"I'm ready to see what my story is."
This is what I told people when Bret and I made the decision to try and start expanding our family (with humans, not more animals). The decision to become a mother is not one that came easily to me. I'm not someone who just "knew I always wanted to be a Mom." All of it scares the hell out of me, to be honest. Ultimately, I had to stop thinking about the sleepless nights, the pain, the worry, and the money, and imagine the big picture. Bret and I both come from big, close families who are everything to us. The thought of adding on to those families while also creating a little family of our own just out of our love for each other - THAT was what I wanted. I started to have friends and family go through their own journeys of parenthood and I loved hearing their stories - how did they decide to start trying, what was their pregnancy like, how did their labor and delivery go, etc. I was ready to see what my story was going to be.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have lots of thoughts about my story starting with a miscarriage. As we went through a few months of not getting pregnant and feeling frustrated, I said multiple times to Bret "we could get pregnant and get all excited and then I could just miscarry." I've heard a lot of statistics, but my doctor (whom I love love love) says that 1 in 3 women miscarry. Because of this, I just couldn't get TOO excited when I finally had a confirmed pregnancy. I was a little excited though, and I began to tell many people, because I knew that if I did miscarry, I would be telling everyone. The excitement from others made me a little more excited, but also really nervous, because I didn't have A LOT of symptoms so it was just hard to feel pregnant until I could see it on ultrasound. Plus, another statistic I saw said that the risk of miscarriage goes down to 5% once you heard a heartbeat on ultrasound, which would probably happen at my 7 week appointment. So I found myself saying "I just need to see it on ultrasound to believe it."
Well, of course, that day never came. My ultrasound at 7 weeks showed a gestational sac and a yolk sac (the thing that nourishes the embryo/fetus until the placenta is formed) and I was measuring around 5 weeks. They told me I was either 2 weeks off in my calculation of my cycle, or I miscarried. My doctor was realistic, saying that the likelihood of being off 2 whole weeks was pretty low, though there was still a chance. I had a little grain of hope, but I knew deep down that day that I miscarried. That day was the first day I realized there was stuff I didn't know about miscarriage because no one talks about it. I didn't know there was this gray area where you MIGHT have miscarried, but you might have to wait weeks to find out for sure. And your body MIGHT bleed on its own, but you might have to have medical intervention to help it along.
This whole thing was complicated by the fact that my birthday was at the end of the week and then we were going on vacation. My doctor was amazing and we came up with a good game plan in the event that I did start bleeding on vacation. We needed a good game plan because, if I started bleeding, I was going to need the Rhogam shot because of my rh- blood type. I pushed this out of my mind as much as possible to enjoy my birthday and vacation and, thanks to my amazing support network of friends and family, my birthday was as great as it always is. I was enjoying vacation with Bret very much until one day, nothing was going as planned. Our drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway got rained out, Bret got a large speeding ticket, we hit a huge rain storm and traffic getting into Atlanta, and then I started bleeding. I could only laugh at that point. Luckily, we were in Atlanta to visit my cousin and his amazing fiance who just happens to be a nurse. Plus, we were in a major city with lots of good hospitals. It couldn't have happened at a better point in our vacation. Unfortunately we spent basically the one evening we had in Atlanta at the Piedmont ER, but they were all really nice and did everything as quickly as they could to get me out of there. We left with them telling me they couldn't conclusively say it's a miscarriage and me rolling my eyes, but I got the shot which was all I needed. I talked to my doctor the next day and she explained again why there seems to be this gray area - basically the numbers and tests don't really show you've miscarried until after you've finished bleeding. Crazy, I know. I'm only sharing all of this because WHO EVEN KNEW THERE WAS SO MUCH GRAY AREA. Again though, my doctor is awesome, so she was able to tell me with more certainty that it was a miscarriage, which meant I could start drinking!
I know what you're thinking. How can I be excited about drinking when I just miscarried? Here's the thing. My miscarriage happened very early - so early that the embryo didn't form past being a teeny tiny blob with no human characteristics and we never saw it on ultrasound or heard it's heart beating (because it probably never started beating). To us, that made it not feel so much like a loss of human life. I am thankful for my body because it did what it was supposed to do - it prevented us from the inevitable suffering of carrying a child that would not be able to live. This is science and it's amazing and wonderful. Not only that, but my body was able to let go on its own, with no medical intervention. I have never been so in awe of what my body was able to do for me. I am humbled, grateful, emotional, and hopeful. Bret and I have never been closer and we had an amazing vacation.
