~*~Artopia~*~

Artopia was one of the possible volunteer opportunities available through The Center. Artopia is an annual event that the Westword puts on. It is located at 5 different venues around 10th and Broadway. It is an event displaying lots of different art, music, fashion, food and vendors.  I signed up to do several different shifts at this event. The main part of my volunteering involved helping with set up for the event. I was able to work with a classmate, Tonia, during this time. We spent hours preparing the different venues by putting posters up and helping several different vendors unpack and spreading merchandise and advertising throughout the five venues. This was very fun, to be able to help out with the event. Later in the evening, I came back and helped out more while the event was going on. I helped regulate VIP guests in the VIP areas, and also helped educate guests on what was going on where. This was fun because I got to interact with a lot of different people in the community and help them the best I could. Also, I helped hold down The Centers table booth area. This involved talking with people about The Center and the different groups and events they put on. This also involved getting people signed up to learn more about The Center and handing out brochures and free pins. 

I thought that this event was really fun and cool to partake in. I really loved being able to help set up and then also being able to help direct people, and work at the booth. It was awesome being able to provide information to some of the guests that didn't know anything about The Center or anything the organization does. I think that I helped expand some of the minds of the guests that I got to talk to and educate about The Center. I also got to work with Juli German, the Center's volunteer coordinator. She is awesome and made volunteering enjoyable and a good learning experience. I enjoyed it! ♡

TheCenter and Expectations

     First, I would like to say that I try to live my life without having expectations for things. I think it is something that is pretty important. Therefore, you can not get let down. I realize that it is very hard to do this. Sometimes I try not to have expectations but they happen anyways. A few expectations that I had for The Center when choosing it to be my organization was that: 1.) The Center would help me become more educated in the LGBT community .  2.) Also to help understand some of the struggles members of the LGBT community are dealing with. 3.) I felt that volunteering wouldn't be much fun.  I think a lot of these expectations came from not being super stoked to have to volunteer. Also I think my mind was just trying to put together what it would be like to volunteer and what those particular jobs would be like.
       So, far I have done quite a bit of my volunteering for The Center and I love it. The Center is such an awesome organization that has a lot of really cool events for all age members of the LGBT community. They have programs for the youth (Rainbow Alley) and  the elderly (Sage Group). I have also learned about some of the different laws that are going into place that effect the LGBT community. I wanted to go to the Lobby Day that was going on this Monday, but unfortunately I was in school, so I couldn't participate in that event. I also have gotten to work with some awesome people in the LGBT community and have had some interesting conversations them to help me understand them better and be able to make some strong connections, and hopefully some good friendships and networking possibilities.
     Also, I not only am super excited to be working with The Center. I have already put in a fair amount of volunteering time with them. I am excited to be able to help them with some more events. So, I would say that that expectation of not enjoying volunteering was unfounded. I have had a lot of fun with helping them out and am excited to help out some more. Juli has made it very fun, comfortable place to help service the community.  But as for the other expectations, I would say that they were supported. I am loving learning new stuff about a different part of the community that I am not always involved in and a part of. I think its great. I actually thought it was so great, I got my boyfriend to help and come volunteer with The Center as well. He also, enjoyed being able to help the community. We both felt really good about ourselves after helping out and volunteering.  I'm so glad I am getting the opportunity to work with this particular organization. ♡♡♡ 

The Center
   

Don't Fit Into the Cookie Cutter Model of the 'American Dream'.

