This seems to be a contentious subject amongst those who want to insist that I am, now, exactly who I was when I was born. Adrianne is a beautiful name, I agree. But it has never felt like “me.” You may argue “a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet” and I would say, Yes! No matter what I call myself, I’m still me – on a molecular level. However, we live in America – Land of Self-Actualization. This means one has the obligation to make mistakes – leading to opportunities to reinvent themselves until they get their “self” “right.” I mean, our current president is Donny T! Like Donny T., I am not destined to be defined by my past mistakes, or even my past success! Both can be learning experiences, leading me to my Now.
I’m lucky, though. While I can’t say I’ve had major successes, I haven’t failed majorly, either. Yeah, there’s debt, and the soul crushing feeling of “D’oh!” when reminiscing about past partner choices, and unfinished projects… always unfinished projects… …
Could someone interpret my mistakes as reason to deem me a criminal? I don’t know. I hope not! But, if they can, I hope the statute of limitations have passed! But what about those who can’t say they’re lucky enough to just have not been caught? Or they have enough resources to have a defense that will really fight for them? What about those who plead guilty for something they didn’t do – out of fear? Convicts, so deemed for the rest of their lives, are denied their voice in our legal system – an inherently racist and classist institution that they can’t vote to change. Our system has literally ball-gagged those who have the knowledge and experience to backup the need for prison reform. Why do we insist on maintaining the status quo, when true rehabilitation would improve everyone’s quality of life?
I want to give voices back to those who have had their voices stolen – and empower those who never knew their voice mattered to speak up! How do I go about doing that?
The Unusual World of Gimpdom 