Unapologetic

The older I get, the more ballsy I become...
The older I get the more in awe I get of various things that catch my eye...
The older I get the more emotional I get...
The older I get the more confident I become and the more I look at my past and just shake my head.
Why I allowed myself to carry that along with me?
Why I allowed others to have so much power to define my life?
Why I debilitated myself towards shame and timidity and self-loathing and doubt and grief and growth and heart...
But I also have learned to embrace the idea that I am getting too old to put up with nonsense...
There are things I refuse to apologize for...
I refuse to apologize for who I love. I love Justin Box-Higdem with all my heart. Yes he is a man. Yes I am man. Now if you can't deal with that...go elsewhere...or I will...
I refuse to apologize for pursuing my bucket list and my dreams.
I refuse to allow someone else to unleash their jaded views of how they see the world to force me to define my own world according to them. I won't do it.
I refuse to allow negativity to have a place in my life...for too long...
I refuse to do anything that isn't thoughtful, that isn't building my creativity, that isn't allowing me freedom of expression...or my students.

Here's what I will do:
I will ALWAYS fight for the underdog.
And I will always bring a shoulder to lean on to the discussion.
I will ALWAYS try to listen with an open mind and heart.
Before I speak.
I will continue to ground myself and breathe.
I will love with my whole heart and live this live this life as it was meant to be lived...
FULLY
DEEPLY
CREATIVELY
And with the eyes of a child and the heart and soul of a man.

Amen