This Friday is a special day. April 27th, 2012 is my last day of school… ever. That’s right! I will finally be finished with college. It took me eight years to get a bachelor’s degree, but I will have it. I kept my 4.0, maintained my sanity, and did it all with my four kiddos and patient husband – BIG thanks to my family. I feel great! The fetters will fall and I will be officially done!
So, then what?
Good question. Let me get back to you!
Filed under Academic
I know that the cursor needs to pulse so that I am able to distinguish that it is not a letter all hopped up on caffeine and doing a dance on my Word document, but I hate that pulsing! As I sit at my computer and dream about the writing that I am not doing, that pulsing is emphatically screaming, “YOUR SCREEN IS BLANK, GENIUS!” The cursor talks to me the way Ben Stein would deliver a speech. There is no emotion in my cursor’s voice and because he only delivers the truth, well, I hate him.
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I am putting together a personal essay to send to http://www.creativenonfiction.org/index.htm and my enthusiasm is waning. My classmates loved a piece about my set of pink stairs from childhood, so I thought I would tweak it and send it to people who know what they are doing. The more I read samples from other writers, the more I know that I am not as fabulous as I think I am. Please know that this is not a plea for you to tell me how wonderful I am; I still think I am the cat’s meow, I just have new perspective on how much meowing that cat is doing – there are some great writers out there!
Surrounded by this stellar writing, I should be inspired and typing at record speed! Alas, I am more deflated than fueled. Where are the literary agents clamoring for more work from these beautiful minds? Where are the bestsellers showcased for adoring fans?
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I once said that I would not mind writing my life away without recognition because writing is what I love.
I said that when I was childless, husbandless, and full from a meal at Old Country Buffet.
Can writing pay the bills? I want your thoughts and your tips to help the starving artists out there.
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Filed under Pointless Ponderings
I just watched an inspiring video on YouTube and I wanted to share it with you all.
I felt a bit embarrassed as I did my research for this post. I did not know that Colorado (my new home state) has a woman representing us in the House of Representatives – Diana L. DeGette. Do you vote? Do you know who is voicing your concerns in the political arena?
Check out http://womenincongress.house.gov/. This is such a great resource. You can look up biographies, view pictures, and read historical essays all under one link.
I think it is funny how I do not realize things until they are pointed out to me (the sky could fall and I would unflinchingly drink my coffee and read my book). I never noticed this emphasis on the appearance of female political figures. If Hillary Clinton appears tired then comments about her age and “experience” are thrown around, while a man looking tired simply means he was hard at work all night long. What about the fashion of the political figures – remember hearing about the money shelled out for a new wardrobe for Sarah Palin? In the video I embedded, someone mentioned how sharply Michelle Obama was dressed.
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I love to wear polka dots. I just like dots. I cringe to think what polka dots say about my intelligence or my ability to lead!
I want to hear what you think about our lack of representation in our government. According to Joelle Schmitz with USA Today, “Eighty-nine is the number of nations that still surpass the U.S. in terms of women’s representation in government. Some nations not known for human rights. Nations such as Rwanda, Uganda, Tajikistan, South Africa and Cuba. Given all its wealth and principle, our country still ranks an embarrassing 90th out of 186 worldwide.” These few sentences just sting. We do not even surpass Rwanda or Cuba. Yikes. Check out the complete article here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-10-13-column13_ST_N.htm. As mentioned in the article as a practice of other nations, what do you think about legal requirements for a minimum number of women taking seats in the government?
What do you have to say about women in government and their portrayal in the media?
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Filed under Academic, Women, Girls, and the Media
Super mom is the television role that I look up to the most because right now I am a stay-at-home mom. When school is done, I am hoping my degree will open doors for me, but for now, I am working in the home and raising my three small children.
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Super mom does everything. She is there to kiss the boo-boos and pack school lunches, she keeps the house clean and has dinner on the table, she encourages her husband and keeps a chipper attitude all day long, she coaches the soccer team and is on the PTA, she works full-time and helps everyone with their homework, – and she is wonder woman of it all!
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My husband probably hates this television trope the most because it sets unrealistic standards that I kick myself for not being able to reach. When I think I am failing as a mother or a wife there are times when I am actually being selfish (like putting in a movie for my three littles so I can take a luxurious bath or eating the last bagel and making oatmeal for my husband), but other times I am judging myself based on the life of…. Drum roll please…
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Clair Huxtable. She was the best; a successful lawyer and the model house wife AND beautiful. A trifecta!
Do you have a television mother/wife/woman that has influenced you?
