- Published on
from Live Inspired
This is a true story
It happened to a friend
Of a friend
Of mine
The end.
It happened to a friend
Of a friend
Of mine
The end.
- Published on
When I watched
The Disney movie
Brave
Over the summer
There was a moment
When I thought
Wouldn't be cool
If the princess
Merida
Was allowed to be single
Was allowed to be
A woman
With skills
And a thirst for knowledge
Going out into the world
And living her life
And achieving her goals
And dreaming her dreams
Without having to
Be a dainty princess
Or one day marry a prince?
Because
Despite what Disney
And Hollywood portray
There are many
Women in the world
Who don't marry
Who don't have children
Who are bright
And worldly
Who are not crazy crones
Or wicked witches
There are many women
Who do marry
But stay
Independent
And remain powerful in their own right
I want role
models
In life
Like Elizabeth Gilbert
Who
Ate and prayed and loved
And consciously decided
She didn't want to be a mother
Wanted to be a writer
And globe trotter
And embracer of life
Or like
Rita Golden Gelman
Who sold her possessions
And went traveling
And met people
And ate beautiful food
And said
You CAN travel the world
As a single woman
And you can have a marvelous time doing it
I wish Disney
Would tell stories where
It is okay to be a spirited single woman
It is okay to not want to get married
To not to have children
And that being You
Makes you beautiful
And powerful
And feminine
And not at all crony
That would be the
Bravest story
Of all.
The end.
The Disney movie
Brave
Over the summer
There was a moment
When I thought
Wouldn't be cool
If the princess
Merida
Was allowed to be single
Was allowed to be
A woman
With skills
And a thirst for knowledge
Going out into the world
And living her life
And achieving her goals
And dreaming her dreams
Without having to
Be a dainty princess
Or one day marry a prince?
Because
Despite what Disney
And Hollywood portray
There are many
Women in the world
Who don't marry
Who don't have children
Who are bright
And worldly
Who are not crazy crones
Or wicked witches
There are many women
Who do marry
But stay
Independent
And remain powerful in their own right
I want role
models
In life
Like Elizabeth Gilbert
Who
Ate and prayed and loved
And consciously decided
She didn't want to be a mother
Wanted to be a writer
And globe trotter
And embracer of life
Or like
Rita Golden Gelman
Who sold her possessions
And went traveling
And met people
And ate beautiful food
And said
You CAN travel the world
As a single woman
And you can have a marvelous time doing it
I wish Disney
Would tell stories where
It is okay to be a spirited single woman
It is okay to not want to get married
To not to have children
And that being You
Makes you beautiful
And powerful
And feminine
And not at all crony
That would be the
Bravest story
Of all.
The end.
- Published on
There is a couple in the foyer
The wife is crying
The husband lifts the hood of her jacket
Kisses her forehead and laughs
They come up to the kiosk
And the husband says
"I just gave her the tickets,
She didn't know we were
Seeing the show tonight"
He is grinning from ear to ear
The wife is in shock
She is still crying a little
Perhaps the husband has been terrible
And he's making up for it
Perhaps he has been away
And this is a surprise date
Perhaps he has told her
A hundred times
"We're not going to the bloody theatre
It's too expensive"
And all the while has been saving
To buy her a ticket
The husband asks for a program
The wife looks at it like it might bite her
She is not sure what is happening
The husband buys the program
He offers to hold it
"So you won't get it soggy
With your tears
Love"
At the interval
The wife looks more relaxed
She buys a fridge magnet
"Isn't it a wonderful show?"
The husband is still grinning from ear to ear
Secretly proud
His ploy worked
Love, actually
Is everywhere
The end.
The wife is crying
The husband lifts the hood of her jacket
Kisses her forehead and laughs
They come up to the kiosk
And the husband says
"I just gave her the tickets,
She didn't know we were
Seeing the show tonight"
He is grinning from ear to ear
The wife is in shock
She is still crying a little
Perhaps the husband has been terrible
And he's making up for it
Perhaps he has been away
And this is a surprise date
Perhaps he has told her
A hundred times
"We're not going to the bloody theatre
It's too expensive"
And all the while has been saving
To buy her a ticket
The husband asks for a program
The wife looks at it like it might bite her
She is not sure what is happening
The husband buys the program
He offers to hold it
"So you won't get it soggy
With your tears
Love"
At the interval
The wife looks more relaxed
She buys a fridge magnet
"Isn't it a wonderful show?"
The husband is still grinning from ear to ear
Secretly proud
His ploy worked
Love, actually
Is everywhere
The end.
