All right, everybody. It's time to do this thing again. Time to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Steve Lim.
Who are you?
Don't act like you don't know, Phil! You know my name is Steve. I also go by Slim.
What are you?
How dare you, Phil. I am a friend, a brother, and sometimes a lover. I am a different version of you.
Where are you?
Phil, I've already given you GPS access to my location. This is getting weird. I'm in LA, in a place of transition, finding out where I am in the grand scheme of things.
Where are you from?
Baltimore, Maryland. B-more. Charm City. Everyone's been getting a look at the not-so-charming side of Baltimore these days. But at the same time, B-more has also been showing everyone how socially conscious, caring, intelligent, passionate, and straight up the people can be. Not to mention media savvy. You see how the people are calling out mainstream media like CNN and Fox News? They are aware of the typical news narrative and organizing and fighting to redefine it with a fuller, more accurate story. I'm so proud of that. #BaltimoreUprising
What do you do?
If we're talking about occupation, honestly, I wish I could tell you I'm just one particular "thing" like a teacher, or a chef, or an astronaut. The thing is, my work experience covers a range that encompasses law, hospitality, government, education, entertainment, community activism -- basically, I've got all these butter knives. But I'm going to gather all these knives and smelt them. Then I'm going to forge them into the ultimate sword. At the very least I'll end up with one damn fine, oversized butter knife.
A few months ago, I was in the education sector and very involved with the DC chapter of Kollaboration. Kollaboration and its founder, PK, have made such a huge impact on my life and perspective. I'm thinking about getting the Kollaboration logo inked on me. Can you suggest which body part? Shout out to all the Kollab staff, volunteers, fans, and supporters around the world.
Right now I'm checking out new opportunities in LA. One thing to look forward to is this new ISAtv show where we try to sharpen DANakaDAN's "Asian skills." Coming soon.
If we're talking about personal passions, I'm into improv comedy and podcasts.
What are you all about?
I'm all about digging for what's real or honest in a dialogue, a person, a reaction, or even my own thoughts and beliefs. I'm looking for authenticity in the people I interact with and the things that I do. That which is interesting will also be genuine. We don't feel great about knock-offs, we want the real thing. Yet, most of us passively allow so much artificiality in our own lives. We've all met people who seem nice but are utterly banal. No one is inherently boring, but not everyone is honest or secure enough to share what they really feel or think, likely out of fear. It usually turns out that the stuff we think we should hide is what's really interesting and worth sharing. I mean, being honest with yourself can be a very difficult thing, especially if you've always followed a certain path. Now having said all that, I gotta admit: I haven't been entirely upfront with my folks about what I'm doing in LA. I'll eventually get around to that.
What makes you angry?
Not listening (while acting like you are). I'm not talking about obedience like the way a dog hears a sound and sits, but about the sincere effort put forth to understand a message. It's such a fundamental and basic skill, it's sad that we as a society are not very good at it, especially when it's hugely needed in heavier issues like racial inequality. How often do you see discussions or debates where it's clear that someone isn't making the effort to be attentive and listen? This interview with Baltimore City Councilman Nick Mosby is a classic example of someone hearing words, but not getting the message.
