Real Vegas Magazine | Dr. Ralph Carullo of Carullo Vein Center

Page 12

Heard... Advocate Change

THE REAL COST By Ciara Williams

W

hen you work in a kitchen

store muttering these popular back

the sexual innuendos. I’ve been in and

you learn quickly what you

of the house words. You also get a

out of the kitchen for a good portion

need to do to be seen and

feel for what you will tolerate and

of my life, mostly taking the line cook

to be heard. You learn the lingo, the

what you also will not just let go. As a

job to get through school and to take

layout, the associates. HEARD, CORNER

female in the kitchen, you always will

care of the family, getting away from

and YES CHEF are the 3 statements you

have to ‘prove yourself’, and with that

real life and hanging with the kitchen

learn early and if you work in a kitchen

sometimes you learn to brush off nasty

crew. You learn who you can count on

long enough it becomes routine, you

comments, the angry chef, people

and who will listen to you about your

will catch yourself at home or in the

who are brand new to kitchen life, and

life outside of work, so most times it feels

like therapy more than work.

to represent your heritage

You create in a sense a family

and to protect your energy.

outside of your natural family.

As a young Navajo woman

The word K’e doesn’t have

my father always told us to

a real translation but is more

travel, see the world and see it

so a description of what you

from another perspective, the

want to share with the world,

real world. That is why I left my

or maybe just your world. As

home to see if I could conquer

a Navajo this was taught at

the world, or at the very least

an early age; K’e, you share

my world.

with the ones you encounter

This was my journey and my

in life because you want to

downfall. I trusted, I believed, I

change the narrative in the

hoped. I trusted my associates

world to be in harmony, not

to respect my boundaries but

just within yourself but in your

also remain cordial. I believed

surroundings, family, home,

that if I spoke my truth, they

life, work, kitchen life. As a

would hear me. I hoped that

Navajo you are brought up to

the authorities would make

respect boundaries, respect

the wrongs right because

life, and respect authority

that’s what you are taught

in all forms. We are taught

from a young age; that if

to reach for the stars, the

someone hurts you, you are

unattainable, to always learn

to tell someone… anyone.

from your mistakes and to

They failed me, they failed us

stay in harmony and balance

because they believed that

within the sacred mountains

a woman can only scream so

and to always carry turquoise

much until she is drowned out


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