It’s Pride this weekend and I have a really random journey to take you on to get to my point, it’ll be fun, buckle up.

So i'm sat here listening to Nikki and the Dove, totally in my own world, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of our co-working space. It’s a strange place, mostly men in suits and then...us. Currently rocking grey and yellow converse with a cassette tape design that unravels like vines from some nefarious Disney villains’ garden. I fit in right? Honestly should I care? Or should I be happy just doing my thing and getting on with my life in a cosmos of mutual respect for those around me? What I have found in the short time i’ve been here, is that as soon as I talk about food people’s eyes light up and everyone has something to share and it doesn’t matter that you’re in a suit and I’m in my jeans. All of a sudden, all the things around us that seemed like these huge differences suddenly feel so far away to the point where neither of us care. Suddenly, we’re living our actual #AuthenticLives.

Let’s put this in context. I was recently discussing my perfect Friday night with my colleague. I caveated it with, “it might not be everyone’s perfect Friday night, but for me it’s perfection (like gum if my name was Chandler…).” I thought it was important I made the Friends reference, just so you know. Anyway, I’m all about dinner parties. The lights on dim, the music on play, the food hot, cold, spicy, sour, all ready to mingle and create the perfect microcosm of gloriousness. The night might escalate because someone brought the classic 90s board game...Dream Phone (don’t you dare ask me what that is). The pop of a cork off a bottle of Cava and the sweet serenade of Erykah Badu in the background. Bliss!

Then out of nowhere the guy next to me exclaims “I love voodoo rays”, the pizza place we had ordered from to fuel our competitive Dream Phoning. Who was this guy?! I have no idea but now i’m deep in conversation about fennel sausage pizza lightly sprinkled with red onion, hold the anchovies please.  

What’s my point? Good question, well it’s the fact that I might be some chick in the office wearing her converse, but talking about food and my experiences, even as exuberant as the above, brings us together and we form camaraderie we didn’t have before. The lesson I guess is that when you start to detach yourself from the snags of pressure of fitting in and open up to yourself, maybe you’ll find more happiness. Who knows what the perfect formula for happiness is, but I honestly believe and advocate for believing in yourself and fully respecting others for their differences and similarities to you. This is why...Pride means so much to me.

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you believe, or where you come from, Pride is about community. It’s about recognising that respect, love, and authentic self create a wholesome and generous humanity in which to surround ourselves. Pride is about happiness, joy, strength, community, and pleasure. It’s a whole heap of emotions that ultimately leaves us feeling awesome. And really, isn't that what it boils down to. Pride is about celebrating being your #AuthenticSelf with a community of people who are down to live it up too. There is nothing more pure than that. Let go of your inhibitions, celebrate your journeys, and embrace your own person and throw on A LOT of glitter.

So let’s celebrate the things that bring us together, the elements that bind us, and respect our differences and embrace all the things we love. And hey, why not do it over some food. At least we all know, it’s a great place to start. Maybe see you for a post Pride rainbow bagel?

We at Déjà Vu are super proud to uphold the values of Pride and create a soapbox for diverse voices and experiences. If we can bring people together and create relationships over food, then we’ll take that as a mission well done.