Welcome to Jesstopia!

Posted on May 1, 2015 by jrdreistadt

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Welcome to my sanctuary, a sacred space where I share light and loveliness — as well as a few shadows — through the literary arts. On this site, you can learn more about me, immerse yourself in some of my … Continue reading →

How to Create Opportunities for Other Women as an Educator

Posted on January 16, 2020 by jrdreistadt

Q: In my society, women are not given higher positions even when she has quality, talent, and education. I want to be one of the people who can give leadership to women so they can stand on their feet. I … Continue reading →

Everything Old is New Again

Posted on January 2, 2020 by jrdreistadt

Late last year, I changed my plan on this WordPress site. I knew this meant that some of my old posts would disappear. And they did. Over the next several months, I will be reposting the best of what is … Continue reading →

Life Lessons from Bucket Bathing

Posted on September 22, 2017 by jrdreistadt

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I recently had a small, then a big, then a huge leak in my second floor bathroom drain pipe. This resulted in not just mold and warped walls in my kitchen but also the inability to use my shower and bathtub for about two months. Continue reading →

Yoga is Free!

Posted on September 15, 2017 by jrdreistadt

Like its sister mindfulness practice meditation, yoga also has, to some extent, become an elitist practice that makes the uninitiated feel uncomfortable and excluded through profuse use of Sanskrit without adequate translation, expensive accessories, and the removal (disconnection) of spirituality or even personal transcendence for the less spiritually inclined from its teachings. Continue reading →

Explore

Posted on May 9, 2017 by jrdreistadt

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Openness is a gift Without end Lacking parameters I can Freely explore all that is Available to me In this world, This vast, expansive world. But I sometimes get lost Exploring, Discovering, Understanding, My head and heart Overwhelmed With the … Continue reading →

Sunset

Posted on May 3, 2017 by jrdreistadt

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The sun is rising in the west. The world is upside down and Nothing makes sense. I dream of green sunsets Following days imbued with innocence. But until that day, I cannot rest.

Freedom

Posted on April 22, 2017 by jrdreistadt

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The freedom to lie, The freedom to steal, The freedom to kill, Freedom for a few. The freedom to love, The freedom to heal, The freedom to feel alive, Freedom for all.

Loved and Accepted

Posted on April 19, 2017 by jrdreistadt

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I thought I had Discovered myself Within a place That resonated with my Vision and my Passion I went there to be loved and accepted Only to be misunderstood and rejected I created a place To love and To accept … Continue reading →

Intersubjective Madness

Posted on April 15, 2017 by jrdreistadt

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The beautifully mysterious subjectivity of mental illness is too often lost in the noise of objective, authoritarian voices that dominate conversations about this form of non- or anti-convention. The creative space where we could potentially explore and negotiate what it … Continue reading →

Smoking Mirror

Posted on April 12, 2017 by jrdreistadt

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Going home to a place that Faded away With time, with life, with age Survival is death. The heavens in my eyes opened up Flooding me Awakening me Liberating me, my Pristine superficiality Shattered. Sleep, food, sex, air Oblivion. The … Continue reading →