Just do a lot of yoga. I do not know how much you guys know about yoga or even if you have ever done it before, but it is not just a physical practice. There is a meditation aspect to it. Even though I was raised Jewish I identify heavily. It’s the spirituality of meditation and Buddhist mindfulness practice, just because it answers something that no religion has ever answered for me before, which is just to connect with yourself a little bit and not necessarily to care about—just doing good deeds for the world and not putting it in—I guess for me it was always you need to go synagogue, you need to do these things, you need to, and not putting those needs as just something you should work on for yourself. So being more gentle with yourself. So if I go home tonight and I do not do all my dishes I will not beat myself up and think I am a horrible person because I did not do all of my dishes. I will just try and do better tomorrow.
Kate Rafey was born in 1986, in Swampscott, Massachusetts. Moving to the city of Worcester around 2004, Kate, then eighteen years old, would go on to attend Clark University, where she would focus her studies on English and Theatre Art until her graduation in 2009. During her time at Clark, and in the years immediately following her graduation, Kate would devote herself to travel and work. During her first semester away at college, Kate would join a study abroad program in England and Luxembourg. After graduation, Kate moved around a lot, living in Easton, Quincy, and Boston, Massachusetts, before finally returning to the Main South area of Worcester with her fiancé in 2013. Today, she describes the move as a positive one. Having already lived in the Main South area as a student in the early 2000s, Kate states that she feels more a part of the community. She has found her “family” in Worcester, stating, “I think the world of the city. There is a lot to do and see.” In this interview, Kate discusses her life, concentrating primarily on her time directly prior to and after her graduation, and the work she now does as director of development at Music Worcester, She discusses some of the struggles she has encountered but also the ultimate joy her work has brought, not only to her own life but, she hopes, to the city of Worcester too. She emphasizes her wish to see her department continue to gain more attention in the area, feeling that it could do a lot of good. She also talks about the city itself, and the community as a whole. She believes that Worcester really has a lot to offer, but not a lot of people realize that and therefore the city often gets pushed aside, and she hopes in the future this will no longer be the case.