I actually don’t know many Buddhists in my life off-line, which makes me feel kind of sad and alone sometimes, and like an outsider. In the dharma world I’ve often felt: too broke, too queer, too middle-class, too feminine, too gender non-conforming, too educated, too uneducated, too eclectic, too creative, too political, too country, etc.

But the few Buddhists I do know have all felt too “________” (insert a position of outsidership here) at some point in the Buddhist world, either now or in the past. Or maybe we’ve felt that way continuously. Or maybe just some of the time. Or maybe we’ve felt that way concurrently with other feelings which are more comfortable, and still feel as though there is always some part of us hiding behind the door.

In spite of all that: I think if you love the dharma then you belong with the dharma. And I think all of parts of you belong here.

I love you, dharma weirdos. Shout-out to my fellow weirdo in the dharma, Ryan Rose Weaver (she/hers), who said we should get mugs made and I actually did and they didn’t turn out too shabby.