Who I am and why I do this.

I've done some non-fiction writing.  And some acting.  And some local Democratic politics.

I been published in both The Orange County Registerand Zooey Magazine. I contributed to other blogs, playwright, Prince Gomolvilas's blog, Bamboo Nation, and the LGBT blog, The Bilerico Project. 

For over two decades I have advocated for those struggling with issues surrounding raising a kid with a peanut allergy. In 2008 I founded the Facebook support group: Parents Of Kids With A Severe Peanut Allergy, which remains popular and is still growing every day. 

On a far different note, I have kept this personal blog: Louise On The Left (Coast) which is part online journal, part personal love-letter to basically anything that grabs my heart: From pop culture, to the arts, to world events.  

I first started blogging as a way to stay sane during a contentious Obama election. I could not believe the growing intolerance for LGBTQ legislation evidenced in a sea of yard signs saying no to gay marriage.  I started blogging back then, just to keep sane.  At the time I thought I was the only living liberal in Orange County.   

Now I know I am not quite so alone.  Now four years into the Trump presidency we have all come together to take a stand, but in 2008?  I had no idea there were others who felt as I did.

Blogging, or rather, writing, became a life raft of sorts.   One day this blog just appeared and it never went away.  

I did put it on ice after Trump got elected when I was invited to step bewilderingly into the arena of local politics, something I never thought I'd ever do thinking then, stupidly, that art and politics should not co-exist.   Now I know everything co-exists.  
Only humans don't get this.

Four years later.  It's now February 2020 and it's clear the small flames of intolerance I saw in the early 2000's are now a massive fire burning out of control, fed by corruption, ignorance, ego and pure, unbridled greed.  It's been burning out of control and it looks like we have still not gotten the message yet.  

The fire is so big now.  I never thought things would be this bad.  The reality is that our country's not going to save itself.  And whether or not it's fair, or how things used to be, the truth is, this country is not going to save itself.  So we, the people, need to get involved.  

So -- sign up, roll up your sleeves, do something, because the calvary is not on it's way.  It's up to us to make a difference.   Here in the Orange County Democratic Party we  did what we could to steer the ship away from the rocks.  It's not been easy, but the reality is, nobody will do the work for us.  We all need to get involved in the great experiment called "America" in order for it to work.  They do not want you to know this, but the power of the people is the greatest weapon in our arsenal, so, come on in, the water's fine - we can use the help.

In the end, life isn't defined just by politics. Or just by parenthood. Or must by glib moments of syrupy gratitude, no -- It's about the journey and what makes us take it.

Life is about hearts.  What makes them tick.  What fills them up.  

But most of all, what breaks them.  And the lengths we will go  to not have them break.  

Life is about the stuff in between the words. 

And these are my words.