Item 169 – Self-Acceptance Poem

Inside Out

You were careless

You were reckless and irresponsible

And you made bad choices

 

You defied all authority

And you ignored

The wisdom of your elders

 

You were provocative

You were inappropriate and promiscuous

And you broke the rules

 

You placed yourself in danger

Just to prove you were mature

In the most childish of ways

 

You courted danger and it found you

You were asking for it

 

You were not asking for it

You trusted and danger was thrust upon you

 

You were trusting of adults

Who made you believe you were mature

When you were just a child

 

You explored boundaries

You tested the limits of appropriate behavior

And an adult broke the rules

 

You were trusting of those in authority

Just as you were taught, feeling safe

In the presence of your elders

 

He was careless of your innocence

He was reckless and irresponsible

And he did bad things

 

There was fault

There was shameful behavior

And none of it was yours

Speaking of some things you still can’t tell people, there’s something you still haven’t been able to tell yourself. Write a poem of self-acceptance, looking directly at an issue you’ve long kept buried or ignored. Use the poem as an opportunity to forgive yourself and accept your all-too-human flaws. (This is still a shameless plug.)

Item 109 – LGBTQIA Organization Volunteer Work

It gets better, but it gets better faster when we’re there for each other. Sign up to volunteer with The Trevor Project, True Colors United Community Initiative, or a similar local organization to help LGBTQIA young people. Submit evidence that you have applied. (If not available in your region, find something similar.)

Item 70 – #CarbonCrush

(SIDE-BY-SIDE) We all brag about our social media follower count, but what we should really be bragging about is our (low) carbon footprint. Let’s make a game out of it: Calculate your carbon footprint. The calculator will also provide you with the number of trees you’d need to plant per year to offset your footprint. Post your carbon footprint and the number of “offset trees” on your social media (with the link above in the post as well) tagging 3 friends and challenging them to play #GISH #CarbonCrush with you. Write a one paragraph post describing how you will decrease your carbon footprint by 15% in the next year. Then, on your honor, after the hunt, implement your plan.

Item 3 – Indigenous People Article

Our histories shape us, but often we don’t know the history of where we live. Reach out to an Indigenous-led resource and write a one-page article about the autochthonous people of your region. (If you are Indigenous, we welcome you to share your family’s history.) Cite your sources. Then, if you are able, make a contribution to Rainbow House (https://bit.ly/GISHrainbowhouse) or an Indigenous group in your community. Submit your article with a note about your contribution in the comments.

GISHWHES Takes Tumblr – Item 10 – Self-Argument

https://www.tumblr.com/teamapokaleypse/145795907831/me-cats-are-the-best-thing-on-this-godforsaken

TEXT. In a “chat” post, reveal a true, fervently held opinion on a topic you feel strongly about.. Great! Now, in the same post, use the chat feature of Tumblr to argue with yourself to advocate the opposite position. You must kick your self’s ass all over the place with your argument. Your comments against yourself must elicit subsequent comments from other users imploring you to “stop hating.” (original item post)