Dear Past Me

     My name is Hunter Hobbs (I picked it out myself and I love it) and I use he/him pronouns. I’m a senior and an English Literature and Classics double major.  I’m a trans man that predominantly works for RHA as Sustainability Director. I work with Sunrise Tacoma as well. On campus, you can either find me in my room, working at the library, or hanging out with my friends socially distanced. 

Dear Past Me, 

        The world has changed and is much bigger than the school in which you were raised. You’ve moved past the school that had a museum of culture blocked on the internet. You moved past the place where if you were different then you had to endure the judging looks of the adults.             

         There are more types of people than the ones who look and think like you. You moved into a state where it is safe and accepted to be different.  It’s okay to be different and if someone is different than you that’s okay too. It’s not your business to police someone else’s life; merely that you should be living your life the best you can. You recognize that you’re doing the best you can even if you don’t accomplish the goals you wrote on a page. You will feel safe enough to talk to people and explain who you are.  Remember to stand up for what you believe in; you know yourself best. 

  

          It’s your duty as a white man to use the privilege of that to uplift the voices of the marginalized. Be aware that not everyone has a voice, and if that is the case, then you may speak up. Do not speak over them, but rather be a tool, act as a microphone. Even if that takes your place. 

But do not take away their mind. Look and ask and understand what exactly they want for themselves and advocate for them should they need it. Whether they are an African-American, a Chinese immigrant, or a species of animals, or the very Earth itself. Look around and see where your aid is needed and offer it. 

        At the same time, that you yearn to do all these great things, be gentle with yourself when you’re not able to do that. Acknowledge that you’re only human and that does not grant amazing abilities. Know when to stop, so you can work the next day. That you can’t pour from an empty cup. There will be times when you want to keep pushing, but if you do then the work that comes out of that won’t be the quality it needs to be.     

        Rest is required for your body and anyone who tries to push you beyond is wrong. Know when you’ve done all you can do and see the work is passed along and continued by the next person who needs to do it. Even though you may care a lot, your input does not always need to be there. And eventually you will have to move forward and that means you will have to let go of things. 

      Know that you only have life and at the end of it, it will have been worth it.