To the Old Asian American G's And The New Ones

Tuesday, April 04, 2023

Dear MF's,

So I know I've been a little in and out of here over the last few years, but still putting up some posts now and then and maybe more (even though I've said that before), and for some odd reason thought I'd blog for a bit as I've been thinking about this one and just have the urge to post.

As I've gotten older and I've been in this space and other writing spaces for a while, and at the same time doing other projects and just trying to live, I've been thinking about the trajectory of blog spaces like this, others, and different types of activism what happens as you natually get older and you naturally get into other things.

While my blog output here hasn't been spectacular, I've also been out on the street protesting, documenting, writing in other places, and trying to make differences in other areas where I can, where it also matters too and I think I was thinking about that in total and I'm at a point in my life where I'm okay with that. 

We all have these projects and vibes--these things that have become a core part of who we are--but we also move forward, keep learning, and trying new things. 

And that's okay.

It's okay to move into other things, take on new projects, let the fire that burned for one project, take hold of something else and heat up somewhere else. 

I think that's natural. It's like Asian American musicians who put out a record or two and then afterwards decided to stop making music, to focus on something different. It doesn't lessen what that project, that feel, that vibe was, for that point in time. 

You can be a part of the community in the sense of being in it from that POV, but it doesn't mean you have to get somewhere else--or get to the top, or what you imagine the top to be. 

It's like I've known a lot of bloggers who wanted to get into more mainstream journalism for a living, or write for larger publications--and that's totally cool. And I've known bloggers like myself who just didn't want to go that route later on. Like for me, I've never aspired to be a part of major news organizations, or just doing it for a living. I've known people that have and it's just something that's never been for me. And I think sometimes if you don't, and I'm not talking about myself in that way, sometimes people don't look at you like you're moving the needle, or you have passion to "do more".

I rebuke that type of thinking because we can do so many things to affect our different communities in so many ways that don't always have a spotlight on it--and that's community. That's doing it for the long haul and at your core. 

It's like I love film and media and I've been doing some content creation myself, but I'm not out in Hollywood trying to make it--and there's nothing wrong with doing that--just the same as there's nothing wrong with just doing things on a scale that works for you. That you love and you have passion about. 

In that way, for the old G's--I see you. Even if it's about your family and kids and nothing to do with a project in the community. You did something when you did it and helped push the needle when you did, and I'm sure in your own way--because that's in our core and our DNA--you're still taking it to whoever needs it brought to them. 

To the younger G's--I see you too. I see what you're doing. How you're taking it to a new level. And if you keep on keeping on--sweet as a MF. If one day, you decide to lighten the load, do something else, or just get the hell out of dodge all together--

We got a place for you.