I had intended to only post photos today, but felt compelled to share a few thoughts at the end. Looking at these photos makes me want to take out my 7D and shoot more this weekend. In some ways, I've allowed my iPhone to make me lazy about my photography :P But it still brings me a lot of joy to take pics in any form...

Street scenes...

New role at my job...

Fun with friends...

My Mobay, Jamaica adventure with Rosedawg from June 29 - July 4...

Food and goodies...

I am blessed. Sometimes I find myself feeling guilty for feeling guilty about it. Silly, right? I've worked hard to achieve what I have in my life, but it still saddens and confuses me why I continue to be so fortunate while others suffer. I look at the similar histories of disenfranchised groups all over the world, and the common thing seems to be lack of empathy. If you can't relate to your fellow man, it's very easy to not see them as worthy of your attention, understanding, and support. So as someone who self-identifies as a Woman, Artist, Chicana, Queer, Feminist, Tech-lover, Filmmaker, Activist, and Human Being, I try to approach people in life with the same understanding and empathy that I would want to receive. I don't always get it right and I often hurt people by accident. I'm not perfect. But I keep trying to nurture my understanding of the textures in life, within people. Some of the most subtle qualities can be the most beautiful and life-changing. I am promising myself that I am going to start blogging everyday. I've never committed to daily posts on The Lair before so I'm a little nervous. But writing solely for myself makes me feel really good, so I'm going to give it a try because you never know what could come from it. :D Friends and family in my life have encouraged me to write more for myself, so I'm going to take their support and turn that into something positive here on The Lair. --------------------------- If you're curious about some of the ways that I have chosen to give back this year, here are some examples: - Donating to teachers through Donorschoose.org - Giving my time and resources to my grassroots non-profit, the POC Zine Project - Training to be a foster parent through You Gotta Believe! (adopting a teen next year) I have learned so much about myself through these three experiences. Looking back, I would say that my personal form of activism over the years has been the biggest source of knowledge and resources for me. Helping others has made me who I am today (professionally and personally).