I never do things alone. I’ve always had roommates or friends that I could spend every moment with. And even in the times when they aren’t there—when I’m walking home, when I’m cooking dinner, when I’m chilling in my apartment—I’ll find a friend to Facetime or call so that I can talk to someone. It’s not that I don’t enjoy being by myself. Every so often, I love those moments where I can just sit with my thoughts and reflect. I just really value talking to people, getting to know them better, and deepening our relationship.
I’ve been wanting to do more things by myself, for a couple of reasons. I don’t want to be limited to only doing things where I have a friend with me. I want to be able to go to places where I know nobody and feel completely comfortable with meeting new people and making new friends. I want to practice making meaningful connections with people in fields and activities that I’m not as familiar with because I know those connections can be so important and valuable, and they can help expand my knowledge and perspective on the world. However, I do feel like it’s difficult for me to recognize when there’s an opportunity for me to participate in an activity or event where I’m all by myself, since most of the time, I’m spending time with friends, and I’m not actively thinking about what I can do without them.
So when the actors’ guild went on strike alongside the writers in Hollywood, I knew that attending the picket lines would be the perfect chance for me to do something meaningful to me, all by myself. On the first day of the strike, I bussed to Netflix Studios, grabbed a sign, and started walking. Even though I knew absolutely nobody there and even though it was a little bit nerve-wracking at first, it was nice to finally do something by myself for once. And after a bit, it felt so comfortable—I started talking to people, learning about their specific grievances with the production studios, learning about their lives outside of the strike, and learning about their personalities. The sense of solidarity was palpable, and it was amazing to see so many people come together to fight for a common goal.
The cohort meets Congressman Jimmy Gomez.
This experience, for me, felt like an outlet for me to put into practice everything that I’ve learned at CAUSE: talking to interesting people, civic engagement, and solidarity. It was also an opportunity to put my past self—the person who wouldn’t do anything without someone he knew by his side—behind me. It took a lot of effort. But in the end, I feel like putting myself through this discomfort has allowed me to grow as a person, and it is slowly helping me overcome the habits and tendencies that have limited me and my development. As I progress in this internship, I want to continue engaging in actions that are opposite to who I am, to who I see myself as, in order to bring the lessons from CAUSE to life.