Philosopher-under-the-sea - Philosopher Under The Sea

there is a judge in Seattle who does the weekly name change hearings, and who says it's her favorite part of the week. she says she doesn't read out previous names, or ask about the reasons why people want to change them. she says it's a beautiful moment, and a celebration; a claiming of a new identity, or a reclamation of an old identity. she encourages the room to clap for folks. then she welcomes everyone up, one by one, by last name and with warmth; she shows them the court order where nobody else can see, asks them to double check the spelling, and then they're done! do they want a picture? do they want their friends and loved ones who came with them to be in it too? do they want the court order in the photo? she helps everyone pose, shakes hands and stands with them for as long as they need to take it, recruits the clerk for help taking photos of the folks who came alone. then she tells them where to go next, congratulates them, and claps along with the rest of the room.

probably three quarters of the people there were trans, and she centered their experience quietly, with love and joy.

I think I'll be thinking about her a lot this January, and for a long time after. it's good to know she's there.

the thing about the garden of eden is that while eve was partially deceived into eating the fruit of knowledge, she primarily did it of her own volition because she wanted to know. whereas adam only ate it to be with eve. she's everything he's just ken

the thing about being nonbinary is that you really do start to forget that other people have such strict walls around what is and isn’t allowed for genders. i thought we all agreed that we made that up. could you climb out of the cave real quick and feel the sunshine for a minute.

cruelty is so easy. youre not special for choosing it

#hopepunk #I needed that #will be my tradition too now #happy new year

Fix The News

86 Stories of Progress from 2024

Not everything that happened this year was terrible.

Would anyone like to join me in my New Year's tradition of reading about good things that happened this year?

Solving conflict, not like a compromise or a "let's forget about this and move on", but really understanding why the other said or did what they said or did, and them understanding you, and both of you feeling closer and trusting the other more afterwards is one fucking amazing human experience.

I have a friend with whom I had a very sudden and painful conflict and she went no contact for 4 years, then she came back and asked to talk it out, and now it has been 10 years and how we solved this conflict got us so much closer.

But sometimes, there are some conflicts that will never get solved, some apologies we'll never get to make. Somewhere, someone is telling a story about what a dick you were, to a new friend, over a drink.

And I learned that it is ok. Conflict solving requires both parties being willing to try, the right timing, and sometimes some special communication and empathy skills. It cannot always work.

But when it does, and I get to understand myself and someone I love so much better thanks to it, it makes me so happy. I also trust people more after having even a minor conflict with them and see how we both handle it.

I'm grateful for all the conflicts that made me grow and feel loved and fought for afterward.

aw hell yeah

goth manta goth manta goth manta goth manta goth manta

Link.

Raise Your Glasses

I have never once wished for Tolkien to still be alive as much as I do in this moment

A friend reminded me today of the sentence:

"you cannot shame yourself into improvement".

All very true, and something I needed to hear. So lucky to have other humans sharing wise words and making my life better, irl and on Tumblr.

If you have a goal to change this year, be sure to build your plan on a foundation of self-love, not self-criticism. You are worthy just as you are. If you hope to change, remember that each little step on that path is a tiny gift honoring your own sense of self-worth. Move forward in the name of care, not condemnation.