Allie and I went on a speedy adventure uphill toward DuPont Circle from South Hall to attend a vigil. On the way, we braved the 104 degree heat and humidity, through heavy traffic (probably not the safest thing to do) and crowds of tourist, with people jumping out of the way from all directions. We got there in record time, without help: 25 minutes.
I'm so glad we made it because the vigil was held for two girls of the LGBT community, Mollie and Kristene. Mollie was shot to death and Kristene is in critical condition. This was presumed to be a hate crime, but has not been confirmed yet. We listened to messages from various people of the community. I came away feeling very down and confused over what happened, questioning the reasoning behind this act, and realized that there is none. This was nothing more than an act of hate and violence, which should never be accepted nor tolerated. I thought of these girls as human beings just like all of us, with feelings, thoughts, families, and friends of their own.
As upset as I was because of this story, I felt inspired to prevent this act from continuing by making it known to all of my friends and family that this is unaccepted behavior and we, as a community, must work together to build stronger relations and understanding of each other.
That night, Allie and I set out on another adventure for ASL open mic night at Bus Boys and Poets at U Street. When we hopped off the metro, we sensed something coming on as a huge gush of wind blew sand and dust into our faces, disabling our ability to see clearly, let alone control our wheelchairs. So, we found cover under a Starbucks onning, put on our breaks, one arm on each other and the other on a door bar. Despite our attempt, the heavy wind knocked us back and forth. Intense! Luckily, a crowd formed around us to shield us from the crazy winds. When the wind let down a little, we decided to brave it and headed towards the show. However, before the end of the second block, heavier wind and rain came down on us. We suddenly became very afraid that mother nature was quickly turning against us and things could get ugly really quick. We stuck close by each other as best as we could. We found cover in a restaurant, which provided temporary relief. After about 15 minutes, we decided that we needed to get to the show that we came so far to get to, which was a few blocks away. So we braved it. We arrived in one piece, totally drenched in water to a well-worthwhile show. For the next three hours, we sat in our soaking wet clothes watching one of the coolest shows ever. People went up and signed to rap, soul, gospel music, danced, and told jokes to us. It was so beautiful and so cool. Note: bring ear plugs!!!
Yes, we had a very jam packed day of adventures, but so worthwhile with a great companion.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Commenters must avoid profanity, harsh language and disparaging remarks on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. All comments to the blog are moderated by AAPD, and can be subject to removal at any time.
Please use the comments section to engage in the ongoing dialogue between our program funders, current and former interns, our colleagues, and the broader disability community, and to respond to intern posts that intrigue you, to share your own stories, or to simply express your gratitude for being allowed into the world of our summer interns.