It hasn't all been perfect and it definitely wasn't the easiest past couple of months, but it's part of my story. Luckily, it's just the beginning.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Friday, January 8, 2016
Feminism Part 2: The discussion is just beginning
I wrote Part 1 about a year and a half ago: Feminism
While feminism and my identify as a woman is something I think about daily, I have recently felt the need to write about it again due to various conversations with others over the past few months. Feminism interacts directly with racism and classism, with various connections between these dimensions of oppression, so I will speak here to oppression overall. Lately, I am actively trying to make an effort to take action against the oppression of others, rather than just sitting back and holding in my beliefs. The motto I have tried to live by my entire life (well, ever since I learned of it, so I guess really since around the year 2000) is "Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone." While I try to take action and speak up about oppression against all people, I am most comfortable doing it for women, because I am one, so I can directly relate due to my daily existence as one.
I would say that the biggest argument I hear in favor of oppressing others is that people don't want to have to worry about being PC (Politically Correct). I had already planned on writing this today when I saw this on facebook:
Now, I don't actually believe that people who complain about being PC necessarily WANT to insult and belittle women and minorities (though, some do). I think it's more likely that people grow up hearing certain things and talking a certain way, and then it's really hard to change that. When I say it's hard, I mean that, in order to change the way we talk, we need to think about what our words mean, the impact they have on others, have conversations with others that may be impacted, and then actually think about alternative ways to share what we're trying to say. Well, that's a shit-ton of work, and I'd say most people are inherently lazy, so of course they don't want to have to be PC! And of course they're going to say or think that you're ruining the "fun" if you encourage them to think about their words. As my younger and wiser cousin Mara stated "Oppression is a buzzkill WHADDYA GUNNA DO?"
Now, I'm going to share with you my secret weapon for happiness, which may also help in your journey to understand the oppression of others. Empathy. The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I also like to include a pre-cursor to empathy which is understanding that others have feelings, they may be different than the feelings you expect of them, and they are allowed to have any feelings they want (or maybe even don't want). Their feelings are fact and you can't argue that fact - only they know how they feel. I don't actually believe that we need to fully understand others' feelings in order to have empathy for them. It's more about listening and holding space.
I call this blog Personal Change because I strive for personal change every day of my life. I am not perfect. I slip up and fall into old ways of thinking and talking sometimes. I try to recognize those occasions, reflect on them, and move on. Life is a journey and if we're not striving for personal improvement every day, then what's the point? I promise that personal improvement is the gateway to better relationships with others, leaving a positive imprint on the world, and overall happiness. I urge you to go forth with open minds and open hearts, and start the discussion.
While feminism and my identify as a woman is something I think about daily, I have recently felt the need to write about it again due to various conversations with others over the past few months. Feminism interacts directly with racism and classism, with various connections between these dimensions of oppression, so I will speak here to oppression overall. Lately, I am actively trying to make an effort to take action against the oppression of others, rather than just sitting back and holding in my beliefs. The motto I have tried to live by my entire life (well, ever since I learned of it, so I guess really since around the year 2000) is "Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone." While I try to take action and speak up about oppression against all people, I am most comfortable doing it for women, because I am one, so I can directly relate due to my daily existence as one.
I would say that the biggest argument I hear in favor of oppressing others is that people don't want to have to worry about being PC (Politically Correct). I had already planned on writing this today when I saw this on facebook:
Now, I don't actually believe that people who complain about being PC necessarily WANT to insult and belittle women and minorities (though, some do). I think it's more likely that people grow up hearing certain things and talking a certain way, and then it's really hard to change that. When I say it's hard, I mean that, in order to change the way we talk, we need to think about what our words mean, the impact they have on others, have conversations with others that may be impacted, and then actually think about alternative ways to share what we're trying to say. Well, that's a shit-ton of work, and I'd say most people are inherently lazy, so of course they don't want to have to be PC! And of course they're going to say or think that you're ruining the "fun" if you encourage them to think about their words. As my younger and wiser cousin Mara stated "Oppression is a buzzkill WHADDYA GUNNA DO?"
Now, I'm going to share with you my secret weapon for happiness, which may also help in your journey to understand the oppression of others. Empathy. The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I also like to include a pre-cursor to empathy which is understanding that others have feelings, they may be different than the feelings you expect of them, and they are allowed to have any feelings they want (or maybe even don't want). Their feelings are fact and you can't argue that fact - only they know how they feel. I don't actually believe that we need to fully understand others' feelings in order to have empathy for them. It's more about listening and holding space.
