Make Your Heart a Horseshoe
You Belong Here
This week I’ve been watching the new A League of Their Own series on Amazon Prime, which is great.
I won’t give too many spoilers but let’s just say this version is a lot more openly queer than the original (which is solid 90’s comfort) and does a great job of showing that, as hard as conservative lawmakers try to make it seem, fluid gender identities and sexualities and racial discrimination did not just spring up from nowhere in the 21st century because of oat milk and woke culture.
In one heartbreaking scene (where I literally left the room and went into my kitchen to sob), a character struggling with their identity, safety, purpose, and place in life tells a friend in utter despair “There’s no version of myself that makes sense for the world.”
OOOOOOOOF.
It makes me cry just thinking about it.
Because everyone makes sense for the world.
Every. One.
Every. Single. Human. Belongs. Here. And in an ideal world, every single human would feel and know and not even have to doubt for a second that they do.
Glennon Doyle once said in a very succinct tweet: Horseshoes are better than circles.
What she meant was, don’t have a circle of friends–have a horseshoe of friends, always with visible and tangible space for others.
That doesn't mean we have to like or want to hang out with everyone. I think fascists and TERFS and Q-Anon Rabbit Hole-ers are misguided and have often hardened themselves to an empathetic perspective of their fellow humans.
I’m not really all that interested in giving some people my time, or my energy, or even the benefit of my doubt.
But if there’s any human who’s open, who’s vulnerable, who’s kind and growing and legitimately seeking to understand–I want to know those people. I want to support those people. I want those people to feel seen, and loved, and valuable, and whole—just as they are.
So if you’re doubting if you make sense to this world, I just want to say: you do.
At least in my horseshoe, and I hope in yours, too.
Annie
THREE GOOD THINGS
One of the first Heart-Horseshoe resources I watched about the trans community was this documentary about Kai Shappley. Pay attention to the fact that the comments are turned off. Can you wonder why? Now maybe send this to someone who needs to open their heart horseshoe. Or don’t. I’m not the boss of you.
Did I already encourage you to make this granola? If not, I should have.
I see your world and I raise you this quordle.