notesfromagradstudent

[notesfromagradstudent]

why do you have your toes out in my lab?

[notesfromagradstudent]

What I leave behind

Everyone has a trail that they leave.

Like a leaf, or a snack, or a trail of blood. 

My mother has some mixed emotions, 

She has no choice but to leave a trail of mud. 

That trail of mud that my mother leaves has changed so many times.

Of all of the things that her trail has been, it is better than the crud 

Everyone has a trail that they leave. 

Like a leaf, or a snack, or a trail of tears. 

My partner has been through so much random shit, 

her trail has been been a shadow for years. 

The shadow shows where she has been when the sun is out and bright

but when it gets dark, that trail she left completely disappears. 

Everyone has a trail that they leave. 

Like a leaf, or a snack, or a trail of toys

My trail shines brighter than the others

because it is made up of parts of my joy.

The emotion that I leave behind for others takes a toll.

The price is one that I have taken on since I was a boy

Everyone has a trail that they leave. 

Like a leaf, or a snack, or a trail of frost. 

When the paths that we lead start to change,

We see just how much leaving these trail can cost.

Looking back at the tracks that follow us everywhere we go,

one has no choice but to see all of the things that we have lost.

[notesfromagradstudent]

Free Coffee... With a twist.

Postive Pysch, what is often seen as the biggest joke class on campus (because of its ease) doesn't realize the impact that they have here. They might be giving someone coffee for writing what you are appreciative of in your on a sticky note. However, they never seem to understand the impact they make just my acknowledging someone. 

As I walked up to the table, you could tell they saw me as an opportunity to get one step closer to their goal, but their barriers came down quickly after a few jokes and a humanized conversation. Once they saw that I saw them as people, not just a mean to get free coffee, they were overjoyed. They ask me to call the person I am most appreciative of, which was a chance to make their day, in turn, making mine. 

What are your joy triggers? Mine is seeing other people smile. After a few days of not making people smile, I shut down myself. One smile a day and I can keep my smile. 

Find your smile and fight to keep it. 

[notesfromagradstudent]

When the music doesn't sound the same

Do you ever have those days where the music doesn't sound quite the way you remember? You try your best to pretend that it sounds normal, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is off. Did they change the key? Adjust the tempo? 

Have you ever sat there listening to your favorite song like you have never heard it before? Not in the sense that it is so good that every time you hear it is a new journey but in the sense that you start to question every time you have heard the song before. 

You dance and sing this foreign song; pretending that it's normal. Pretending you are normal. 

[notesfromagradstudent]

Restitutions

res·ti·tu·tion/ˌrestəˈt(y)o͞oSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.

How can you restore the loss of a culture. The total loss of a people. To be African American in America today means to not know you heritage truly. It means to take a DNA test and not know which part of my heritage comes from my white mother and which comes from the raping of my black fathers family. That is African American. How do you restore that? 

[notesfromagradstudent]

Suicide Taboo

Why did it take 5 years of undergrad and one year of grad school before a professor said the words “suicide is something we see on this campus and around the word. You can talk to me if you too.” He shared his personal experiences of the day a coworker took their life. He opened up the conversation to the class and we shared our views and talked through the epidemic and the resources we have here on campus. Why does the stigma still limit us? Thank you Dr. Green. You are a blessing to everyone around you. ; #HighEd #SuicideAwareness