I call this blog Personal Change because I strive for personal change every day of my life. I am not perfect. I slip up and fall into old ways of thinking and talking sometimes. I try to recognize those occasions, reflect on them, and move on. Life is a journey and if we're not striving for personal improvement every day, then what's the point? I promise that personal improvement is the gateway to better relationships with others, leaving a positive imprint on the world, and overall happiness. I urge you to go forth with open minds and open hearts, and start the discussion.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
August 2015 Road Trip
Waltham - Northampton - Niagara Falls, Canada - Detroit/Royal Oak, Michigan - Northfield, Ohio - Erie, Pennsylvania - Watkins Glen, New York - Northampton - Waltham
Starting odometer - 28, 730
Ending odometer - Approx. 30, 500
Total miles: about 1,770
GPS journey voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Cheapest gas: $1.99 near the Michigan/Ohio border
July 30, 2015 - Northampton
-Stayed over with Jenny, Bil, and Rupaul Toad Robin Williams Barbra Streisand Krichevsky
-Highlights: talks with Jenny and Bil, cuddles and playtime with Ru
July 31, 2015 - Niagara Falls, Canada
-Stopped for a couple of hours, saw American Falls and Horseshoe Falls
-Bought drinks and pastries at Tim Hortons, got traditional and Bacon cheeseburger poutine at Smoke’s Poutinerie (not as good as anticipated, but Bret thinks my memories of poutine as a child put my expectations too high)
-Highlights: feeling the mist from the falls on our faces on an otherwise very hot day
Royal Oak, Michigan
-Stayed at the Hampton Inn Detroit/Madison Heights/South Troy
-After arrival, took a swim in the hotel pool to move our bodies a bit
-Grabbed dinner at the Royal Oak Brewery
-Highlights: making up resistance exercises in the pool with Bret, the Friday night vibe of downtown Royal Oak
August 1, 2015 - Detroit, Michigan
-Walked along the Detroit riverwalk
-Walked around Corktown neighborhood, including checking out the old train station and the old site of Tigers Stadium
-In Corktown, got lunch at Slow’s BBQ - I had Buffalo Trace bourbon, pulled pork enchiladas, and a side of mac and cheese - we both loved their apple-based bbq sauce
-Highlights: talking to a local on the riverwalk who feeds the fish there every day and hearing his stories, delicious lunch at Slow’s!
Royal Oak, Michigan
-Attended college roommate Katie’s local wedding celebration to Murray (their actual wedding celebration was where they live in South Africa) - it was held block-party style in Katie’s childhood neighborhood
-Highlights: annual water balloon toss (even though I got soaked), Katie’s cousin (who was like 8) who seemed wholly unhappy with the whole affair until the water balloon toss/dancing/sparklers, everyone sharing memories/advice with the couple, watching the wedding video from the celebration in SA, re-uniting with Murray’s and Katie’s families (I got to spend time with all of them when I visited Katie and Murray in SA a few years ago), playing in the neighborhood playground with Bret and watching the fireflies after dark
August 2, 2015 - Northern Ohio
-stopped for lunch in Peninsula, Ohio, right in the heart of Cuyahoga Valley National Park - cute little town - ate lunch at the Winking Lizard and then stopped for candy at Yum Yum Sweet Shop
-Checked into the Inn at Brandywine Falls in Northfield, Ohio - a bed and breakfast run by Katie and George Hoy, a couple in their 80s whom you just can’t help but want as your grandparents - we stayed in the Simon Perkins room in the main house
-Wandered through the gate in the front yard to arrive on the hike and bike trail surrounding Brandywine Falls - Walked some steps to the viewing areas of the fall, then walked through the trail in the woods to end up about a mile down the river - then strapped on our water shoes and hiked the mile back IN the river to the waterfall (forgot the camera for this whole walk, so we just enjoyed the moment)
-We didn’t have the energy or the hunger for dinner, especially since most places closed early on a Sunday evening, so we would have had to put in extra effort - instead, we took advantage of the homemade cookies and tea offered at the Inn around 8:45
-Over a nice conversation with George, he offered to bring us on his nightly rounds of tending to the various animals - we said hello to the pygmy goats and, while George was moving their water in the pen, one escaped and I was able to grab it’s collar - when George grabbed it and the collar slipped off, I managed to grab it from behind (I might have some experience having to do this with the dogs) - meanwhile, the other goat escaped, so Bret managed to wrangle that one - we got them both back in with minimal injury - Next, we were introduced to the chickens in both chicken coops (I never realized there were so many different kinds of chickens!) and picked up a few additional eggs - Finally, we got the deaf and blind dog from the barn and took him on his nightly walk through the woods - the cat joined us because George gives them high-value treats along the way
