There is something awesome about witnessing joy in another, watching someone get lost in the moment. I have seen these moments when my dear friend and roommate discussed the importance and majesty of banyan trees, when my mother interacts with her high school students, and when my partner talks about David Bowie. There was a distinct moment last year when my partner, gazing straight ahead as if no longer in the room with me, went on a ten minute monologue about the musical genius that is David Bowie. Little did I know that what started out as an attempt to gain a little knowledge and be able to contribute to the conversation would lead to a full-blown David Bowie obsession. Even though I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, my music influences and favorite artists were primarily popular in the 70s and 80s. I grew up listening to Genesis (and later Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel), The Police (and later Sting), Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, Elton John and, most importantly for this Parsi...
My readers, and by that I mean my friends and family, have supported my writing endeavors over the past few years on my first blog, Feminist That , in which I explore issues of identity, social work, systemic oppression, current events, and experiences with my own, intersecting identities. That blog is still active and important to me. As I reflect back on the uniquely challenging year we have all been experiencing, I realize that this year kicked my butt. However, in doing so it also taught me how to care for myself and others better. One act of self care that has always resonated with me is listening to and engaging with music. I think about music constantly and I studied it enough to receive a music minor in college. I rarely listen to a song without looking up the lyrics and production of it. I rarely look up the lyrics and leave without having formed some opinion or analysis of them. And when I find an artist to explore, I take a deep dive into their life and discography. So ...