Thanks for sharing your experience. Welcome home. In a few years are people going to look back on this era and wonder how we could let this happen? That’s what I am thinking when I hear about the Holocaust-why did they let it happen?
I am so thankful I took the time to read this. Thank you for sharing your personal experience. Reading about your year in Minnesota, DOES in fact make a lot of things make more sense for us outsiders looking in. This is important in a time when everyday you’re trying to make sense of everything that is happening around you. I appreciate you taking the time to put your perspective into words and to spread awareness. Fear is a very heavy thing. And a dangerous thing. Thanks again, just wanted you to know this made an impact.
Thank you for sharing this, Paulina. It can be hard for people who didn't grow up in the Midwest to grasp the insider/outsider mentality that prevails there. It is a legacy of living on a cold, brutal prairie and anyone who is an outsider might make it harder to survive the winter. There is a deep irony that a place so rooted in insularity is being attacked by a group of thugs who believe they are protecting insular communities.
The problem of closing yourself off from others means you become the other to somebody else.
YES. YES. WOW thank you for that insight, I didn’t even think of that? But of course! The landscape: cold, hard to survive. Bind tight and close to survive.
But yes, the irony has not passed me. I just wish it would galvanize people outside of the cities to change, but know that they’re being fed a steady fox-news-chum diet. Sigh.
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve been waiting for your perspective, and it truly matters. Living outside of LA or New York at some point really shows you that, as a country, we’re not as far along as we like to believe. I’ve always had the privilege of being seen as an outsider, even though my roots here run deep. What you said about Fox News really resonated with me. The fear, dehumanization, and name-calling they push every day is heartbreaking. But what hurts even more is watching people you love absorb that language and repeat it, believing it’s normal.
It’s not. We are shaped by what we consume and who we keep around us. I think we’re in a moment of reckoning—people no longer willing to excuse racism and bigotry as “just opinions.” Dehumanizing entire communities should never be acceptable.
My sweet, tender-hearted friend. These are horrifying times in our beloved country. I Find that the thing I can do to hopefully help bring us back from the brink of tragedy is pray to the higher power I call God. I try to surrender myself to God each day and ask for guidance in the way I can serve God in rightness and love. One day at a time. Otherwise it can be paralyzing to contemplate the future. I try to listen and trust that God will lead me in whatever small way I can serve in my community at my age. This is not easy to do. But I believe that God's ways are the true ways and my ways are not nearly so wise. So I pray, I cry, and I try to listen. One day at a time. Thank you for sharing your story......heartbreaking....but you have learned from it all!! Reread your own words and you will see. I love you.
I hope to comment more on what you say, but I'm about to take a hot bath then retreat to the temporary oblivion of sleep.
I do want to say one quick thing. I think fear and mistrust of others is a major issue in most areas of the US. So many focus on differences rather than common qualities.
Oh, I hear Minnesota will soon be purged of Somalis. The offal that serves as POTUS has plans to send them packing.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Welcome home. In a few years are people going to look back on this era and wonder how we could let this happen? That’s what I am thinking when I hear about the Holocaust-why did they let it happen?
It’s going to be hard to justify, that’s for sure. And I certainly won’t. Grateful to be home 🫶🏻🙏🏻 praying that we can show up for our neighbors.
This is stunning. I can feel the rawness in this. Thank you for sharing this.
I love you 🫶🏻 maybe I get to sleep tonight 🤷♀️
I am so thankful I took the time to read this. Thank you for sharing your personal experience. Reading about your year in Minnesota, DOES in fact make a lot of things make more sense for us outsiders looking in. This is important in a time when everyday you’re trying to make sense of everything that is happening around you. I appreciate you taking the time to put your perspective into words and to spread awareness. Fear is a very heavy thing. And a dangerous thing. Thanks again, just wanted you to know this made an impact.
🥹🥹
This means so much to me. I am so thankful you took the time to read and reply. This is why I felt called to write it. Sending love and strength.
1. LOVE THE FOOTNOTE LMAO HELL YEAH ANTI-AI CORE 2. relating heavily to “eager to [be] corrected” ok more as I read
Thank you for sharing this, Paulina. It can be hard for people who didn't grow up in the Midwest to grasp the insider/outsider mentality that prevails there. It is a legacy of living on a cold, brutal prairie and anyone who is an outsider might make it harder to survive the winter. There is a deep irony that a place so rooted in insularity is being attacked by a group of thugs who believe they are protecting insular communities.
The problem of closing yourself off from others means you become the other to somebody else.
YES. YES. WOW thank you for that insight, I didn’t even think of that? But of course! The landscape: cold, hard to survive. Bind tight and close to survive.
But yes, the irony has not passed me. I just wish it would galvanize people outside of the cities to change, but know that they’re being fed a steady fox-news-chum diet. Sigh.
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve been waiting for your perspective, and it truly matters. Living outside of LA or New York at some point really shows you that, as a country, we’re not as far along as we like to believe. I’ve always had the privilege of being seen as an outsider, even though my roots here run deep. What you said about Fox News really resonated with me. The fear, dehumanization, and name-calling they push every day is heartbreaking. But what hurts even more is watching people you love absorb that language and repeat it, believing it’s normal.
It’s not. We are shaped by what we consume and who we keep around us. I think we’re in a moment of reckoning—people no longer willing to excuse racism and bigotry as “just opinions.” Dehumanizing entire communities should never be acceptable.
Thank you. Love you dearly 🫶🏻
My sweet, tender-hearted friend. These are horrifying times in our beloved country. I Find that the thing I can do to hopefully help bring us back from the brink of tragedy is pray to the higher power I call God. I try to surrender myself to God each day and ask for guidance in the way I can serve God in rightness and love. One day at a time. Otherwise it can be paralyzing to contemplate the future. I try to listen and trust that God will lead me in whatever small way I can serve in my community at my age. This is not easy to do. But I believe that God's ways are the true ways and my ways are not nearly so wise. So I pray, I cry, and I try to listen. One day at a time. Thank you for sharing your story......heartbreaking....but you have learned from it all!! Reread your own words and you will see. I love you.
I love you. Thank you, Queenie. You are a bright light in this dark world 🫶🏻
I hope to comment more on what you say, but I'm about to take a hot bath then retreat to the temporary oblivion of sleep.
I do want to say one quick thing. I think fear and mistrust of others is a major issue in most areas of the US. So many focus on differences rather than common qualities.
Oh, I hear Minnesota will soon be purged of Somalis. The offal that serves as POTUS has plans to send them packing.
Enjoy the hot bath and PLEASE enjoy the oblivion of deep sleep. Fear is the only thing that we all share, unfortunately.
I am so glad this translated because this is exactly what I was hoping to say !!!!