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Side Bangs [Swoop]. Thick Hips [Switch].

@madfreshrisa / madfreshrisa.tumblr.com

Lots of traffic. Needed a comb. Compartmentalize.
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tumblrstumblebuttheydontfalldown
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keepclassy
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face she inquired, “How heavy is this glass of water?” The answers called out ranged from 8oz to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If i hold it for a minute, its not a problem. If i hold it for an hour, i’ll have an ache in my arm. If i hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer i hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stress and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them for a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed - incapable of doing anything.” Always remember to put the glass down.

(via tryandfall)

Best thing I’ve heard all day.

(via dolphinity)

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Freewrite 10.21.13

"Even though I know good can come eventually, The hurt is still unfair."

When they make you feel as small As a gulp of air, Remember that everyone exhales Eventually. That you don’t belong Caught In anyone’s throat. You are the breath that everyone loses When their words escape them. When they’re left with nothing else But the memory of how you kept All the important things warm. The neck knows not of what it is meant for Without your gust of wind From lips to skin You are what they take for granted When they realize what they can’t do Without you.

When they make you feel as small as a seed: Thank them. Plant yourself back into your self: When you find your spine, Use your knees Bend down Pick it up. Pick all of you up. The water in you has too much salt For that field of open wounds. Don’t drown yourself like that again. You barely made it out alive the last time The water ruined the soil. This time, Your soil regenerated Just like your skin. You’ve got reasons to be tough again A heart that is ready to lay itself on the line again That doesn’t know the difference between South and East West and North Staying or leaving Forgiving or burning It just knows when to show up And get down to work. When your love for them Is too loud Is too big Is too embarrassing for them To testify on behalf of To stand up in To stand up for When your love makes it impossible  For them to ignore, Maybe Just maybe... You're not As small As you think.

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yesixicana
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Malala Yousafzai and the White Saviour Complex
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
There is no justifying the brutal actions of the Taliban or the denial of the universal right to education, however there is a deeper more historic narrative that is taking place here. This is a story of a native girl being saved by the white man.

"The Western savior complex has hijacked Malala’s message. The West has killed more girls than the Taliban have. The West has denied more girls an education via their missiles than the Taliban has by their bullets. The West has done more against education around the world than extremists could ever dream of. So, please, spare us the self-righteous and self-congratulatory message that is nothing more than propaganda that tells us that the West drops bombs to save girls like Malala." 

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labrujamorgan
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do--not--follow

Am I the only one who thinks this is typical, anti-survivor, abusive men of color behavior? How do your experiences invalidate someone else’s trauma & survival?  “You need to take many seats while I to get me a margarita before I slap u.” And this is the same poet who cites women of color feminists nonstop. 

Clearly they missed the whole point behind the Facebook status…-.-

Chill Tumblr. Chill.

congrats on being the first person to cosign on abuse culture.  the point is this: no matter how Yosimar wants to play it off- as “academic jot@s” who are too sensitive, or whatever other excuse he has, there is no context other than someone saying they’re a survivor and triggered, and his obvious dismissal of that. if he wanted to say something else, like the person doesn’t know his life or his experiences, he could have easily done that without perpetuating abusive logics.  surprise: when men say they want to slap someone who’s calling on them for accountability- that’s just what it is- a violent response to being called on something. nothing revolutionary about that. it’s actually just typical of masculine activists. if you want to downplay that, go right ahead.  also, feel free to check out other comments on this. clearly, it registers as abusive- and guess what- that’s the point here. 

You know you could do this thing called message me or hell even message him.  Y’all really did miss the entire point of the status… It doesn’t say he wants to slap somebody for calling him out on accountability. “You need some community accountability and I need some self care” translates into “You need to take many seats (accountability) while I get me a margarita before I slap u (self-care)”.  How is nobody getting this???

What kind of logic is that????? Violence as self-care? Telling folks who are being triggered and calling that person out to shit down and shut up is accountability? What planet do you live on where this makes sense? 

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madfreshrisa

It sounds like you're misinterpreting "translation" with "response". And it's apparent that you're friends with him on FB, so instead of screenshotting what he said and then coming over to tumblr to address it out of context, how about you just take it up with him directly. Because now you're just creating a backlash without context, all because you didn't address it at the source. And shit like that? Deserves many seats. Sit down. 

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5.1.13

I've been contemplating a lot lately about how I'm going to spend these last few weeks before moving down to LA for grad school. Oh wait! Did I mention that before? That I'm going to grad school?

- I'm going to USC to get my Masters in Marriage/Family Therapy - I move down beginning of June - I am so blessed and excited As I was saying: contemplation. Yes. I've been thinking a lot about what takes up my time on a daily basis, and how much of that is good time spent, and how much of that is a waste of my day. For the month of May (and hopefully beyond), I've decided to challenge myself to really practice the discipline of mindfulness and gratitude: to really pay attention to my intentions in everything I do, and be thankful for every breath I take. This morning I woke up early, made myself a really yummy, well balanced breakfast, and I worked out before the sun started heating up outside. Ever since getting into this routine of working out, one thing I've been mindful of is how I just FEEL better if I work out at the start of my day. It's not just about what's best for me (which is also important), but it's also about what brings me joy. Pushing myself past what I think my limits are is something that really brings me joy. It helps me overcome so many fears that stopped me from believing that I'm truly unstoppable if I just got out of my own way. I'm grateful for knowing my body so well now. I'm grateful for the sun these days, and the sweat that follows. I feel really beautiful today.