-Highlights: the relaxing vibe at the Inn, standing directly underneath Brandywine Falls to feel the mist, our adventure walk with all the animals, hearing George’s story of the pencil people who used to live in the woods
August 3, 2015 - Northern Ohio
-Ate breakfast at the Inn with Katie and George and two other couples who were staying there
-Hugged Katie and George goodbye, bought the two books they’ve written, and got George to sign them
-Explored another part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Ledges Trail
-Highlights: amazing breakfast including homemade oatmeal with fresh fruit and homemade granola to top it, omelette with some of the best cheddar I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot), homemade oatmeal bread - great breakfast conversation with Katie and George and the other guests, walking through caves and small openings on the Ledges trail, and finally getting to the Overlook on the Ledges trail
-Checked into the Spencer House Bed and Breakfast - stayed in Mary’s Room
-Signed up for sunset paddle board yoga, but it got canceled due to the threat of possible thunderstorms
-Went to dinner at the Sloppy Duck Saloon on the bayfront - I had a Sloppy Duck cocktail and it was delicious
-Outside the restaurant was a car show, so we walked around there for a bit and then walked out to see the lake again
-Then we drove to Sara’s and got milkshakes, then drove down Presque Isle (a little peninsula state park that jets out into Lake Erie and has lots of different beaches and boat launches) - we found a beach to sit on and watch the sunset while we drank our milkshakes
-Lastly, we went back to the bayfront to try out the Rum Runner drinks at Cove Rum Runners (but Bret had a Corona)
August 4, 2015 - Erie, Pennsylvania
-Had breakfast at the B and B - good but not as good as the Inn in Ohio
-Went to a bait shop on the pier to rent some fishing poles only to find out they no longer rent them - they said we could go to the library across the street and sign up for a library card and then get a fishing pole - We were only able to get one because I was the only one with an ID with our current address - after getting one from the library, we went back to the bait shop to get a fishing license and some bait - then we finally got to fish off the pier for a couple hours, only catching a little sunfish!
-After returning the fishing pole, we headed out to Lake Erie Outfitters to rent a kayak - We got a tandem kayak that we were able to load right onto my car - the guy there directed us to a nice lagoon area off of Presque Isle, so we did that for a few hours
-Stopped at Steve-O’s pizza for lunch
-Stopped at Romolo Chocolate (local company) and bought iced coffee, a cookie, and chocolates - also sampled their specialty sponge candy (must have this again and also try their sponge candy ice cream)
-Highlights: enjoying a quiet moment fishing off the pier, feeling the sun on our faces while kayaking, everything at Romolo chocolate
Watkins Glen, New York
-checked into our cabin at Seneca Lodge, right next to the entrance of Watkins Glen State Park in the finger lakes region of New York
-After dropping our stuff off, we went to the campground’s restaurant for steak dinners (yum) and planned out the next day - also stopped at the campground’s bar for a night cap
-Highlights: price of our cabin given the super awesome place and location, delicious steak, laid back campground bar
August 5, 2015 - Watkins Glen, New York
-woke up nice and early (6 AM) to grab breakfast at the campground’s restaurant (we were the only ones there the whole time we ate)
-After breakfast, we headed right over to Watkins Glen State Park to walk the Gorge Trail, which is 1.5 miles uphill (800 total steps!) along a naturally-formed gorge with various pools and waterfalls along the way - we walked all the way up to the northern entrance (including a sprint up the ending stairs that ended a little early when I realized just how many there were) and then walked all the way back down
-Had time to shower before checking out of our cabin (thank goodness)
-Headed over to the downtown area to walk around and kill some time - went in some kitschy shops and bought some caffeinated beverages and pastries
-Drove over to the Castel Grisch winery in Watkins Glen and had a wine tasting - we then ate lunch at their restaurant with a great view of Seneca Lake - I ordered grilled cheese and was very disappointed - I didn’t think grilled cheese could be bad, but I was wrong
-Highlights: the entire Gorge Trail, ESPECIALLY waking up to see it before everyone else does (we saw it get SUPER crowded later on - starting at 9 AM they have a shuttle that runs from the north and south entrances so you only have to walk one way) - we really got to enjoy it pretty much alone the entire time, which made it even more breathtaking - trying ice wine (although I didn’t love it, it was totally different than anything else I’ve had, so it was a cool experience)
Northampton, Massachusetts
-We ended our trip by taking Jenny and Bil out for dinner at my college favorite, Judie’s - they changed my favorite menu item slightly, however, and I wasn’t a huge fan (I’m just now realizing I didn’t have good luck with my meals that day!)
