thegradblues

[thegradblues]

Macro Madness

I’m at a stage in my first year of grad school where certain subjects that used to make me want to tear out my own hair actually seem appealing to me. Weird, right? Macro level work is one of those things. For those new to social work, there are three categories of social work practice: micro, mezzo, and macro. Micro social work is what most people think of, individual one to one case work…

[thegradblues]

Gradtrepreneur

I want to be an entrepreneur, so here I go. As a grad student, sometimes I feel like I’m gonna be trapped in a 9-5 and that scares the skeleton out of me. I don’t want to be behind a desk for the rest of my life working for someone else who could care less whether I work for them or some other zombie goon. I want to create something that matters, something that lasts. It’s not about legacy…

[thegradblues]

Drowning in Desire

Back to the daily grind we go… I’m starting to wonder if I’ve taken on too many activities. Grad school, two part time jobs, internship, voice lessons, singing at church, maybe singing in a choir… something has got to give. But I want to do all of these things. I don’t even have a priority list. It’s like everything all at once yes please. Should I pause? Should I back up before my body says…

[thegradblues]

I Protest

My little brother was arrested recently for protesting in the Bay Area. His group was the one demanding a Gaza cease-fire in a radically bold manner. Some of the protesters covered themselves in shrouds and laid in front of cars to represent dead bodies. After this incident, we started a conversation that hopefully isn’t too political for your taste as I usually avoid politics but am learning…

[thegradblues]

Dragging my Way Home

I’m on my way home and dragging my feet. This was quite the trip. I opened up to people in ways I haven’t in a very long time and made connections I hope will last. Today we didn’t officially have any conference activity but visited Father Abernathy at St Moses the Black Orthodox Church. Talk about culture shock. I loved that the room was drenched in incense and music. Yet I wasn’t ready for…

[thegradblues]

Compassion, Justice, and the Overflow

The 3rd and final day of the convention moved me in a way I simply haven’t been in a while. If I were to try to repeat everything I experienced, I would not do it justice, so I’m not going to try. Let’s just say social workers, especially the Christian ones, know how to set fire to your insides in the best way possible. I learned that compassion must hold hands with justice to ring true, and…

[thegradblues]

Workshop Wonderland

Day 2 of the NACSW convention and it was quite the workshop wonderland. Besides all the interesting topics, my favorite part was the intimate nature of these workshops, which allowed for more opportunities to interact with presenters. As an introvert, networking is not my favorite, but having smaller gatherings made it a little easier to connect. I could wait in a short line after the…

[thegradblues]

A Spirit of Overwhelm

So the first day of the conference was powerful and long. I almost missed a majority of it because I thought I only had to volunteer from 4 to 7pm EST. Luckily for me, I checked the website at breakfast and realized there were so-called pre-conference activities scheduled all day. This the adventure of the day began. I arrived at the Doubletree, registered, and joined my very first NACSW…

[thegradblues]

Adventure Time!

Headed to Pittsburgh for a conference. Wish me luck! I thought I had stank face, but someone still managed to strike up a conversation with me at the Ontario airport. I was relieved because I felt pretty lonely traveling by myself. Now I’m waiting for my connecting flight and then onward from there. Stay tuned! Updates to come… 🙂

[thegradblues]

One in a Million

Describe a family member. King of Laughter, sweat, Butter, cooking, Thanksgiving dinners, Karaoke belting, Tank tops, shorts, and hairy limbs. French-tipped fingers giving to a fault; Numbers swim ’round a sensitive mind. What a father, one in a million. It’s hard getting through October sometimes because my father passed this month ten years ago. I miss him dearly but know he’s at…

[thegradblues]

Be Humble. Sit Down.

My Star Wars knowledge is nearly nonexistent, which totally confuses my niece and nephew who have grown up surrounded by the merchandise, the movies, and the epic madness. I know Carrie Fischer and Darth Vader, Yoda and grogu, blue milk and tatooine, but that’s just a bundle of words. Ask me to put them in a sentence and I’ll struggle. Challenge me to explain their stories and I will definitely…

[thegradblues]

Thinking Creepy Thoughts

Policy advocacy is a thing of nightmares, perfect for Halloween time. I hate politics but if it means good can be done, I’m all for trying. In Los Angeles County, there’s a cool program going called Books4Jails where people can donate paperbacks to their local library which then sorts and delivers appropriate donations to the county jail system for the inmates to have their own mini libraries.…

[thegradblues]

Medi-Yum

My god daughter is 5 and she loves medicine. She likes it so much that sometimes she feigns illness just so she can get some. I on the other hand would rather go without it and do everything in my power to avoid it. Food though is my medicine of choice. Diet is so powerful. A simple change in diet took me from insulin dependency to nearly pre-diabetic! I no longer use insulin, I still keep my…

[thegradblues]

My No-No Square

The Boys’ No-No Square Song So… for those who don’t get the reference of this silly compilation, you’ll just have to look up the original. If you can’t tell from this mini version, the no-no square song is all about setting boundaries, something I am frankly terrible at doing. This weekend I was supposed to get away, to go far away from my triggers and get some rest. And that I did. Sort…

[thegradblues]

All Day ESA

I feel very fortunate to have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), a cat named Rosa. I am also blessed to know other people’s pets, like Rafiki who has graciously paused for today’s featured image. Look at Fiki’s big smile. So cute! I chose Rosa as my ESA between my two cats because of her temperament and willingness to cuddle. Sometimes she even sleeps on my back! Haha Rosa is small but…

[thegradblues]

One Eye Open

I got dumped yesterday and I feel lousy. Insomnia is a real villain and I don’t feel like a princess at the moment or a damsel in distress, more like the witch that keeps messing up other people’s lives. First of all, if you’re going to break up with someone, do it in person if possible or at least by phone call. People deserve the opportunity to hear directly from you why they are being…

[thegradblues]

Planta tus Sueños

Whenever my little brother and I get together, we always end up down some rabbit hole we never meant to get into. It’s like it is written that we will dig up deep conversation. Yesterday we talked about this idea of generational abundance, planting your dreams, leaving a legacy. For some, that means building wealth and passing that down to your children and beyond. For others, a legacy is about…