Out of my area of comfort…

This weekend has been a crazy weekend. And it’s only Saturday.

Yesterday, before work, I went and registered my car and got an almost overdue oil change. I then went to work and organized and cleaned and had a blast with my customers.

Today, because I had the time, the gas, and the feeling it was important, I went to a small town about half an hour from where I live and stood at the foot of a bridge championing equal rights for folks of color and non-straight/non-cis identities.

With strangers.

When I got home, and my feet stopped being cold, I asked Twitter what happened to the person I’ve known for 38 years.

So many things happened on the bridge today that haven’t happened in a long time. First off? I didn’t know any of these people. This town isn’t my town (although if you follow me on social media you know this is the sort of town I’ve always felt was home), but I stood out there with perfect strangers. Again if you follow me on social media you know it’s exactly the sort of situation that has me mentally (and sometimes audibly) screaming “stranger danger!!”

But this was something I had the privilege and ability to attend.

For so many in non-ruling groups they don’t get to holler about wanting peace and equality. Instead they put up with bigotry and discrimination and hope that some day someone who can will stand up and make a change.

As I told my sister the other day it was time for me to put my money where my mouth is. So many of us can sit and moan and groan about this, that, or the other, but those in power have no reason to act on anything until we force them to see they can’t get away with doing nothing anymore.

I found myself realizing that I’ve been in these extremely uncomfortable (for me) situations and I didn’t even pass a thought to hurting or offing myself or drinking. I just went, got done what I felt empowered and needing to do and came home, made mac and cheese, cleaned the pots and pans, and is now going to curl up with her cat.

In my opinion the only things missing are peanut butter cups. Oh well. Next trip cross the river I’ll come home with some.