I'm going to make it a ritual to write more often, whether on here or in my journal. Writing brings me joy as well.

Happy International Workers Day, everybody. All my love and respect to those in my life who've sacrificed their lives to build and sustain countries like this one. 

Be Light, Risa

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mightyjoe510
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issarae
You guys know about vampires? … You know, vampires have no reflections in a mirror? There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn’t see myself reflected at all. I was like, “Yo, is something wrong with me? That the whole society seems to think that people like me don’t exist? And part of what inspired me, was this deep desire that before I died, I would make a couple of mirrors. That I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might see themselves reflected back and might not feel so monstrous for it.

Junot Diaz (via musingsofadrapetomaniac)

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baysian
boy: Girl, I can't believe how wet you are already, like, damn.
girl: That's actually just vaginal discharge and my body is cleansing itself from bacteria and dead cells to prevent infection and to maintain optimal reproductive health. I'm not even all that turned on right now and I would prefer to go get burritos if you're down.
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amandarhoadesphotography

Maria Peeples, a USF politics student, cries with happiness when the re-election of President Barack Obama is announced on CNN.

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

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madfreshrisa

This is Maria. She was a member of the University of San Francisco poetry slam team that I coached last year. We now call her the weeping girl. Hilarious. 

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freewrite.

i am getting more and more comfortable undressing myself on stage and everyone is paying closer attention i can tell because i make eye contact in the moments where i’m most naked i don’t do eye contact but they say they like my eyes and my poetry i ask what they like about my poetry because i need to know what they like about me because my poetry is not a part of me my poetry is me so i ask them what they like about it and they say they like all of it i don’t believe them but i don’t tell them that how can you like all of it i am naked and bleeding in front of a mic under hot lights my skin is brown and beautiful but it is burning i’m choking on the things that i cannot say off stage i’m crying because i’m being honest to you and to myself for the first time again and again and you see all of this you see me you are looking at me and you tell me that you like my poetry and you like my eyes and then you leave with no idea of just how much i’ve given you just how much i left you with you are dragging me with you on your way to your car and i am standing here waiting for my skin to regenerate waiting for the swelling to go down so i can see how brave i was tonight so i can see how much damage was done this time so when my voice finds my mouth again i can ask myself if i've had enough already.

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yesixicana

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madfreshrisa

this is the homie sahra!!!

Source: intensivoo
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How to tell my grandma that I'm gay on what would have been her 69th birthday.

Dear Gramma,

I'm gay.  Lol. 

Boys are nice And I think I could be in love With one Or many  In my life, But I'm kinda sweet on The ones  Who will always understand The duty and the perils Of this skin I know safety can be found In the swing of their hips I've lived there time And time again. Hating myself Would only make them question Their own worth So I don't do it. They've taught me  Better than that. I am loving Better than that. 

I know you have bad hearing So perhaps this means nothing to you But it doesn't mean that I wouldn't give anything To have you back And watch you sit At the head of our kitchen table Fanning yourself with your ili In your floorlength muumuu  Quiet as the wave Of each wrinkle about you Not saying a word. 

I wish you were the first person  I could've come out to On my own terms. In my own time.  Instead, 4 years ago I found myself in a carousel Of unholy trinities: Me, with dad, with mom Me, with car, with lover Me, with hospital, with God His tears, Her screams, My safety.  I don't think there is anything More frigthening Than hearing your parents' suicide notes Dragging themselves  Knife in wood Into our family tree As they blame me for  Guiding the blade With a part of me That I can't control. 

Things are different these days. Better. Mom and Dad are courageous And sometimes confused When loving me. I don't make it easy for them. We've agreed that 'easy' Isn't the endpoint to our process Together Anymore. I've dedicated myself To preserving the quality of life For our people. Starting with our youth. I think you would be proud of me. Grandpa misses you And wants me to marry a girl Who will help me Hold our family together The way you used to. I have learned that family Is both blood and chosen Straight and Gay and everything In between Alive and still living In a life gone past.  In a life after this one. Family, I've learned, Wants me alive In this life, And ready for the life After this one. 

Today is National Coming Out Day As well as your 69th birthday. Mom pointed the last part out While making a joke about me being queer. Shit was funny. You probably wouldn't have laughed. Especially now that I've said the word "shit" Which probably makes you want to fasi me With your yellow spoon again, Just like old times When I used to get in trouble. If that happened right now, I wouldn't flinch or fight. Because there is nothing  That I wouldn't give To have you back, Watch you sit At the head of our kitchen table, The true head of this family, Fanning yourself with your ili In your floorlength muumuu  Quiet as the silence I am learning to grow into Without fear of it Hurting me, The way it never hurt you, Not saying a word. 

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