Tag: feminism
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THEIR Death is the Only Boundary That They Won’t Cross
A Depressing Clarification is Needed A few months ago, I published a post called Death is the Only Boundary That They Won’t Cross. It discussed how death is the only cage that can confidently hold predators. But I realize I have to make a disheartening clarification, that is, their death is the only boundary that they won’t cross.… Read more
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I Didn’t Fear a Bear…
A Spontaneous Nature Adventure I was recently in an area with some beautiful hiking trails. I was unfamiliar with that spot and had no map of the trails- I wasn’t even sure if I could find the path off the road, but I didn’t want to lose out on the opportunity to explore. So I… Read more
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On the Men Who Make Women Louder, Not Quieter
The Benefits of a Healthy Dynamic Between Men & Women Because of my feminist writing, some people might assume that I hate men. I don’t. I love and respect men. I adore the dynamic between men and women when it is healthy- and that is why I get so offended when it is not. So… Read more
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When I see Myself Through His Eyes…
When I See Myself Through His Eyes… I always get less than I deserve. I am a thing, not a person. I am a side character. I exist for others, not myself. My value is in my appearance, yet somehow I am overworked. I am depleted. When I See Myself Through My Eyes… I am worthy… Read more
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He Called it Love
Why Did My Strength Make Me More Vulnerable? He called me a hard worker, he meant it as a compliment, but I have come to loathe this praise. It started as a virtue of mine, but has turned into a trap. I am exhausted and depleted. What has my hard work accomplished except to empty… Read more
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The Smile Women Learn to Have
Solo Female Travels Recently, I posted a personal essay called Someone Ran a Stop Sign… & I Smiled at Them. In it, I talk about how quickly I defaulted to reassuring someone after they had almost hurt me. That post was still lingering in my mind, when I had another experience… Earlier this week, I went… Read more
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Someone Ran a Stop Sign… & I Smiled at Them
Looking Both Ways Today, when I was about to cross the street, a moped cut across my path. I jolted, shifting my weight off the street and back onto the sidewalk as he crossed in front of me. I locked eyes with the (male) driver and smiled and nodded. It wasn’t until I began walking… Read more
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Am I Supposed to Lie?
Why Are You Coaching Me to Lie? “I have a boyfriend”, I lied. I didn’t want to lie. I wanted to tell the truth- that I was aggressively single. But I couldn’t, because that would be an invitation. So I lied. As a child, I was told lying is bad. So why am I expected… Read more
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The Angry Pink Horse on the Carousel
There’s an angry pink horse on the carousel. All the others seem content to go around and around. But not this one. Its skin is an unnatural shade of bubblegum pink, its eyes bulging with peeling black paint, and its head is cocked at a tense angle- as if it is trying to throw off… Read more
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Staying Quiet & Having Nothing to Say Are Two Different Things
Follow Your Voice I started 2025 very nervous to express myself. I believed I had nothing of value to say. So filling any sort of space with my thoughts felt daunting. But by the end of the year, I had written over 125,000 words across 150+ blog posts. It turns out I had a lot… Read more
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Is Consumerism Ever Good & Minimalism Ever Bad?
Maximalism & Minimalism Is consumerism ever good- and is minimalism ever bad? We’re often taught that restraint in buying is virtuous, while abundance is shallow. But reading Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella made me question whether the moral divide is as clear as we pretend it is. In this book, Kinsella contrasts a shopaholic sister with an… Read more
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An Uncomfortable Pattern in 46 Books
Good & Bad Themes During My Book Reading Challenge Throughout my year-long Reading Challenge, I have intentionally selected books that span a wide range of topics, voices, and experiences. And many positive themes keep appearing- like the importance of self-expression and community. But some disheartening patterns have surfaced too, such as the prevalence of sexual… Read more
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Blooming & Wilting Under Another’s Gaze
When a Gaze Grows a Person Have you ever had someone look at you with stars in their eyes? Their face lights up. Both of you seem to expand to a place where every colour is brighter, every smell sweeter. You feel warm inside. Loved. This person could be your mother, father, partner, perhaps even… Read more
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Book #45- Reflections on “Women Don’t Owe You Pretty”
Book #45 Women Don’t Owe You Pretty By Florence Given So, You Think You’re Really Pretty? When women are asked if they think they are pretty, the “correct” answer is supposed to be no. It demonstrates humility and shows others that you aren’t vain. So when the concept of pretty privilege entered into mainstream conversation a few… Read more
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Confused Affections
By all the vows that ever men have broke (In number more than ever women spoke), – Hermia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream A Man Teaches a Girl About Love I was a young teenager when a man forty years older told me: “You just have to tell a girl you love her a thousand times and then she will sleep with you. You don’t even have to mean it.” He was… Read more
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Book #40- Reflections on “Factfulness”
Book #40 Factfulness By Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, & Ola Rosling Factfulness by Hans Rosling had been recommended to me for years, and my 52-Book Reading Challenge has been the perfect excuse to finally pull it off my “To Be Read” shelf. This book uses data mixed with human experience to challenge misconceptions that the… Read more
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Book #36- Reflections on “Milk and Honey”
Book #36 Milk and Honey By Rupi Kaur This poetry book addresses sensitive topics such as sexual abuse and emotional manipulation. It may not be for everyone. My intention with this blog post is to lift some of the burden and trauma off of those who have gone through this, and move the conversation toward… Read more
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A World Without Women: A Thought Experiment
For my 2025 Reading Challenge, I recently read two science fiction graphic novels that imagine a world without men: Y: The Last Man and Woman World. I found myself wondering about the opposite scenario. What would happen if all the women were gone instead? What Would a World Without Women Look Like? 1. The Event The storylines of Y:… Read more
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Book #35- Reflections on “Woman World”
Book #35 Woman World By Aminder Dhaliwal Book Choices So far in my Book Reading Challenge, I have deliberately read different types of books in succession. For example, a light-hearted romance might be followed by a serious memoir, or a therapy book by a work of science fiction. This variety is intentional. But that is… Read more
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Book #34- Reflections on “Y: The Last Man”
Book #34 Y: The Last Man By Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, & José Marzán, Jr. This graphic novel contains some mature language and themes, including a racial slur. I hesitated to include it in my Book Reading Challenge, which is mostly clean. However, I believe books like this are worth discussing. This blog is… Read more
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An Anecdote About Social Trends
Changing Relationship Dynamics in Graduate Housing When I did my master’s degree in 2015, I lived in an international residence with 175 other graduate students. In theory, it should have been a wonderful experience. But it wasn’t. There were many strange and dark moments during my time there. A decade later, I was talking to… Read more