alison

i moved around a lot as a child and am totally proud to declare Seattle my home. i was raised by a jewish mom and a catholic dad, but my parents met through the teachings of Siddha Yoga, a practice that stems from Hinduism. Siddha Yoga, they decided, would be the most appropriate religion to raise an ackward, buck-toothed, pigeon-toed, outcasted, me. At 8 years old I was given a Hindu name which is 'Karuna' (it means compassion). At 15 i made the decision that i didn't want to be affiliated with any type of religion. Today, i maintain that decision, though have taken it to an extreme of not wanting to be affiliated with anything titled... I work with the homeless population on the streets of Seattle and love it, though every day I am outraged at the injustices that the homeless face. The goal of my agency is to end homelessness in Seattle, which i believe to be an extreme, but ambitious and totally awesome goal... i hate that at 24, i am still faced with so many people who cant think for themselves and feel the need resemble and reflect everyone else in their group of peers. i respect people that are outcasted for thinking differently and i strive to never become stuck in a comfort zone... i also like bright and colorful socks, preferably with hearts and polkadots. a pair of socks can seriously make or break my day.