blog – Page 4 – E. A. Young Writes

Pat’s Cat

Throughout my life, my grandmother loved books. She would give me Barnes and Noble gift cards for Christmas and birthday, her shelves were overflowing, and she would have a book in her sunroom, bedroom, car, even her bathroom.

June Reading Log

As always, there will be spoilers for the books mentioned.

My First Pride After Five Years

I first went to Pride in the fall of 2019, my sophomore year of college; the town my university was in always had their Prides in October, so that the college kids who went home for the summer could participate.

I was still new in my identity, and even though I was going to meet a few friends there, I was nervous. I hid the pride flag I bought at a school event as I walked to where I was meeting them.

When I got there, however, I felt better, freer. It felt right, being there with my friends and in this community. The parade was filled with so much light and joy, and I even found myself tearing up at the beauty of it all. Next to us sat a mother and her child, and when the parade finished the mother turned to her kid and said, “Do you know why we have this party? This party is a celebration of love, and loving who we want.” It was hard not to sob at that.

I looked forward to the next Pride parade in 2020, but, unfortunately…you know.

Late last year, I visited Oregon again. Of the many things I planned to do, Pride was one of them. It had been five years since I first went. Now, I was…still new and unsure in my identity, for I had changed labels to ones that felt more “me” in the moment. I’ve still grown–with my chosen family, with my community, and within myself.

In 2019 I sat near the back of the parade. In 2023, I sat directly in the front, seeing everything first. No matter where I sat, the experience was wonderful. I got to see friends, even some that I hadn’t seen since college, and it was great to see so many communities come together to show their pride.

I’ve grown a lot in the last five years–six now, since it’s currently Pride month. It’s impossible to truly know oneself, since we are constantly changing and evolving. I am not the same person I was five years ago, one year ago, even one week ago. And I think that’s one of the main principles of Pride: loving yourself, no matter how many changes you go through.

That, and remembering the roots of Pride, and fighting to make sure we all can live a safe, peaceful life.

May Reading Recap

Thirteen books in total! Here are some of my favorites.

April Reads

Another successful reading month!

March Reading Recap

Another month, another round of books!! I think I read two less than the month previous, but who’s counting? March was a rather rough month for me (I went to the ER and a beloved family member passed away, so the books I wanted to read either hit a little too hard or I just couldn’t focus on them. So, some of these reviews aren’t as consistent as each other. Bear with me.

I Left a Message for my Grandmother

I left a message for my grandmother.
It rang three times, then a woman who wasn’t my grandmother spoke on the phone and told me that the person you are trying to reach was not available now, and at the tone to please record a message.

Riddle of Fire Review: The Neo-Fairy Tale of Your Dreams

One of my favorite hobbies is going onto IMDB and looking at the posters for upcoming movies and TV. Sometimes I’ll find something that I’m interested in, and I’ll add it to my watchlist. That’s what happened with Weston Razooli’s debut Riddle of Fire.

Seattle in Polaroids

I took a weekend trip to Seattle to see Riddle of Fire, and I brought my instant camera with me to capture the fun memories. I was having too much fun to take very many photos, but the few I took were pretty neat!

February Reading Wrap Up

I have been powering through books like nobody’s business lately, and in an effort to get back into consistent blog posts, I wanted to dive into some of the books I finish in February! (Yes, I know I am very very late). I have to say, I have never read this many books in a MONTH before. My secret: AUDIOBOOKS!! I got a library card in my new city, which I then used to sign into the Libby app, and then went to town!