-We stayed overnight again in Northampton before heading home the next day
-Highlights: seeing Jenny and Bil, and more playing and cuddles with Ru
Monday, August 10, 2015
Life.
Death.
They consume my thoughts, especially lately. The circle of life - the one thing we all have in common. We come into the world the same way - and we all eventually leave it.
Baby number 2 on the way.
Sudden heart attack, unexpected. Devastating. Too young.
Congrats on the birth of your beautiful boy!
Grandma passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family.
Baby doesn’t want to come out, so we might be induced!
Another young death hits the town of Auburn. Too young. Too many. Too much.
Maybe it’s selfish, but all I can think through all of this is what can I do? What can I do to help? What can I do in my life to be a champion for the living? How can I live so that people understand there’s hope, humanity, and a damn good reason to be here as long as possible?
We all have (some) control over this one life. I don’t know exactly where I’m going, or how I’ll get there, but I am going to try my hardest to soak it up, hold it in, and then give as much of it away as I can. I want to be a champion for the living.
Death.
They consume my thoughts, especially lately. The circle of life - the one thing we all have in common. We come into the world the same way - and we all eventually leave it.
Baby number 2 on the way.
Sudden heart attack, unexpected. Devastating. Too young.
Congrats on the birth of your beautiful boy!
Grandma passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family.
Baby doesn’t want to come out, so we might be induced!
Another young death hits the town of Auburn. Too young. Too many. Too much.
Maybe it’s selfish, but all I can think through all of this is what can I do? What can I do to help? What can I do in my life to be a champion for the living? How can I live so that people understand there’s hope, humanity, and a damn good reason to be here as long as possible?
We all have (some) control over this one life. I don’t know exactly where I’m going, or how I’ll get there, but I am going to try my hardest to soak it up, hold it in, and then give as much of it away as I can. I want to be a champion for the living.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Feminism
I don’t write much because I don’t generally enjoy it, but there are a few thoughts I need to get down. In the past few months, I feel like I’ve had some revelations about feminism and equality. As long as I was old enough to think about it, I’ve always considered myself a feminist. I don’t feel like I’ve done much to be active in the fight for equality, except maybe a couple acting stints in The Vagina Monologues in college.
My recent revelations come from the fact that I’ve started to realize I’ve grown up thinking certain things are just the way it is for women. It’s sort of like when you’re young and you kind of think everyone else is like you. You might have certain struggles but you learn to adapt to make it through and you assume everyone else does too. Until you eventually realize not everyone has those struggles and not everyone has to adapt. Some people don’t even have to think or worry about those things that you have assumed are commonplace for everyone.
For example, street harassment. As a women, it’s just something that sort of starts happening to you and you see it happen to others, so, when you’re young and ignorant, you just think “oh, this is another thing that women go through.” Of course I never liked when it happened. Sometimes it’s non-verbal - just a look up and down or a lick of the lips. Sometimes it’s really crude - “I wanna fuck you.” Sometimes it’s just unwanted and unasked-for attention - “Hey, girl.” I never thought much about it, thinking it’s just another challenge women deal with. Lately I’ve been reading more about it and thinking about what it would be like to not have to worry about that stuff happening. To not be nervous walking alone through a group of guys on the street - because if it’s a group, the possibility of someone saying something has to be like 80% or something. I also never consciously realized the security net that came with walking with a man. Obviously I knew subconsciously that it wasn’t as much of a risk, but I never really thought about how telling that is regarding the respect men have for each other, but not for women.
Since I’ve started making these revelations and my awareness is heightened, I have noticed varying levels of stereotyping of women and what that means for inequality nearly every day.
-When showing people around my new house, more than one person has said “I didn’t know Bret played golf” when they saw my golf clubs
-When MassSave came to do an energy assessment on our new house, I told the guy that we didn’t have a ladder yet and he replied “oh, you’re husband needs to get one.”
-This morning on the radio, Kiss 108’s Matty in the Morning show was discussing the Emmys, and they started talking about Lena Dunham’s outfit. Regarding the outfit, Matt said “She’s an actress and a writer and she’s talented, and she’s homely.” He goes on to talk about her show, Girls, saying “There’s two unattractive fat women sitting in a tub just talking to each other.” I have heard this kind of stuff SO MUCH about Lena Dunham, and I’m sick of it. I don’t understand what her looks have to do with any of it! There are plenty of (what I would consider) unattractive men in the entertainment industry who are very talented, and I feel like their looks never get brought into the conversation!
