Last week I was really mentally exhausted, even more than usual. It is difficult to tell the organization I am working with when I have setbacks like this because I was/am already failing to meet ablebodied standards. But what I really love about LHA is how close-knit and accommodating everyone is. I am often witnessing lots of emails of people talking about their varying needs for the LHA space, and others acting accordingly. One of the most important things about community is recognizing how much work it takes. As in, embracing and expecting the inconvenience. I just wonder how to navigate it when you’re much more inconvenience than helper. Not a lot of people talk about how to become a part of a community when your integration calls on others to do much more, not less. I applied to this program because all I wanted to do was help other people, so this has been weighing on me.
I'm majoring in sociology and minoring in feminist/intersectional science and technology studies! My project is about the (social) experiences and perspectives of long term survivors of HIV regarding the AIDS epidemic and COVID pandemic. Through my interviews, I hope to learn about collective response and risk distribution as experienced by vulnerable/marginalized populations, particularly as public attention and precautions wane.
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