Filed under Academic, Women, Girls, and the Media
As 2010 is winding down, I wanted to dedicate a post to something I get excited about with the start of every new year – my resolution! I am notorious for my extreme resolutions and I have kept my past five since I started obsessing about them. However, when thoughts of going to the gym started making their way on my list of potential resolutions, I began thinking about how the media reinforces this idea that we need to keep working on ourselves to find happiness.
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When I see a woman on television getting emotional about her weight or about her body, I feel for her. My husband wonders why women are so “worried about things that aren’t that important.” Just look at what we are bombarded with on a daily basis!
Are your teeth white enough?
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What about your skin – do you have a sun-kissed tan? Do you have large pores or blemishes holding you back from true contentment?
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Can you fit shamelessly into a bikini?
If these questions are being asked of us and if we are judging women based on similar notions, then they become important to us and we judge ourselves with the same mindset.
I wonder what we need to do to rewrite our personal narratives and teach ourselves new ways of thinking.
Maybe this year I will resolve not to judge other women the way I judge myself. Then I can learn that the media’s offer to help me become a better woman is not a standard for judgment for me either. This would be true growth!
Have you decided on a resolution for 2011?
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Filed under Academic, Women, Girls, and the Media
This is post number four for my class and that means that I am more than halfway done! Although I am having a great time and learning tons this semester, five classes are too many for this momma and I am excited about Christmas break.
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The Femme Fatale- as deadly as she is attractive, you do not want to be sucked into the mystery that this woman offers. Her allure and her striking manner conceal the fact that she is the “fatal woman.” Some people find the archetype of the femme fatale to be misogynistic because she often uses her femininity to prey on others. She could also be seen as reversing standard stereotypes; if she seduces and then kills her conquest (oftentimes without emotion) then she has stepped into the typical storyline of a villainous male lead.
I love reading the Bible and one of my Anna’s favorite stories is Samson and Delilah. She likes the story because Samson had a lot of hair and I think she pictures her tresses on his head as I read her his story. I think Delilah is a great example of a femme fatale. Some mention Eve and the Jewish legend of Lilith as the first examples of fatal women, but Delilah had an overt role in the treachery that took place and she is the first that comes to my mind.
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Delilah was a girl from the wrong part of town. Samson was an Israelite and she was a Philistine – a combination that would have been frowned upon. Samson was an Israelite judge that the Philistines were hoping to capture. These Philistine leaders gave Delilah money to find the secret to Samson’s super-human strength. Using her seductive skills, Delilah found that the secret to Samson’s strength was his hair. While Samson slept, she had his hair chopped off and Samson was rendered useless. The story is interesting and Samson goes on to get revenge for eye-gouging humiliation as a slave, but you can check it out for yourself: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jdg&c=16&v=1&t=NASB#top.
I started watching a show called Nikita and the lead actor seems like a femme fatale to me (I would not want to mess with her).
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A couple of questions:
Can you think of examples of femme fatales (like Delilah)?
Do you think this archetype empowers women?
Do you think you could perform kung fu in four-inch heels?
You got me, that last one was a joke. However, the combination of beauty and killer makes for some Hollywood hits!
Filed under Uncategorized
Stereotypes: Cunning Corporate Climber
You all know who I am talking about – she is catty and conniving and claws her way to the top. Maybe you have seen her on The Apprentice. According to this stereotype gossip, jealousy, and moodiness are innate to the female gender and these are things she has to overcome to reach the top of the corporate ladder. No wonder she is seen as a true climber — that is a lot of evolution to overcome!
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Please excuse me, I was laughing so hard that coffee was coming out of my nose. Incongruities really tickle me.
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Women are used on shows like Real Estate Intervention to go in as a soft and inviting presence and warm people up for the hard businessman who is going to shake up the world of the home sellers. So, softness and gentleness are coded into our DNA along with the cattiness and the immaturity? I just don’t buy it.
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Man or woman, no matter the industry, wouldn’t you think that the workforce would get more cutthroat as the economy puts the squeeze on us all? I find it insulting that people think that women are innately vicious.
What do you think about the cunning corporate climber? Is she genetically doomed to cattiness? Is this just another stereotype to be overcome?
I like to look at people as people in general. Some of us are more prone to be moved by numbers and logic (like the wonderful physics geek that I married) and others are touched by stories and images (I like to hear testimonials and see pictures). Whether it is nature or nurture, I still think that looking at individuals as individuals instead of lumped together genders is a safer practice.
Stay tuned for my next post on The Femme Fatale!
Filed under Women, Girls, and the Media