     The Women's Movement that I most identify with is the Liberal Feminism movement.  It was one of the most known movements in the second wave of Women's Movements. It pushed for women to be able to be looked at as equal to men and to be equal in the public and in professional workplace. One of the reason's that I most identify with this movement is because before the movement, women were still expected to house makers and housewives. I'm not sure that I would be able to just be happy being a housewife, of a man who is the so called "breadwinner" of the family. I don't believe that that is a balanced relationship with a man. Also, I think that it would be not only extremely boring, as for I am someone who has to be active, productive, and busy to be satisfied with myself and not think that I am being lazy.  As I learned, in the section of the book about Liberal Feminism, the housewives were not happy that they were being just housewives either.
     The Liberal Feminism movement started in 1963 by Betty Friedan's book, The Feminine Mystique. One of the main points of Friedan's publishing was that women were not able to pursue personal development (fulfillment in areas out side of home life) because of many of the laws, and American Institutions that stated that women were not allowed to participate and were suppose to maintain the role of being domestic.
      Friedan also spoke about the NOW group, the National Organization for Women, that was founded in 1966. It made efforts to "secure political, professional, and educational equality for women and become a public voice for the equal rights for women". Still to this day, the organization stands and is effective in spreading the message, passing laws to help protect women's rights.
      I am so offended when I hear men often talk about women and how they "belong in the kitchen", or women are suppose to be "housewives". This strikes me wrong for some reason and gets me upset of how often I hear it. Its disgusting. I am such a independent, active woman that I can not even imagine being forced/confined to being a housewife and playing a domestic role. I don't blame the women of the 60s for not being happy with their lives as they were. If someone tried to tell me that I wasn't allowed to finish my education and do what I wanted to with my life and insisted on me getting married and becoming a "housemaker", I don't think I would be able to take that. I am ever so THANKFUL for these awesome, strong ladies for standing up and pushing for a more equal chances in the workplace and in public.  It's something a lot people take for granted. Especially some of the younger generations, who never really saw how it was before the woman's movement. This is something I even take for granted. I have been in several job positioning's where I have been told I couldn't do it because I was a girl. Or it's just a "man's job" and still I have been avid about making sure I could do the job too, even if it was a dirty, gross job or one that required strength and skills. I made someone teach me. This is one way I feel I identify best with this movement, because I would have been someone pushing the rules of where women stand back in the day. I still clearly do. It may have resulted from me growing up with a lot of brothers and learning to "tough it out", "don't cry like a sissy girl" or "man up or go play dolls in the house". With older and younger brothers it put me in the middle to learning to be as competitive and want to be as successful and to be able to do just as many things as my brothers, but I am kind of thankful. I think it made me much more of a strong person to be able to "man up" and be able to carry heavy things, and do many things that have in the past been considered jobs that only men could do.
      Something that I will do because of this movement is keep it going. I am able to be around a lot of so called gendered jobs and challenge them and I will continue to do that. Also I have two little sisters that I push to get out and be independent and successful. Which in one of my little sisters is easy because she is more tomboyish and wants to get out there and be independent and strong as an individual. As for the other little sister, she is still wrapped around the concept of being married and having babies and being a stay at home mom and a gardener. I have told her that it is okay to want such things but not to limit yourself to things like this. Get out there, and experience life, and then make a decision on what you want to do with your life or how you want to live, don't just fit in to a cookie cutter model of the 'American Dream'.

Language Shapes Awareness

After reading the section on this topic in our book, I couldn't stop thinking about how prevalent this is in our lives. First there is stereotyping, which involves creating a generalization about a group of people based on a person. This often happens with women or men. For example, back when Hilary Clinton was running for president. I heard numerous people say how it was a bad idea because she was a female. "Females can't be presidents. Imagine what it would be like having a female president that is "PMS-ing", or being over emotional in a situation that needs to show strength not emotion. It would be horrible." That was a comment from someone who I had a long conversation with about the whole subject at hand. I couldn't believe that he was grouping all females to be over emotional. I am someone who completely holds back a lot of emotion and often doesn't get very emotional. So this started a heated response from me. Another common example of a stereotyping is men don't cry. This I have heard numerous times from numerous people in different situations. However, not only do i have a brother that grew up with just my mom and I and resulted in being somewhat of an emotional man but he is nevertheless still a man. Also my boyfriend, is very sensitive and very emotional. Which doesn't make him any less of man because he cries when we get in fights or when he is sad or upset.
       Another thing that is obvious in our culture is polarized thinking. Which shows that there is a right and a wrong out of everything. You can't be both or neither. For example, I think it is silly how often we have to check Female or Male on almost anything. I.E. email accounts, surveys, applications, etc. I think that really makes people identify with their gender. I think it is sad, the way our culture has kind of fit us into these little square boxes and everyone needs to fit into them. Then they slap a label on the box, and that is now who you are. I think it has been blown out of proportion how they try to mold you into what they want or place you in a box of generalized assumptions and label you.
       I think it is so sad that our society does this. Often when they make polarized assumptions or stereotype people, it creates a negative energy to the word or phrase they are titling the person with. Like for example, the other day a good friend who is successful was trying to show her relatives at a reunion that she was a successful young adult. They asked her what she did for work, and she replied she is a hairstylist and...  Her aunt interrupted that she should really try to go to school and get an education instead of joining the "undereducated" group of that is in the hairstyling community. She was appalled and responded saying she didn't even let her finish, that she just opened a salon and it is doing exceptionally well. Her aunt still replied that she should try to further educate herself to get ahead in this world. I think that is so sad how she is a salon owner and an excellent hairstylist but it just doesn't add up to anything to her family, except being "undereducated". Its sad.

