We’ve never had the privilege of living in a world where our appearance wasn’t viewed as our primary form of social capital. Hair and makeup, body glitter, eating right…on the bright side of beauty there’s unicorn eyeshadow palettes and healthy living. But there’s a dark side, too, that’s explored and examined in the fascinating book Beauty […]
When I lift my head and face myself in the mirror, I realize that I have no idea what other people see when they look at me. We are the only people in the gym’s stretching room, two older women, one of whom is doing a backbend and the other one, whose back hasn’t bent […]
Quitting isn’t a dirty word. Growing up I remember being excited to take an exam I’d seen my upper classmates take already – it was supposed to tell you what kind of career you were best suited for. Once you got the results you could begin mapping out your life – what college you were […]
While I will admit, my overall feelings about my body have skyrocketed compared to where they were pre-transition, the reality is that for the trans and non-binary community, our selfies are our growth charts. When I was growing up, I always assumed everyone hated their body as much as I hated mine. I mean, there […]
I fear that I will try too hard and alienate myself, or that I will try too little and be a disappointment. I am a bad academic. At least, that’s what I tell myself sometimes. The semester is wrapping up and people I know are graduating from their respective programs. One friend, after years of […]
Without recognition for the daily effort we’re putting in, what kind of reward can most of us look forward to? My daughter is practicing her somersaults. She doesn’t quite have it down yet: she crouches, tucks her head, then rolls onto her side and giggles. “You’re working hard on that,” I observe. “I’m proud of […]
I’m more afraid of having a baby than I am sitting through a horror flick. And I’ve seen Carrie. On my 21st birthday I officially declared to my parents that I would never get married or have children. I’m now 39 and I’ve defiantly stuck to my guns. Amongst my friends, I feel like the adolescent […]
There are days when getting out of bed takes grit. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who make their beds in the morning, and those who do not. If I ever become one of the latter, you’ll know I’ve given up. “What’s the point making my bed when I’m only going […]