-Even more infuriating, later on in the morning, I heard the WEEI sports radio morning show. I kept it on because they were talking football with Tom E. Curran. Towards the end of the segment, they started talking about one of Curran’s coworkers, Kay Adams. The conversation went like this:
Dennis/Callahan:“You’re sidekick on quick slants - is she married or dating or anything?”……..
“Do you behave yourself at work because that would be hard to do - she is sultry.”
Tom E. Curran (thanks to him for being appropriate):“She is tremendous but the greatest thing is she knows her stuff, and she really does…”
Dennis/Callahan (interrupting): “Who cares?”
Seriously guys, I can’t believe they actually said WHO CARES!! As if her studies, hard work, and years of experience mean NOTHING because she’s good looking. Only thing that’s important if you’re a woman, right?
Alright, I really just needed to get that out. I’m tired and have hit my writing quota for another 6 months. I needed to get that rant out, but I’m also going to continue reading and learning about this stuff and figuring out how I can get more involved. I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this. Thanks for reading.
My recent revelations come from the fact that I’ve started to realize I’ve grown up thinking certain things are just the way it is for women. It’s sort of like when you’re young and you kind of think everyone else is like you. You might have certain struggles but you learn to adapt to make it through and you assume everyone else does too. Until you eventually realize not everyone has those struggles and not everyone has to adapt. Some people don’t even have to think or worry about those things that you have assumed are commonplace for everyone.
For example, street harassment. As a women, it’s just something that sort of starts happening to you and you see it happen to others, so, when you’re young and ignorant, you just think “oh, this is another thing that women go through.” Of course I never liked when it happened. Sometimes it’s non-verbal - just a look up and down or a lick of the lips. Sometimes it’s really crude - “I wanna fuck you.” Sometimes it’s just unwanted and unasked-for attention - “Hey, girl.” I never thought much about it, thinking it’s just another challenge women deal with. Lately I’ve been reading more about it and thinking about what it would be like to not have to worry about that stuff happening. To not be nervous walking alone through a group of guys on the street - because if it’s a group, the possibility of someone saying something has to be like 80% or something. I also never consciously realized the security net that came with walking with a man. Obviously I knew subconsciously that it wasn’t as much of a risk, but I never really thought about how telling that is regarding the respect men have for each other, but not for women.
Since I’ve started making these revelations and my awareness is heightened, I have noticed varying levels of stereotyping of women and what that means for inequality nearly every day.
-When showing people around my new house, more than one person has said “I didn’t know Bret played golf” when they saw my golf clubs
-When MassSave came to do an energy assessment on our new house, I told the guy that we didn’t have a ladder yet and he replied “oh, you’re husband needs to get one.”
-This morning on the radio, Kiss 108’s Matty in the Morning show was discussing the Emmys, and they started talking about Lena Dunham’s outfit. Regarding the outfit, Matt said “She’s an actress and a writer and she’s talented, and she’s homely.” He goes on to talk about her show, Girls, saying “There’s two unattractive fat women sitting in a tub just talking to each other.” I have heard this kind of stuff SO MUCH about Lena Dunham, and I’m sick of it. I don’t understand what her looks have to do with any of it! There are plenty of (what I would consider) unattractive men in the entertainment industry who are very talented, and I feel like their looks never get brought into the conversation!
-Even more infuriating, later on in the morning, I heard the WEEI sports radio morning show. I kept it on because they were talking football with Tom E. Curran. Towards the end of the segment, they started talking about one of Curran’s coworkers, Kay Adams. The conversation went like this:
Dennis/Callahan:“You’re sidekick on quick slants - is she married or dating or anything?”……..
“Do you behave yourself at work because that would be hard to do - she is sultry.”
Tom E. Curran (thanks to him for being appropriate):“She is tremendous but the greatest thing is she knows her stuff, and she really does…”
Dennis/Callahan (interrupting): “Who cares?”
Seriously guys, I can’t believe they actually said WHO CARES!! As if her studies, hard work, and years of experience mean NOTHING because she’s good looking. Only thing that’s important if you’re a woman, right?
Alright, I really just needed to get that out. I’m tired and have hit my writing quota for another 6 months. I needed to get that rant out, but I’m also going to continue reading and learning about this stuff and figuring out how I can get more involved. I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this. Thanks for reading.
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