Long before I got into education and life coaching, I used to serve the community and greater good through writing. I have always been an idealist and one whose passions are driven by doing work that is meaningful and impactful. I am most successful in jobs where I am convinced that my work makes a positive impact on the world. I used to feel embarrassed about this, until recently when I embraced that this is actually my superpower.
My one skill I was most confident in life in, was my ability to put written words together in a way to communicate effectively with others. So naturally, in undergrad, I pursued a degree in journalism. Life lead me to other opportunities to use my love for words, and certainly there are no regrets in the various ways I’ve been able to use this skill as an educator, mentor, and boss.
But today, after 20 years, I have finally published again. For those who follow along on my social media, know that I’ve been closely following what’s going on in Palestine the past 5 months (insane that it’s been 5 months) and am profoundly changed by it. Changed, outraged, heartbroken… a whole myriad of emotions. And as I’ve watched journalists get slaughtered in Gaza, and western media bias and contradictions in open daylight, I felt pulled to tap back into an old version of me, who would’ve used her pen for good.
I told you I’m an idealist. I buy into journalism ethics and integrity – that we have a responsibility to report the truth, to offer unbiased information OR to report from all viewpoints, to allow every day people to understand and decide for themselves what’s going on in the world. And thus I wrote a letter to the editor at The Houston Chronicle, in response to a man who claimed that Palestinian protestors in Houston were dangerous, anti-semitic, and creating a “rot in society”.
I would appreciate you reading the piece below as clicks mean a lot in today’s world. I hope The Chronicle and other media outlets will continue to allow diverse perspectives space to voice their side of the story, instead of only pushing one narrative.