today, i got off the bus and started walking to work. i was walking a bit far behind this guy who was wearing these funky sandals that were extremely intricate. they seems like they’d be a lot of work to put on, and they really didn’t look that comfy. the sole was super flat, and probably had no arch support. he also had those plugs that kinda freak me out (i feel like a hole puncher is used in some way). i was walking a little bit faster than him, so i began to gain on him. i noticed a tattoo on the back of his neck, just with a bit showing above his tshirt. when i saw it, i noticed that it was a folded-out box…. it looks sorta like this:

When i saw it, my heart felt heavy. one of my favourite people, Betty Yan, has two amazing tattoos that she loves for others to interpret. So, I started interpreting this man’s tattoo. to me, it says “stop putting me in a box. the box is no longer. i’ve defeated it by taking it apart. i do not fit into a box. so just stop trying. if you try to put me there, i’ll just take it apart. and that’s ohk. i can. but please – just stop.”

I was a residence advisor in my 2nd and 3rd year here at UBC. at my first advisor orientation, I sat down at a table for lunch with a group of mostly males. I began to talk with them, and realized that they were all gay. i’d never been around that many gay people before, and it was amazing. i became very self-aware in that moment. i began to sit back and listen; to observe. not solely them, but mainly myself. what was I thinking… what was i feeling? what did those feelings mean? why did I have those thoughts?

UBC is a place where so many different people come together. People probably look at me and my extremely loud pants and think “that girl is cray. how does she think she looks good in bright-pink skinny cords?” but others look at me and think “damn girl, you rock those pants!” either way, that’s ohk. people are free to their opinions, as long as they remember that they’re just that: opinions. I was wrong to judge that guy by his sandals and pulled-out lobes. i was wrong. i know that now. because as humans, we don’t fit into a box, nor should we. we should be free to do what we please, to not worry about the judgement of others, especially by those that call us a loved one, a peer, a friend.

thanks to my new-found love for Modern Family (I started watching it on a all-alone-Caitlin-morning), i give you this.

Mitchell doing the Gaga dance

remember to be you. remember that you don’t fit into a box. remember that you can dance like lady gaga when you need to. remember to not judge others: don’t judge – just love.