June 29, 2026
Personal Reflections
Last week, I cherished attending “The Power of Connection” hosted by Erin Jones and Terry Shaw, giving hugs to numerous friends throughout Pride, and laughing at Chris Tucker at the Snoqualmie Casino with my mama.
Earlier, a thought came through my mind where I wished I could relive these incredible moments again (without entering into an eerie Groundhog Day vortex). It did not take me long to realize that through writing, story telling, and looking through paper programs and photographs, I am doing exactly that.
My mama, sister, and I buy these fancy leather bound journals each year to record our memories and keep track of things like the number of performances we attended, books read, or new movies watched. These journals are designed to have spaces to record what happens each day. We don’t let these pages remain plain — we decorate them with stickers, performance program covers, and much more!
Admittedly, I am much better at the decorating and keeping track of the experiences than I am at recording my memories, which is incredibly ironic because I am a writer. In fact, I may or may not have 4 months of journaling to catch up on this week: wish me luck!
In the midst of my perfectionist guilt, I am grateful for the places and spaces like my column, website, newsletter, and social media where I can continue to pour out my heart and share my experiences with all of you.
Regardless of where or how you choose to express yourself, you must prioritize the regular pouring out of your heart. I encourage you to use words and pictures occasionally so you can maintain your own historical record or archive for yourself, your children, or for the community.
Coming back to last week, these were the lessons that left handprints on my heart:
I made a new friend who I will now always refer to as “the one and only Calvin” who shared something he heard that was deeply profound: “the most important word in our Constitution is ‘we.’”
The phrase, “I did not grow up saying the pledge of allegiance everyday to have anything less than ‘liberty and justice for all’” came up often in conversation.
At Olympia Pride, I kept hearing the phrase “Pride is for everyone,” which really rang true in my heart as an ally. Pride is all about love, joy, and standing hand in hand as we create a more just future. I hugged more friends than I could keep track of, watched our fabulous Olympia Symphony Orchestra, saw numerous dancers kick ass in their dance battles, and supported local artists through Christmas gift purchases (I shop early and only give local gifts).
Together, these lessons show me that life is much more vibrant when we are about the “we” rather than just the “me.” This is where true love in all of its forms lives.
Pride Month, Juneteenth, all these annual celebrations of historically significant moments remain vital and beautiful, but I don’t want those conversations to only live in just those moments. I want to keep the discussions surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and love going all year long.
You, dear reader and friend, play a big part in that. Writing is never a solo activity for me because I know you that you are on the other side of the page and are participating in the conversation right alongside me. Thank you for reading and for remaining present and passionate about our community.
I look forward to the memories we create together in the days to come! Love to you all!
This Week in the Arts
Coming up this week, I will be publishing three pieces in my JOLT Column including:
A conversation with City of Tumwater’s Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff and Arts Coordinator Lena Miltimore
Arts & Pride Month Conversation Series: Kendra Malm
I will be publishing these articles under “Rachel’s Choice”
Review: the Olympia Symphony Orchestra at Pride
Review: Chris Tucker comes to Washington
To read my articles as they come out, I invite you to subscribe to the JOLT News and/or follow me on Instagram and Facebook, then invite a friend to do the same! :)
If you read a story that inspires you, I invite you to share it with others and help spread the word about the incredible things happening in the Thurston County Arts Community.
Then, make a donation to The JOLT News so that we can continue to celebrate everything happening in our arts community.
Other Fun Things This Week
Book Review: Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli
Getting in ‘The Zone’: “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” Season 1, Episode 22. Watch episode here to prepare.
14 Questions for My Community: What advice would you offer to someone who is still figuring out who they are or what they want to do with their life?
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