What's Care Got to do With it?

 What's Care Got to do With it?


Tell us a story about a time in your life when you needed and received care. What did this look and feel like? How did SYSTEMS play a role in your story--how were institutions caring or uncaring?


I recall a time in my life when I was going to college, living on my own and working two part-time jobs (still kind of my life but I have more stability now). During this time, it was my first semester back to Johnson and Wales University after taking some time off, and I had to work myself out of academic probation if I didn't want to be kicked out of college. On this particular day, I had two examines and I had gotten ready early so I would have extra time to study and prepare. I forgot something in my car, which I always leave unlocked, so I left my second floor apartment to grab what I needed and toss my backpack in the passenger seat so I wouldn't forget it later. I walked back upstairs, everything ready for me to use my extra time to study when I realized, I locked myself out of my apartment. No one else is home or in the building and I have a half charged phone. I emailed my professors explaining my situation because I am now, ready for my examines but without a means of safe transportation. BOTH professors told me if I didnt come I would take a zero, determined not to flunk out of college, I grabbed what I left in my car and walked 3 miles through The Projects to get to both classes. I took my examines and left to walk another 3 miles through The Projects and the rain at this point, all the while, calling and texting anyone to help me. By the time I reached my apartment, my phone was dead, I was soaked and it was cold. I sat on the stairs to the building until someone came home to let me in. After all this, I was sick and exhausted but I went to work because I dont have health coverage or sick days to take.

At this point of uncertainty in my life where I could barely pay for rent and college, and have time to work my jobs because of school work, being able to take even one day off was a luxury I could not afford. I needed care and understanding in order to make sure I was safe at home before coming to school but the system of the university doesnt afford such empathy. I was lucky to have only walked away from this experience with a cold, much worse things could have happened to me in the neighborhood I lived in. Since service industry jobs dont often have things like days off and health insurance I couldnt access the health - care that I needed after this ordeal was over. If these systems had more equity, I could have taken the examines at a later date or even not at all, considering I was getting As in both classes at the time. The fact that as an adult, I wasnt trusted to take charge of my own life and education was ultimately the reason I ended up dropping from Johnson and Wales and why it took me over 4 years to go back.

Side note: love rest as a form of resistance and need to start practicing this in my own life without making myself feel guilty about not working

Resources: Sacred Conversations: ​​Sharing Journeys of Healing Justice with the Field of  Critical Youth Mental Health (Cory Greene, Anna Ortega-Williams, Cara Page, and Alex “altoro” Davis), Love as the Practice of Freedom (bell hooks), No More Grind: How to Finally Rest with Tricia Hersey (of the Nap Ministry) (hour-long podcast–we can do hard things with Glennon Doyle)

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