be kind, always

November 16, 2019

When a friend gifted me my first strap, I immediately loved it. It was something I could wear to work when I can't wear other jewelry. It had CORGIS on it, so of course I loved it. It was comfortable. It was cool. What was not to love? Then I searched for Zox to see what this was all about, and discovered much more than a fun, cool, accessory. I discovered a community of like minded folks. There is so much bullying and insensitivity in the world today, it's not always easy to focus on the good, or to trust there are more good people in the world than bad. It's hard to not be anxious and just want to stay in our own safe little bubble. I spent most of my childhood and half my adult life deaf (I have cochlear implants now), which made online communities a huge huge asset for me. It was a place I could be just like everyone else, where my struggles didn't hold me back. A place to escape from the bullies in my life and be around like minded, kind people from all over the world. Discovering these straps came with an entire community behind them made them much more than just collectible, it made them spiritual. My mantra has always been to Be Kind. No matter what disability, physical trait, weirdness, oddity, cultural difference, beliefs or whatnot a person has...be kind, always. The Zox community is amazing. It is filled with people like me. People from ALL walks of life, people with struggles and anxieties and depression. People who find joy in all different kinds of things, and want someone to share them with. Real, kind, embracing, loving people. The straps themselves are like some secret sign we carry around on our wrists, and when we spot some stranger wearing one, we get excited because we have found one of our own. A person who believes in the positive, who embraces the good in the world, and who wants to always remember those mantras and shout them from their wrists. I love the straps, and the positive, artful message they share but I ADORE the community and the positive, kind people who belong to it. I'm proud to ZOX.