Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?
A year ago, I didn’t expect that my life would be any different.
The differences are that I finished my play and that I came out.
It took 10 years (and a series of amazing playwriting classes) to get it to the finish line. As for coming out, it took years of therapy and courage that I didn’t know I had.
No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Two things matter after the error is made. The first is that we acknowledge what we did and try to do better next time. The second is that we learn from our actions.
Rudy Giuliani has done neither. Once upon a time (i.e. the days after 9/11), he was heralded as a politician whose reputation and judgment were unmatched. Leading the city (and the country by extension) out of the darkness, Giuliani set the stage for a slow return to normalcy.
On Friday, NYC’s former Mayor was ordered to pay $150 Million to Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman. Obviously, no amount of money will undo the emotional damage and the loss of security and anonymity. But knowing that he has gotten his day in court is enough for me.
If anyone would have told me 22 years ago that he would become a stooge for you know who, I would told them that they were crazy. I usually don’t wish anyone ill. But in this case, this former hero is now a zero and deserves whatever shit is thrown his way.
The title of “hero” is a lofty one. It requires a potential self-sacrifice in which your needs are secondary to someone else’s.
Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer’s Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th was published in October. This memoir, written by Capitol police officer Harry Dunn, is the tale of a political awakening and a man who did everything he could to save lives on January 6th.
As the invaders entered the Capitol building, he faced naked racism and led the attackers away from the members of Congress, their staff, and anyone who worked within its walls. When the dust settled and some began to openly question what they had witnessed with their own eyes, Dunn knew that it was time to speak up.
I admire Dunn for his courage, his vulnerability, and his willingness to publicly speak truth to power. He could have stayed silent and went on with his life. But he didn’t. He chose to put himself out there and remind his readers why we must fight for our democracy.
He also spoke openly about the emotional scars and trauma that he is dealing with daily. He could have hidden it under addiction. But instead, he is open about the work that is needed to put that day behind him.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer’s Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th is available wherever books are sold.
Writergurlny 