Friday, January 3, 2014

How the Media Failed Women in 2013 -- The Representation Project

I've noticed that every year, someone posts a video of this kind. I can't imagine there will be a year where we aren't pushing against this, but I do hope we are moving forward. Tag you're it --pass this on.



Credits:
ORIGINAL: By The Representation Project.(Not to be confused with Miss Representation.)

Brave Miss World --Weeks Before She Was Crowned 'Miss World,' She Was Raped.

******TRIGGER WARNING*******
"I WANT THE SAME BASIC RIGHTS AS THE RAPIST." I shouldn't be crying because rape should not exist. As strong as these women are for banding together, they shouldn't have to know such strength. A man rapes & moves on w/marriage, kids, perhaps more rapes. A woman shatters & spends her life trying to sleep w/out nightmares, love w/out flinches, walk outdoors w/out fear. I want to roar, but all I have are these puffy eyes cradling tears. Can you imagine a world w/out rape? Neither can I. Pass this on.

Brave Miss World - Documentary - 2013

 Visit the official facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/BraveMissWorldDoc

Thursday, January 2, 2014

On 12/31/2013, one hour before.

Dearest Social Media,
As I made a mad dash from work this afternoon, I was unable to escape the barrage of "Happy New Years!" and "See you in 2014!" I never make resolutions but I certainly have goals. The goals I will have at midnight will be the same that I have now. I don't see New Years as a new beginning or a welcoming but rather fluid time that we have assigned as a marker. Some make attempts to clean the slate and this I have never understood. Perhaps because I never felt the need to clean. But in the midst of "any regrets?" --which I don't have--my attention has been idling. It's always strange when I am working with a patient who is my exact age. Today I spent time with a person, who had placed their face in a camp fire in attempt to save their soul. This person now has insight into their actions and is very aware that psychosis secured a spot in a psych hospital on New Years Eve. This highlighted the fact that we all have ways of doing, undoing, and renewing. In the end hopefully we gain insight and grow. Per Ms. Maya Angelou, "when you know better, you do better." I think the sentiment is not suggesting that all will learn the lesson but rather any change made is due to the knowing that you needed to. So, whether you are getting drunkity-drunk, or banging pots and pans,  watching a ball drop, or rebelling, --or a combo platter of any of these--I hope your moments are grand. Conceptualize time the way you will have it. Love, light and a bit of wonder.

'bout time





















via Unicorns

Pink Ombre Pancakes with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting by I am Baker






















I am Baker. This woman always makes me wonder why it is I eat raw.

Pink Ombre Pancakes with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting!

I Owe You Nothing

The great folksinger, storyteller, activist, and deceased U. Utah Phillips once said "keep track of people that you owe." This made a lot of sense at the time, but over the years I have come to understand that just because a word exists, we needn't assign profound meaning.

Phillips spoke strongly about the labor movement in the industrial era, as well as the "Wobbly" - IWW  - Industrial Workers of the World movements. A union organization that believe in fair wage, fair labor, quality of life. He spoke fondly of hobos and "tramps" and the foot-based history that never made it to our history books.

Our forefathers and mothers are individuals I am not indebted to. With the exception of owing monies or some formulated contract such as, "You help me move, I'll buy you a cup of coffee", I think we owe each other nothing.

Magazine title Mother Jones is based on an actual woman named Mary Harris Jones or Mother Jones. She was an agitator, not an organizer as Utah Phillips would say.  In1902 she was called "the most dangerous woman in America" by Theodore Roosevelt rallying mine workers and their families against mine owners who enforced unfair labor laws. Jones died at the age of 93. 















(americanswhotellthetruth.org)
Portrait by Robert Shetterly


What do we owe this woman? Nothing! I am grateful, I am thankful, and I admire her spunk, her grit, her fire, her love. Not only is it impossible to owe a dead person, but what is it could I possibly owe? Also; I have a hunch that she did not make such strong efforts in the hopes that she would be praised and congratulated.

"The world owes me nothing and we owe each other the world", sings folksinger Ani Difranco in her song Joyful Girl.

An amazing lyric line, and a humble idea. Ultimately I think it is wrong. I would hope that we would live our lives with generosity, altruism, and empathy; but who can enforce this as law or demand? There are no "shoulds" here. I understand temptation, and earnesty, but ultimately you do something benevolently or you don't. You may even been charged with an exclamation, "you owe me!", but why? I certainly walk lightly in terms of inconveniencing others. I consider a person's feelings, but a favor granted is not a favor owed. Why? Simple. It is nonsensical and it is a terrible way to maneuver through life.

If a person does not greet you with gratitude it may hurt, and you may be confused. Feel free to approach that person and ask what happened there, but know ultimately that there is nothing that they have to do for you. Going forward in discussion with a person who understands that there is no real need to owe, will be an interesting and challenging task. I am not immune to frustration but with truth in mind, I will work towards a clearer and cleaner way of life. Move, dance, and find free spirit with me. If you choose not to, you don't owe me a damn thing!

Sunday, December 29, 2013