Hey, it's Micah. We're taking a break this week, so we're running some of our favorite

episodes from this season so far. We'll be back on October 9th with new episodes.

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Life can be overwhelming. When my calendar is

filled to the brim, it's hard to concentrate on anything else. My thoughts are constantly

racing with a never-ending to-do list until I remember what therapy taught me to slow

down and be present. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's

entirely online and suited for business schedules like mine. Get a break from your thoughts

with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com-slowdown today and get 10% off your first month. That's

BetterHelp-H-E-L-P dot com-slash-slowdown.

I'm Major Jackson and this is the slowdown.

In a conversation with co-workers, I acknowledged in a celebratory fashion the gendered transition

of a young person or what I perceived as a transition. Yet, my remark elicited a

review that had me initially confused. I now understand why my colleague was so taken

aback. What I thought was an innocent observation actually caused unintentional harm in that conversation.

They explained to me how the comet reminded them of when they were misperceived. Although

I thought I was championing a decision to claim one's true self and saw myself as a

supporter, I later understood that mentioning my perception of this person's gender is

akin to assuming their race or age or sexuality. It had no place in the conversation.

Having experienced so many moments of being other, I knew this lesson well. Hey Major,

you're black. Tell me why fill in the blank.

As someone who has closely mentored and taught trans students and counseled parents who

themselves had difficulty processing their children's journey, I understood myself as

...