You will now need caffeine with your booze to stay awake. I’m developing a love-hate relationship with the big 3-0 birthday looming ahead next summer. There are days when I can’t wait to shed my 20s like a cocoon and emerge as my Adult Self, leaving behind all of the uncertainties and mistakes of the past […]
This was the woman who requested that we put an extra pair of heels in her coffin so that she could cut a rug in heaven. Growing up, I remember women’s hands. My mother’s holding books in the soft rocking chair where we read together. My great aunt’s, roped with mazes of vein and garnished […]
I’ll take “interesting” over “pretty” any day. Warm weather is finally here, which also means wedding season is upon us. With it, there is a special burden on the appearance of women and gender non-conforming folks. The biggest question for me is always: Will I shave my leg hair this time? People have mostly gotten […]
‘Are you sure it’s not that time of the month?’ should be outlawed as a serious question in the ER. I woke up at 9am on New Year’s Eve—unusual for me over winter break—with severe pain in my lower back. I immediately—and unwisely—investigated WebMD, which gave me a few conclusions: 1) I had appendicitis, 2) […]
Chronic illness and injury has taught me—is still teaching me—patience. These days are not a consolation prize for what I didn’t win, for where I didn’t or couldn’t succeed, for a better life I might have had if only…They are my life. “Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?” Erik asked as we […]
Please, I beg of you, stop calling us lazy. We are quietly burrowing our way out of the deep ruts the recession carved into our economy. After living independently for the past 11 years, I didn’t imagine moving to my parents’ basement as part of my dream trajectory. As a little girl writing page after page […]
There is a tangible, real-world economic cost to being a fat person in America. Years and years ago, I used to be thin. I used to live a beautiful life wrapped up in my thin privilege, calling myself an ally to my fat friends. I was blissfully unaware of the many joys and freedoms my […]
Disabled adults are sometimes the most forgotten. We’re generally not as cute as disabled kids, and society looks at us as hopeless cases. I was born autistic and gay. I was also born with blue eyes, brownish hair, and short stubby fingers that would obviously hinder any attempt to become President of the USA, but […]
