The world feels like it is contracting in fear lately and when that happens my instinct is to expand.

I made myself this button, and I wear it in public on days when I feel up to the challenge of opening myself to the vulnerabilities of others. This is one of the ways I fight isolationism.

Turns out that if you wear a button that says If You Need Someone To Talk To, You Can Talk To Me, people are in general significantly more friendly to you. Rather than just a little bit of polite banter with sales people and bank tellers, people will actually ask you more in depth questions about how you are and be more forthcoming as well. So far no one off the street has talked with me about anything too challenging, but people have remarked that they think the idea is really sweet. A bunch of my lovely friends asked for buttons and it felt nice to package them up and send them out, knowing that maybe they are helping to keep people from feeling like they are all alone.

Fighting isolationism starts with ourselves and being willing to hold space for people in our community. If you want a button, email me at resourcerybodywork@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will send you one, along with a lot of love and gratitude for the work you do in the world.