About our guest author: Melody Starya Mobley’s experiences as the first black woman serving as a forester for the USDA are remarkable: both for the firsts she embodies and for the years of abuse and oppression she experienced within that system.
Now, Melody shares her personal stories to create positive change for groups historically excluded from accessing American natural spaces.
With the few federal protections that exist currently being stripped away, it’s more important than ever for stories like these to be told. Learn more about Melody and watch her documentary The Dark White Forest on her website at starya.org.
Image credit: Kirth Bobb
Privacy is crucial for mental health
The isolation that comes with living in a remote, underpopulated area has real effects on health—both physical and mental. Below are some of my strategies for coping with those challenges, especially when it comes to protecting your privacy and maintaining a certain level of anonymity.
Strategies for surviving intrusions on your privacy
1 – Access health care without revealing too much.
Let’s start with health care. Not having access to a variety of health care options in a rural community means you may not have access to good or great health care. We are fortunate to have telehealth for many health issues. But we still need or want in-person visits to various medical professionals from time to time; some conditions can’t be diagnosed over a screen.
Once again, having reliable transportation is a huge issue. If a local friend or acquaintance cannot help and you feel secure doing so, ask your unit manager for assistance without divulging too much medical information. If critically necessary, rent a vehicle. Financial limitations can be their own issue, especially when just starting a career. But sometimes there may be no other way to get to a vital appointment like an annual physical. (I offer additional tips on finding transportation in part 2 of my “Strategies for Surviving” series.)
2 – Leverage digital and “off grid” resources.
Most humans feel we have a personal life which may or may not sync with colleagues and locals. But this can be very difficult in a small community, especially if you look different from everyone else.
When I was still working, tools like digital communities and telehealth were just coming into use; these are both excellent options for keeping your business to yourself. Also, renting a car can help maintain your privacy.
3 – Seek friendships outside the agency.
USDA Forest Service station locations are typically in rural locations. Unless one is stationed in the US Southeast, there are usually few, if any, people of color. As the only African American woman at a location, it can be challenging to make friends within the agency. Acquaintances yes; real friends come rarely, if ever. When I did make a close friend within the agency on the Ocala National Forest in Florida, I was accused of inappropriate behavior. Colleagues and others would drive by my home and then report to the district ranger if someone’s car was parked at my house. It was humiliating and, of course, isolating.
Losing friends and close acquaintances at work can be very painful. It helped me to remember that people of color in the USDA Forest Service do not generally have real power. They may not want to associate with you for fear of retaliation against themselves. Also, I kept and still keep in touch with close friends outside the USDA Forest Service. This really helped when I was feeling most isolated and when my self-esteem hit rock bottom.
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“Strategies for Surviving” is a three-part series launched during National Suicide Prevention Month. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org (available 24/7, free, and confidential in the U.S. and Canada).
Read more of Melody’s writings
on the American Green blog.