Global Literacy Project: Weaving our U*U Global Village Network
GLOBAL SISTERS STORY: Elissa Courtney Goss
1) My name is Elissa Courtney Goss; I go by Elissa (pronounced "eh-lise-e-uh")
2) I live with my mother who is my best friend. She is my number one conversationist, travel companion, and the person I can go to whenever I feel overwhelmed; however we do have our boundaries. She has taught me ethics, reasoning, and the importance of honesty and has supported me in my evolution of who I am today. Most importantly, she has never stopped supporting me in my passion to help change the world. She has never said "It won't work" or "That's sweet of you"...she has given me the utmost respect and has believed in me; which are the two gifts I most cherish from her.
3) I am currently 18, and my birthday is August 30, which is the same as my mother's.
4) I am supported by both my parents who are divorced. I recently got a job at a local coffee shop and might be moving on to a bookstore. All of the money I earn
while in school will go towards paying for school.
5) I love traveling and experiencing new people, places, and cultures! Interesting and in depth conversations are something I constantly look for and I love thought-provoking films, theatre, dance, and art. I try to take an early morning or a sunset walk everyday and the best relaxer is reading for me. I also just love to be in nature and fall in the majesty of it all.
6) I currently live in Clear Lake which is a suburb outside of Houston going to towards the Gulf of Mexico. It is a affluent neighborhood due to the majority of people being engineers or working for NASA. I, however, live in low income apartments in a diverse apartment complex which has given me an interesting perspective of my community.
7) I became Unitarian Universalist through my mother who noticed my dissatisfaction with theEpiscopalian tradition and we decided to try a UU church. After going to just one service, I felt spiritually alive again; rejuvenated from everyone's energy, commons values, and drive for social justice.
The youth program, Y.R.U.U., has especially made an impact on my life. Through Y.R.U.U and the people, both youth and adults, I have developed as a leader and more observant friend, citizen, and global citizen through our rallies, worships, random discussions, and in depth exploration into ourselves, our relationships, and our connections with the world. Most importantly, I have beennot only accepted, but affirmed and my self-esteem and my feeling of worth and positive power has risen dramatically; I would never have thought that I would ever become this comfortable in my own skin.
By becoming a UU, I have felt more whole. UUism has given me a foundation in which to soar from and a home that I can always turn to and I hope that I can share and help others through our journeys together!
8) I live in the United States of America and the current Bush Administration has made my life harder in small ways that have linked together to make it overall more difficult than it would need to be. Much stems from when he was governor of Texas which is the state I live in; there is a lack of pollution control, the court system is confusing and unjust with its procedures, and the quality of my education is based on my zip code. Also, suburban sprawl has lead to more
unsustainable development and less public transportation causing a gridlock on the highways.
9) The status of women in my community is mostly of "the Wife" with the expectation of being good looking, caring, and highly involved in family life while also gaining even more respect if juggling a high end job as well, maybe with NASA. As far as the country, I think the same is true. It is much more acceptable, if not expected, for women to go to college and get a job but then "settle down" to have a family with many still keeping their jobs.
10) The economic status of my community is a blend of lower, middle and very high income with the majority being higher end middle class (a fairly good size
house, two cars, able to buy what is needed and then some, travel, and a few kids and all their expenses)
11) To live comfortably where I live it takes about $100 a day.
12) The benefits of living in Clear Lake is definitely the education I am getting and the fact there is very little dangerous crimes committed daily; that is why
we moved here. We don't like suburbia however due to its apathetic nature towards the rest of the world and the focus on money and material wealth and being the best at everything and having to be so focused. It is hard to be stimulated creatively and to explore various interests.
13) I would like for other women to know that my community is not perfect even though we are middle class. You lose the color and richness of diversity and can easily become narrowly directed in life- this can lead to a dichotomy of laziness and over working, drugs and exercise, isolation and community, apathy and expectations, trappings and escape. As far as my country goes, the same applies but the cities are much different. We still have a huge inequality between races and ethnicities with religious whites still being the majority. It is very hard and
time consuming to do social justice work and we are not an ideal society. It can be hard to get the job you want and to becomecomfortable middle class citizens. Comparing suburbia and the cities is like comparing a white wall to a mural.
Also, there are geographical differences with the North still steeped in tradition, the South being religious and conservative, and the West being fiercely individual. However, these perceptions are mine and differ from person to person. America is very diverse, unique, and different in every place you go. Don't ever expect the same. We are however, very safe and more people are given the chance to "succeed" than in many other countries.
14) Women from other countries could best support me and my community by making their experiences within their country known to us as well as helping us break down stereotypes and assumptions of one another. Also, to understand together better how our countries policies, both political and economical, have, are, and will effect each other. Then to keep CONTINUING dialogue as to how best help each and work together at the government and grassroots level.
15) My main goal in life is to have what I do be a strong, positive, progressive impact on the world. I will (not would, I will) travel and learn from others and from that use it to best benefit our interdependent web in the ways best fit.
16) The biggest obstacles I face right now is paying for my college education and getting into the colleges that will help me get where I need to be. So often it is a tiny road and only so many people are allowed to be on it...and I am also trying to figure out if being a part of that small elite would even be worth it in the end.
17) My hopes and dreams for the future are changing our society's confrontational nature and engaging in more dialogue and honesty. As well as find ways for more people to become active global and national and community citizens. To get people to realize that they can make a difference...but it takes more than just a dedicated few to see the kind of change we wish for. Also, for more people to understand that talk is great, but action is better. As long as it is based on dialogue and reason.
18) I will definitely be attending the convocation! I just need a plane ticket :)
19) Yes I do have access to go online, I have access 24/7 both at school, home and in my community through the public library and a 24 hour store called Kinkos.
20) I would like to share the importance I feel that we come to the convocation with passion and open minds and hearts. That we listen, share, and then act. But
also to support each other afterwards in our endeavors back home and keep and build and grow our connections. To fully realize our interdependent web, and the joy and opportunity available through it for us!
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Global Literacy Project: Weaving our U*U Global Village Network
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