It's not that I'm anti mothers or ungrateful for the miracle of human reproduction but I've always found myself averse towards rewarding adult choices. There's something trivializing and strangely dysfunctional about this particular holiday. Again, it's not that I don't appreciate the concept of caregiving, it just feels like the original intent for the holiday…Read more No Thanks
V.I.P
It was a radio, then t.v show that started in the 40's and ran for over 20 years; Queen for a Day. Also called the 'Cinderella show', it featured four women sitting in front of a studio audience while Jack Bailey summarized each of their personal struggles with a poetic, mildly sexist, lilt. The audience would…Read more V.I.P
Gross
Writing is terrifying. When I tip-toed into blogging just over a year ago I hadn't found my voice yet. Words came out like rush hour into an emotional traffic jam. Being introverted doesn't help. I'm terrible at giving myself permission to be a real person who occasionally sucks at everything but writing seems to help…Read more Gross
Hello, My Name is Pleasantville
Pleasantville was a film written, directed and produced by Gary Ross in the late 90's. A dystopian fairy tale of sorts, it didn't do so well in the box office despite the talented, well known cast, stunning cinematography and nostalgic soundtrack. The film has always resonated with me because of its strong undertones of civil…Read more Hello, My Name is Pleasantville
Shrink
Jantelovian Law was created by a Danish author in what is believed to be a moment of literary sarcasm. They're essentially the 10 commandments of selflessness. In Scandinavia you're not a special snowflake. If you attempt to distinguish yourself in tall poppy fashion you're likely to be cut down and sentenced to volunteer as a…Read more Shrink
Witness
It's considered socially commendable to talk about your status as a war veteran, being the survivor of a natural disaster, shark attack or your amazing weight loss journey. People wildly applaud your bravery as you stand on farming equipment in your underpants getting weighed on national television. Lots of circumstances and challenges now come with campaigns,…Read more Witness
Hey, It’s Ok
Over the holidays I talked with a couple of girlfriends who were heartsick over games of emotional tug of war, also known as codependence. Codependent love goes like this: Here's all the shitty, unreasonable, terrible, horrible, no good things this person did and here's all the great, rule-following, generous, responsible, hard-working, sacrificial, exhausting, never-ending, perfect things I…Read more Hey, It’s Ok
More
She'd shake me awake in the dark. Not bothering to shower, I'd twist my hair into a bun and follow her to the car. The women in my mother's family all worked in some kind of nursing capacity. They also share a painful legacy of miscarriages. My initial aversion to bodily fluids and human…Read more More
Tidings
Perception, access, resources and ability largely determine the way we approach accountability, healing and change. Initially when my mother and stepfather told us we were moving to a 20 mile long floating land mass in the middle of a giant puddle known as the Atlantic, we wailed in protest. I was tired of unpacking…Read more Tidings
Lionitis
“I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.” -Georgia O'Keeffe Good, bad or otherwise there was no time for fear growing up in my family. Poverty doesn't give you the space to pause; maybe that's true for…Read more Lionitis
Born in Providence 