BodyStories – Olivia Meeks

IT’S NOT JUST NOW

I started collecting clocks in college. It’s the first thing I look for when in a new antique store and I even have a tattoo of one. There is a clock in every room of my house, including bathrooms and patios. When I was updating my patio last spring as my quarantine project and sendingContinue reading “IT’S NOT JUST NOW”

LET LOVE LEAD

In a pedagogy class in grad school, I shared an experience where I was left humiliated in front of my dance class. I was 14 when it happened. After I recounted the actions of my former dance teacher, my professor looked at me and said, “Well, you’ve learned a great lesson and you’ll never doContinue reading “LET LOVE LEAD”

THOSE FIRST WORDS

I started my coming out journey ten years ago at the age of 18. It started with friends and extended family members, then moved to immediate family, and still unfolds in new friend circles and work environments. Queer-identifying people are always coming out, and it seems it will never stop. There are so many instancesContinue reading “THOSE FIRST WORDS”

IT TAKES TIME

I’ve shared a lot about how coming out is a joyful journey, one that has been in the works for me for ten years now. Truthfully, the beginning was not joyful. There were moments of beauty but they were wrapped in a painful pair of years. If someone had told me when I was 20,Continue reading “IT TAKES TIME”

ALLOW YOUR HANDS TO PRAY

When I was in yoga teacher training, they suggested that we never cue Anjali Mudra as “hands at prayer.” They explained that many people have baggage with the term prayer so it’s better to just use the Sanskrit or say “hands at heart center.” Three years ago when I was in that training, I wasContinue reading “ALLOW YOUR HANDS TO PRAY”

WHEN I ASKED FOR HELP

I’ve been going to hot yoga four to five times a week the past two months. It hasn’t been easy to get in that routine. It’s been exhausting and hard. Like so many, when Covid came to the US, my exercise routine crumbled. My yoga studio closed for some time and even once they opened,Continue reading “WHEN I ASKED FOR HELP”

COMING OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

I’ve been sharing coming out stories on Instagram recently. I’ve uploaded four videos sharing different experiences around coming out: to my sister, to a jewelry store clerk, to my middle-school students, and to the Church. They have been beautifully received. Here are some of the highlights: A friend who works in youth ministry is becomingContinue reading “COMING OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA”

MIRROR IMAGE

Some teachers from my school formed a virtual book club for the summer and we met last night to discuss Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. If you’re into gothic literature, you will love this one. It’s fresh but draws from so many classic sources like Jane Eyre, a few Poe stories, and the classic shortContinue reading “MIRROR IMAGE”

PRIDE

Last year I went to my first Pride Parade in a big city. This was a big step for me. Large crowds have always made me feel anxious, and as I get older, the anxiety increases. When in a big group, I ask myself the following questions: how do I get out the fastest, whereContinue reading “PRIDE”

RACISM IN MY RIGHT HAND

I haven’t sat down to write in a few weeks. It felt strange to put my words and thoughts on paper instead of reading the important Black perspectives around me. These weeks of quiet have been uncomfortable for me, but I know that discomfort is nothing compared to how People of Color have felt. IContinue reading “RACISM IN MY RIGHT HAND”