twenty-eight.

One year.
It has been one year since this all started. One year since I asked my best friend to start on this journey with me. One year since I said nothing else would come in my way.
In the last year, I have managed to alienate some of my best friends. I have embarrassed and on some level disappointed my family. I have made adversaries out of co-workers and been forced to be closeted by acquaintances.
It has been one hell of a year.
I have been published, outed, employed, laid off and rejected. I have made so many mistakes and fallen on my face more times than I care to think about.

...but...

I would not change any of it for the world. I know that many of you read this blog and think about ways to refute what I am saying, but please know this, I am still standing strong.
We are not going anywhere. Galatia is alive and kicking and we are making a difference.
Thank you so much to my best friend. She did not doubt for a second this was possible, and if was not for her I would have given up a long time ago. I am so blessed to have such a strong person in my life. She has helped through all the times that everyone else has found fault in me. When I was not good enough, she still saw my potential. I will be eternally grateful!
To my friend, Neal Hardy, I will be indebted for eternity. You drove me crazy sometimes, but you always came through with what was best for the group. You have grown so much in the last year it has inspired me to be a stronger leader. Thank you!
And to those who have taken up our work as they can, thank you. Thank you for passing on the blogs to your friends and our emails to those who were in need. You have made what we do possible. And I know that if we keep working together and fight towards our goal, we will continue to save lives.
For all those I have let down in the past, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed. I'm sorry I couldn't have been more. In the next year, I will do my best to be better, but I will still know that I am only human. I can't make you all happy, but I am going to hope that you understand I do this for the betterment of everyone and not just individual people. This is about reaching out to a dying community with the truth that will save them. I just want to be the messenger if they will let me.

So this is me. I'm not Tennessee James. I'm not a grandiose figure that won't ever let you down. I'm just a woman who saw injustice and needed to be free. Once I saw that freedom was possible, I knew that I couldn't let others stay imprisoned.
Will you be free with me?

Yours freely,
Samantha Hasty
samjhasty@yahoo.com