2022.

The year of pushing back to move forward. Moving forward to push back.

The brick in our Pioneer Square loft looks like any other brick. Red with mortar the color of vanilla whipped cream. Dry and textured. You could probably cut your fingertips on it without trying too hard. Collections of bricks create boundaries: strong, immovable ones. Not completely impenetrable or leak-proof, but formidable nonetheless. The smoke this summer seeped through and my air filter light turned purple then red. 2022 was the Year of the Brick. It was a year of setting boundaries and holding people accountable. Going into 2023, I think my life might hold more of the same.

It is exhausting to hold people accountable.

People don't like boundaries. Especially in relationships. They want to be able to move freely about the cabin. To let loose and run free. To march authoritatively over your emotions and self-esteem. To walk into your mind like they own the place, taking control of your spirit, well-being, and soul.

Plastic bags, wrappers, brick walls, any walls, buildings, houses, locked doors, policies, laws, masks, windows, clothes, space, air, glasses, fences, strong words. There are numerous ways to bind ourselves in and keep “the other” out. Bind foreign things in and keep foreign things out. Think about it: since March 2020, we've been obsessed with creating new boundaries. Grounding planes, closing borders, donning masks, always six feet apart.

But they're necessary.