Since the murder of a certain Christian Nationalist White Supremacist public figure, people across the political and social ideological spectrum have been screaming at those of us who don’t care, aren’t showing enough empathy (although that certain someone didn’t believe empathy was a real thing), and are reminding folx of the hateful bigoted vitriol he…
Author: grouchyinparadise
I always struggle with writing a bio for myself, it's weird to describe oneself in a disembodied or third person kind of way and it always sounds a bit like self-aggrandizement to say a bunch of good things about myself. So anyways...about me...I am a single mom of two adult children and have been raising kids since I was 10, so I'm also tired of being responsible for life. I have a dual Bachelor's in Criminal Justice and Sociology with a minor in Political Science, a Master's in Higher Education Administration, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration with a cognate (a fancy name for a minor) in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education. I attended Washington State University after transferring in with an Associate's degree from Skagit Valley Community College. I am interested in issues related to equity and social justice. As a result I read a lot about race/racism, gender/gender identity/sexism/misogyny, internationalization/globalization, history, politics, and such. I read academic work, biographies and memoirs, fiction, news, and blogs on these topics. I follow people on FaceBook and Twitter who speak to these things and do work in these areas.
Hmmm...what else to say about me? I love music, all genres but am a metal head who has recently fallen in love with hip hop/rap and am having fun exploring all the music I denied myself in my youth. Right now, Tupac is bringing me so much joy and my daughter keeps introducing me to contemporary artists like Joey Bada$$ and J. Cole. I'm digging Kendrick Lamar (along with the rest of the world) and my A #1 guy is Eminem, I fondly refer to him as my boyfriend. I'm holding out hope it will happen one day. As for metal, Metallica and AC/DC are my number 1 favorite bands. I dig some good 60s/70s rock, soul, and folk music. I also love old big band, jazz, really whatever; it depends on my mood.
I love action and horror movies and am hooked on superhero movies and TV - Marvel and DC are doing some really cool things. I always enjoy a good rom-com and a good sappy love story that brings tears to my eyes. But my all time favorite movies include Grease, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Rent, Saw, and Silence of the Lambs - just off the top of my head.
My kids are the most important people in my life, always have been, always will be. I have poured my life and energy into them and will probably continue to do that to some degree as I explore this new leg of my life journey and find balance in my life.
Literacy, Critical Literacy, and Racial Literacy
(I’m challenging myself to write daily starting now, 8/7/2025) Disclaimers: First, I have been challenging myself to write daily. I fell off for a whole week. Back at it now. Secondarily, my writing for this challenge is largely stream of consciousness. This is my thinking, things I’m puzzling through, knowledge I am building for myself….
I Took a Pause in Life and Learned a Lot About Myself
(I’m challenging myself to write daily starting now, 7/31/2025) Almost 2-years ago, I intentionally decided to slow down and really think about what came next for me. My full-time position at a college ended in June of 2023 and I haven’t looked back…much. I was able to step off the circle jerk because I had…
I Had Fifteen Writing Ideas Today…More or Less
(I’m challenging myself to write daily starting now, 7/30/2025)
Let’s Stop the Fuckery
(I’m challenging myself to write daily starting now, 7/29/2025) If we are the kind of friends where I won’t come to your home because of the company you keep, I’m not inviting you into my home. My home is my inner sanctum. It is where I recharge and protect myself from the energies of the…
Have They No Shame? No…No, They Do Not. They Never Have
So, the next time you think, “oh my god, how could they”, “they would never”, or “have they no shame”, remember this tale and realize, they don’t care, they absolutely would and have, and no they do not.
Everything Begins With African Descendants of Slavery: Freedom, Civil Rights, and Bodily Autonomy
[January 22, 2025 – Cross published on Substack and Grouchy in Paradise] So, that sham of an inauguration happened. That bloated rotting heap of human excrement was once again sworn into the highest position in the land. As much as I want to ignore the spectacle of this, as much as I want to starve…
My 2024 Election Reflections
Photo by Michael Marais on Unsplash I learned in 2016 that I couldn’t trust most white folx. While I’ve been digging in, doing the work, trying to coalition build and help people come to terms with their anti-Blackness, white supremacy, and racism, I learned about the depths of anti-Blackness in many other people of color communities: Asians, Hispanic,…
An Elegy to My Tiny Tyrant
I knew it would be hard saying farewell to you. I minimized so much, thinking it would be the big things, like your presence. Last night when I went to bed, the same night that I let you rest my sweet dog, I felt your absence. And I miss you so much. The little things…
Breaking Down the White Supremacist System That Murdered Tyre Nichols
This one hurts. For myriad reasons. And ya KNOW the video is bad when people kept saying please keep it peaceful before the release of the video. Let’s get into it. 1) Tyre Nichols should still be walking this Earth. That is first and foremost. He was brutally murdered over a traffic infraction. A traffic infraction…
I Owe Much of My Opportunities, Privilege, and Rights to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Those Who Struggled for Civil Rights
Growing up, Dr. King was frequently spoken of in my home. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 and I was born July 4, 1970, so his death in relation to my birth was probably at the front of my mom’s and grandma’s minds as I was the first mixed kid in the family. My…
Belated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Post
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, things look bleak, his legacy and life’s work threatened. It feels dystopian, foreboding, and surreal. 1) Here we sit in the midst of a global pandemic that has killed over 800,000 people domestically and more than 5 million people globally. In this country, far too many workers have…
Grouchy in Paradise 