"Thats Not How Young Ladies Are Suppose to Behave"

I can remember back in the day when I was just young girl. My mom loved dressing me up in dresses. I being too young to dress my self and be presentable to the public, just usually would let her dress me. I never from what I can remember liked wearing dresses but it is how my mom chose to dress me. I remember one day, it was nice outside and I think we were at a local park with lots of kids around and I was running around, with so much energy, the kind of energy I wish I still had today. I was spinning around and doing high kicks and summersalts, running, skipping, slidding down the slides, being a normal, carefree small child. After a while, I saw a group of girls doing hand stands and cartwheels. I wanted to go join them. So i did. After looking silly, trying my best to figure out how they were doing these things. I was standing on my head and my dress was flipped almost completely off of me do to gravity. I remember my mom came up to me and told me, "Georgia, young ladies do not behave like that". I was astonished. I couldn't believe it, I was with a whole bunch of young girls trying to do handstands with them. I remember it resulted in crying and I just couldnt understand why I wasn't allowed to do these things like the other girls. My mom then reminded me that i was wearing a dress and as a lady, you should never flip up side down wearing a dress. I remember crying and crying and saying I didn't even want to wear the stupid dress! That was the first interaction that I remember being a young girl and being taught I needed to act appropriately as a girl.
         The most recent gender expectation that i ran into was unfortunately at work. I work at a small place where security is highly necessary. I generally do everything that a manager does at my work. Normally, there are just two people at my work at a time. Often it is just my receptionist there with me. And recently my boss has decided that their can not be just two females working. Which I somewhat agree with. So they bring in an extra security person just because there are two girls working. Not to say that I couldn't handle myself appropriately in a bad situation, but they think a man has to be there for it to be "safe".  Also to go along with that I am an expert in my field and know a lot about the product I sell. However, it happens so often that when customers come in with questions. They think that since I am a female, I don't have experience, or the answers they are looking for. So often they will ask if the guys are there to answer questions of which I could answer easily! This makes me upset often because I am highly qualified and can give just as good of an answer that a guy could. Often too when these customers come in, they won't even look me in the eye. They will just ask if a guy is around to help them. This often frustrates me but I understand that unfortunately some men in this world are still very sexist. I just try to brush it off my shoulder as it's nothing. However, there is a strong impression that females don't have the safety or amount on knowledge that my fellow male co workers have. But its okay, It's a secret I keep. I know that I know just as much as they do. :)

Just Me

     I am a young, driven, independent woman. My name is Georgia. Most people tell me I am more mature than most people my age. I have always felt like I was older than I am. I can remember back in school when I was always hanging out with kids older to me and that still happens today. I don't have many friends that are my age or younger. I tend to hang out with a crowd about 3-5 years older than me. 
     I am a Colorado Native, and I absolutely love Colorado. I grew up in the mountains in Evergreen and came down from the mountains to go to college. I currently live in Denver and love the city's vibrant energy and face paced lifestyle. I am also an Aries, which makes me very independent and busy. I find that I have to be busy to keep myself happy and content and when I am not busy I feel like I am unproductive and lazy. So i try to keep myself relatively busy, even though I overwhelm myself with things to do and places to be. The other part of me being an Aries, isn't a part I always like, but  I am very stubborn. I am always trying to overcome that and be less stubborn but its a work in process.
     So when I am not busy with going to school or working the many jobs I have I do what love to do, which is go out with friends and see live music. Its something that free's me from my busy life but also is a major stress reliever and my favorite thing to do. I have seen more live music than most people do in their entire lives. I love going to music festivals around the country and being engulfed in the loving community that supports music festivals.  I also love being outside and in nature. Growing up in the mountains led me to loving this. I love hiking and camping and being surrounded with the nature's beauty.
      I graduated from the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado about two years ago. It changed my life. I knew when enrolling that I wanted to be a massage therapist, but after going through all the training I love it. It changed a lot of the ways I viewed things in my life, and also made me make better choices. One of the things I didn't expect to learn so much about was the human body. I think it is absolutely beautiful.  I have a small private practice as a massage therapist. I love being able to help other people and make them feel good. Its one of my passions in life. ♡