Hi blog, I'm back.
Last year, I visited a high school in Denver to present to multiple Spanish classes about my trip in Spring '08 to Juarez, Mexico to learn about the femicides. I've been invited back, but this time I've been asked to talk briefly about my trip and more about feminist ethics/theories and how they connect to the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Look, here's the trouble. While I spent approximately 3 days studying the MDGs in school, I do not know what I can possibly say about them in relation to my trip to Mexico.
Can anyone tell me why I would be asked to do that? I definitely don't have qualifications to talk about that. I can talk about feminism (privilege, power, oppression, and treating people equitably) and I can talk about Juarez. I can tell you that the MDGs are unrealistic in that one of them aims to END POVERTY WORLDWIDE BY 2015. Hm! I'm not sure about that.
A close friend/mentor/my most respected friend from college suggested talking about the value of women's agency in improving so many things. She proposed I talk about grassroots organizations in Juarez that are continuing the fight for justicia y solidaridad and how that relates to the MDG about women. I need further thoughts. Do I do discussion questions and make all these honors kids in high school talk in groups about the power of women? Do I talk at them for 45 minutes?
I don't know what to do about this scenario. Anyway, I'll be doing that in a week. I need thoughts, world!
14 April 2011
12 April 2011
There's still life in me yet
Remember one time when I had a blog and I wrote in it sometimes as a representation of my commitment to a project I started during a senior seminar, and also my commitment to feminism?
I don't. Not that well, anyway.
I'm still alive and kickin' and mostly enjoying life as it is. I don't have hair anymore, really, and that's been an interesting experience. I shaved it for St. Baldrick's, a super rad organization that raises funds for research for kiddos with cancer. Additionally, they sucker people in by challenging them to shave their heads. It was super cool to be bald (my hair is coming back slowly but surely) because my sisters went bald with me. It's also been sort of opportune timing because shortly before we shaved our heads, our grandma was diagnosed with what I'm perceiving to be terminal lung/liver cancer. I can't write about that yet without wanting to curl into a ball on the floor and cry myself to sleep, so I'll leave it at that. Anyway, the reactions to my baldness have been mostly great. Aside from a somewhat rude and unexpected comment for my clinical supervisor at work about my looking like a chemo patient [I don't have very good "hold yourself together" skills but I utilized all of them that day], most folks have been really positive about the shift. A few of my clients have shared these gems with me, "we liked you better with hair but I guess this is okay, too" and "WHY did you do that?!". Otherwise, co-workers and friends and family have been all sorts of supportive and comic about the whole thing. I'm not terribly self-conscious about the fact that I'm bald, but it has been interesting to re-define what I see when I look in the mirror. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been reminding myself that I did not suddenly gain 10 pounds, but rather lost 10 inches of hair. Right now, my hair is probably about a quarter inch and functions just like velcro. If there's fuzz floating in the air (that happens, right?) it is guaranteed to end up in my hair. Whaddya do?
We've been on the prowl for a reasonably priced coffee table that doesn't look ridiculous.
I've been training for a half marathon. I got up to 8 miles when my shins finally gave me the ultimate middle finger. I took the last week off and had a visit with the doctor. She informs me it is merely shin splints and I can tape my leg together. Having never been an athlete of any variety, I'm surprised to know one can tape their muscle and bone together. But hey, she's the PhD right? I wanted to start running again this week [today, more specifically] but naturally came down with my annual springtime sinus infection. Maybe Thursday. This whole thing is sort of throwing off my game but it's fine. I'll be back on track by the end of the week. It's sort of exhilarating to train for a half marathon, even though it seems like everybody and their cat is training for a half marathon or a marathon or an Ironman [I prefer to call them Ironperson but then people don't know what I'm talking about, so I'll bow down to society's inherent sexism for this one purpose]. Clump me in with all the people who think running a half marathon is stylish...I just want to know that I can run 13.1 miles. Also, I want to show the world how much muscle these legs contain. I'm not lying, they're getting huge.
