The process of awakening is characterized by coming to a new awareness about yourself or the world around you. This new consciousness can lead to a change in behavior, a new lifestyle or a transformation of your view of the world. Often people find themselves waking up in the middle of their lives after being jolted into reality and it’s not always pretty.
My personal awakening came in the form of drug rehab at 17-years-old on the heels of high school graduation. This led me to a life of service in the community and self-awareness through the process of recovery from addiction.
There are many people in the world today who are becoming aware of their surroundings for the first time. Whether it is seeing the struggles of communities suffering from natural disasters, a personal comeback from a challenging life circumstance or the restoration of our economy in the recession.
An awakening can take on a multitude of forms including music, art and education. In this issue of The Bull, we have the opportunity to share individual stories and shed light on the efforts of recovery and restoration in our society today.
In the story of Neil Gutierrez you’ll meet a former gang member who turned his life around with some help from the Los Angeles based organization Homeboy Industries that assists at-risk, recently released, and formerly gang involved youth.
A passion for bowties turned into a project to benefit transgender individuals seeking top surgery.
Eileen Guliasi returned to school to pursue her vocal dreams through the ENCORE program at Pierce College.
Expression and self-realization comes in the form of art for San Fernando Valley local, RAH.
However, different people use different methods to express themselves. For Nikki Nefarious, Japanese bondage is a source of enlightenment as well as an expressive act.
Sometimes, the moment someone hears death knocking on their door is when they might run the other way, but Robert Hernandez stood his ground in the name of his gang. This led to a coma and lifetime in a wheelchair.
While some run from death, Kirsten Thorne and the Paranormal Housewives pursue ghosts and the answers to what may come after death.
Whether you are coming to a personal revelation or discovering the harsh truths of the world, awakening is a delicate process. I hope that you enjoy the eclectic group of stories in this issue of The Bull magazine.
Portia Medina
pmedina.thebull@gmail.com