- Published on
Out for a run
With the mercury pushing
Ten degrees Celsius
(Fifty Fahrenheit)
The sun
Winning battles
With the clouds
And in the park
The first jonquils
Are in bloom...
Spring is on its way!!!
With the mercury pushing
Ten degrees Celsius
(Fifty Fahrenheit)
The sun
Winning battles
With the clouds
And in the park
The first jonquils
Are in bloom...
Spring is on its way!!!
- Published on
My friend said tonight
Never let money get in the way
Of the right decision
Despite not having
Very much at all in the bank account
Once rent and food and bills comes out
I'm looking at pretty much 0
I'm lucky
I've never wanted for a roof over my head
Or food in my belly
Or wonderful experiences in life
Learning to cook
Has been vastly helpful
And
I am surrounded by people willing to help
Like when I was accepted into Central
I didn't have the money for the fees
So I worked two jobs
I taught meditation
I did fundraisers
And still I didn't have enough
And I actually withdrew my acceptance
And a dear friend
A guardian angel
Said,
Here is what you need
Or when I was living in London
And studying at drama school
And I had enough in my bank account
To either pay my fees
Or pay my rent
Not both
And I thought I was going to have to leave
And a stranger
Whom I had never met
Donated money to the school
And granted me a scholarship
Which allowed me to stay
And finish the course
Or when I was job hunting
And down to the last pennies in my bank account
And I wondered how I was going to pay the next month's rent
And I landed a job
That exactly covered my rent and bills
The self-help gurus say
You attract what you want
You can be abundant
And wealthy
If you so choose
I am wealthy
In ways that count
More than monetarily
So although I am not financially rich
Working hard
And doing what I need to do
And trusting that things will work out in the end
Have paid dividends
And so
For the next adventure
What am I willing to believe
And trust
For how the next chapter will work
Financially?
The end.
Never let money get in the way
Of the right decision
Despite not having
Very much at all in the bank account
Once rent and food and bills comes out
I'm looking at pretty much 0
I'm lucky
I've never wanted for a roof over my head
Or food in my belly
Or wonderful experiences in life
Learning to cook
Has been vastly helpful
And
I am surrounded by people willing to help
Like when I was accepted into Central
I didn't have the money for the fees
So I worked two jobs
I taught meditation
I did fundraisers
And still I didn't have enough
And I actually withdrew my acceptance
And a dear friend
A guardian angel
Said,
Here is what you need
Or when I was living in London
And studying at drama school
And I had enough in my bank account
To either pay my fees
Or pay my rent
Not both
And I thought I was going to have to leave
And a stranger
Whom I had never met
Donated money to the school
And granted me a scholarship
Which allowed me to stay
And finish the course
Or when I was job hunting
And down to the last pennies in my bank account
And I wondered how I was going to pay the next month's rent
And I landed a job
That exactly covered my rent and bills
The self-help gurus say
You attract what you want
You can be abundant
And wealthy
If you so choose
I am wealthy
In ways that count
More than monetarily
So although I am not financially rich
Working hard
And doing what I need to do
And trusting that things will work out in the end
Have paid dividends
And so
For the next adventure
What am I willing to believe
And trust
For how the next chapter will work
Financially?
The end.
- Published on
I'm a grown up
I live on my own
And pay bills
And go to the shops by myself
And I'm surrounded
By people
Who think the world
Is a drudge
Can you tell me how to get
To a place
Where the world is viewed
As an adventure
As fun
As full of possibility
There is a street
Where people
And glorified tennis balls
With goggly eyes
Remind us to look at the world
From a different angle
And laugh
And smile
And just be
And teach us to
Remember
To be a child
At heart
I'm a grown up
And I still watch Sesame Street
And it still makes me laugh
And smile
And makes my inner three year old
Cackle
At the steak and kidney pie
Falling on the muppet's head
The end.
I live on my own
And pay bills
And go to the shops by myself
And I'm surrounded
By people
Who think the world
Is a drudge
Can you tell me how to get
To a place
Where the world is viewed
As an adventure
As fun
As full of possibility
There is a street
Where people
And glorified tennis balls
With goggly eyes
Remind us to look at the world
From a different angle
And laugh
And smile
And just be
And teach us to
Remember
To be a child
At heart
I'm a grown up
And I still watch Sesame Street
And it still makes me laugh
And smile
And makes my inner three year old
Cackle
At the steak and kidney pie
Falling on the muppet's head
The end.
- Published on
from Abel&Cole
Abel & Cole
Who deliver my food every week
From local farms
Suggested making potato mash
By first
Baking the potatoes on a bed of sea salt
And then mashing...