Anyhoo, I'm still around and living and breathing and sleeping and checking facebook (okay, checking facebook a lot). Work has been pretty busy in that lots of clients have lots of crises and now that I've been at this job for coming up on 11 months (wha....??? wild!) I'm starting to have a real voice and make real decisions and real changes where I think they need to be made and that's been exciting and uplifting.
I can't make any promises about writing more often because last time I went a took a 4 month writing hiatus. That reminds me that I read Water for Elephants this last weekend. I loved it. My sister didn't love it as much. Either way, I'd recommend it to someone looking for a fast read.
Welp, see you again in a few months, Intimate Association!
I don't. Not that well, anyway.
I'm still alive and kickin' and mostly enjoying life as it is. I don't have hair anymore, really, and that's been an interesting experience. I shaved it for St. Baldrick's, a super rad organization that raises funds for research for kiddos with cancer. Additionally, they sucker people in by challenging them to shave their heads. It was super cool to be bald (my hair is coming back slowly but surely) because my sisters went bald with me. It's also been sort of opportune timing because shortly before we shaved our heads, our grandma was diagnosed with what I'm perceiving to be terminal lung/liver cancer. I can't write about that yet without wanting to curl into a ball on the floor and cry myself to sleep, so I'll leave it at that. Anyway, the reactions to my baldness have been mostly great. Aside from a somewhat rude and unexpected comment for my clinical supervisor at work about my looking like a chemo patient [I don't have very good "hold yourself together" skills but I utilized all of them that day], most folks have been really positive about the shift. A few of my clients have shared these gems with me, "we liked you better with hair but I guess this is okay, too" and "WHY did you do that?!". Otherwise, co-workers and friends and family have been all sorts of supportive and comic about the whole thing. I'm not terribly self-conscious about the fact that I'm bald, but it has been interesting to re-define what I see when I look in the mirror. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been reminding myself that I did not suddenly gain 10 pounds, but rather lost 10 inches of hair. Right now, my hair is probably about a quarter inch and functions just like velcro. If there's fuzz floating in the air (that happens, right?) it is guaranteed to end up in my hair. Whaddya do?
We've been on the prowl for a reasonably priced coffee table that doesn't look ridiculous.
I've been training for a half marathon. I got up to 8 miles when my shins finally gave me the ultimate middle finger. I took the last week off and had a visit with the doctor. She informs me it is merely shin splints and I can tape my leg together. Having never been an athlete of any variety, I'm surprised to know one can tape their muscle and bone together. But hey, she's the PhD right? I wanted to start running again this week [today, more specifically] but naturally came down with my annual springtime sinus infection. Maybe Thursday. This whole thing is sort of throwing off my game but it's fine. I'll be back on track by the end of the week. It's sort of exhilarating to train for a half marathon, even though it seems like everybody and their cat is training for a half marathon or a marathon or an Ironman [I prefer to call them Ironperson but then people don't know what I'm talking about, so I'll bow down to society's inherent sexism for this one purpose]. Clump me in with all the people who think running a half marathon is stylish...I just want to know that I can run 13.1 miles. Also, I want to show the world how much muscle these legs contain. I'm not lying, they're getting huge.
Anyhoo, I'm still around and living and breathing and sleeping and checking facebook (okay, checking facebook a lot). Work has been pretty busy in that lots of clients have lots of crises and now that I've been at this job for coming up on 11 months (wha....??? wild!) I'm starting to have a real voice and make real decisions and real changes where I think they need to be made and that's been exciting and uplifting.
I can't make any promises about writing more often because last time I went a took a 4 month writing hiatus. That reminds me that I read Water for Elephants this last weekend. I loved it. My sister didn't love it as much. Either way, I'd recommend it to someone looking for a fast read.
Welp, see you again in a few months, Intimate Association!
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