For DYee… Walking in These Shoes

This is Derek’s story, and I share this with you as I wear a pair of black suede shoes he had gifted me. Originally written to pay homage to my late dear friend, the creative writing process has also made the work a story of mine. As an immigrant settler, I have lived more than half of my life on Turtle Island on both the West Coast and the Eastern region of the North American continent. Reflecting on my identity, or rather identities, often rouses for me multiplicities of memories, emotions, lessons, and convictions. Am I a stranger to this land which I now live on, or have I always been a stranger to my own self? While my writing may never fully present all of my experiences, one realization I gained, both as an applied researcher in training and a racialized, queer, poz activist, is that our stories and truths deserve to be told.