. But I was also mainly happy that I made someone else experience joy. She told me some other stuff, how she wanted to call me directly because a text would not be enough, and shared how I have a gift for writing and that she will be sharing it with other people that she knows.
It feels really good to make someone happy, and in a genuine way.
I was supposed to go out to Philadelphia today but I overslept, but I'm going on Wednesday. I gotta go to Miss Ulta, work on this project, and spend some time completing my volunteer stuff. So far, I'm volunteering at a Black cemetery doing oral history projects and blog posts, working at PhillyCAM to digitize their media, and with Angels in Motion, an organization that helps combat the opioid crisis in Kensington. I take the "el" (I just found out it was called that. I'm becoming a true Philly native) often and my first thought was "how can I help these people?" I know that you have to be ready for help, but could I use my newly awakened erm... people skills to talk to people? Listen to them? Every good journalist should do some boots-on-the-ground volunteering. Learning about people who are different (well, not quite probably) is something new that I'm doing. Or at least has been awaken out of my melancholy slumber...
As a teenager, I wanted my friends and relationships to all be a mirror of me, and that's quite boring, isn't it? Same alternative interests. Same music. Same way of thinking. Same way of coming up in the world. And I find it ironic that no one that I know listens to Deftones or alternative nu metal or has a PSP, but they are genuine friends and acquaintances compared to what I used to have? Isn't that something? An open mind heals the soul?