You say potato,
I say
Oh, sweet. heavenly. goodness!!!!
Who deliver my food every week
From local farms
Suggested making potato mash
By first
Baking the potatoes on a bed of sea salt
And then mashing...
You say potato,
I say
Oh, sweet. heavenly. goodness!!!!
- Published on
I'm reading
A history
Of women in power in England
Before Elizabeth I
The injustices these women faced!
Married off as political pawns at birth
Literally entering those marriages at 12
And being carted around Europe
And bearing the children
Of unfaithful
Selfish
Arrogant kings
Imagine being a 12thC princess
No thanks!
But if only
The trampling of women
Were "history"
Today I read
How the upcoming
Children's films
For 2013
Do nothing to promote
The visibility of women
On screen
Yesterday Upworthy published an article
Congratulating
Dove for using
"real women"
In its "real beauty" campaign
Yes, they
weren't anorexic
But where was their cellulite?
Or their stretch
marks?
Or body hair?
Or skin "blemishes"?
Just as photoshopped and
airbrushed as the
Derided Victoria's Secret bikini models
Visible but conformist
To the gaze
That requires
Perfect bodies
The answer?
Speak out!
Say it is wrong!
Point out where the trouble is
But
The Independent
Published an article
About how when women speak out
They are literally told to
Shut up
Today
If you are a powerful woman
You are a witch
A bitch
A liar
Criticized for not wearing makeup
For wearing too much makeup
For being visible at all
I'm sick of
People not treating
Other people
As people
Because of race gender beliefs
Whatever
I'm sick of living
In a culture
So
entrenched for
Centuries
That prizes women for
Their glorified looks
For their silence
I want to live in a world
Where people are people
The end.
In two weeks
Eve Ensler is calling
For people to
Rise
To stand up against
Inequality
And brutality
Towards women
I want to rise
To say
Whoever you are
Whether you identify as man woman or neither
Please can we just work together
To make life on this unstable planet more bearable
More fun
More beautiful
To ensure
Every person
Born to this planet
Has good food
And shelter
And access to music
And culture
And freedom of expression
And freedom to be
Themselves
Perfect
Just as they are
The end.
A history
Of women in power in England
Before Elizabeth I
The injustices these women faced!
Married off as political pawns at birth
Literally entering those marriages at 12
And being carted around Europe
And bearing the children
Of unfaithful
Selfish
Arrogant kings
Imagine being a 12thC princess
No thanks!
But if only
The trampling of women
Were "history"
Today I read
How the upcoming
Children's films
For 2013
Do nothing to promote
The visibility of women
On screen
Yesterday Upworthy published an article
Congratulating
Dove for using
"real women"
In its "real beauty" campaign
Yes, they
weren't anorexic
But where was their cellulite?
Or their stretch
marks?
Or body hair?
Or skin "blemishes"?
Just as photoshopped and
airbrushed as the
Derided Victoria's Secret bikini models
Visible but conformist
To the gaze
That requires
Perfect bodies
The answer?
Speak out!
Say it is wrong!
Point out where the trouble is
But
The Independent
Published an article
About how when women speak out
They are literally told to
Shut up
Today
If you are a powerful woman
You are a witch
A bitch
A liar
Criticized for not wearing makeup
For wearing too much makeup
For being visible at all
I'm sick of
People not treating
Other people
As people
Because of race gender beliefs
Whatever
I'm sick of living
In a culture
So
entrenched for
Centuries
That prizes women for
Their glorified looks
For their silence
I want to live in a world
Where people are people
The end.
In two weeks
Eve Ensler is calling
For people to
Rise
To stand up against
Inequality
And brutality
Towards women
I want to rise
To say
Whoever you are
Whether you identify as man woman or neither
Please can we just work together
To make life on this unstable planet more bearable
More fun
More beautiful
To ensure
Every person
Born to this planet
Has good food
And shelter
And access to music
And culture
And freedom of expression
And freedom to be
Themselves
Perfect
Just as they are
The end.
- Published on
In the minutiae
Of every day life
Life can seem
Eternally long
We have forever
But really
Life is short
A flicker
A moment
To remember
To embrace it
Whole heartedly
Without fear
To seize the day
And live.
Of every day life
Life can seem
Eternally long
We have forever
But really
Life is short
A flicker
A moment
To remember
To embrace it
Whole heartedly
Without fear
To seize the day
And live.
- Published on
Thankfully, not my day
It is nice to come home
To cheese and crackers
And homemade hummus
And to chat with your love
And to light a candle
And be still
The end.
To cheese and crackers
And homemade hummus
And to chat with your love
And to light a candle
And be still
The end.