My Views on Body Positivity

In response to a media request, I was contacted earlier this year for my thoughts on body positivity for an article in Women's Health magazine, "This Is How Women Today REALLY Feel About Getting Naked".

My direct quotes weren't used in the final article in the September 2017 issue, so I'm sharing them with you here---

The body positivity movement is all about telling women to love your body, love yourself, that any body is a bikini body, but women’s mentality hasn’t synced up to the trend. (Almost 80 percent of women say they’re not confident in a bikini—same as four years ago.) Why do you think that is?

It takes a long time to reverse thinking. The male gaze has determined what's normal and desirable for so long that it will take a long time to discredit. That can be seen in the backlash to the feminist movement - those in power are not quick to relinquish it. Also many women support the beauty ideals because of internalized sexism and misogyny. Though a woman may be body positive, unless she's surrounded by a supportive network, and not attacked by trolls and others who aren't happy with themselves it can be lonely and tough to maintain the positivity.

Read the rest here: My Views on Body Positivity

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Always Have A Plan B

screenshot from Plan B commercial

 

Right at the precise moment I was sharing with a friend that I really am not looking forward to being pregnant and there are things that I have to take care of first before I do and there's only one person who I would even think long and hard about considering having a baby with IF that were to happen, that Plan B, AKA The morning after pill commercial (see above) came on hulu. I took a pic of it to send to my friend to show her the universe was screaming at me -- there's no need to be thinking about having no babies, 'specially not with him. As this commercial eloquently pointed out there was an option for when the condom breaks or if we lose common sense in the heat of the moment.

 

Abortion and Uterine Politics

Abortion is a violent act? A woman shouldn't be able to have an abortion after being rape because that would be more violence? Pregnancy as a result of rape is what God intended? Abortion is as immoral as slavery?


If abortions are restricted or made illegal again and we return to the days of knitting needles and hangers, that will be violent. Pro-lifers killing doctors who perform abortions, bombing clinics and terrorizing their patients with Photoshopped images, that's violent.

The Day I Became a Woman

I knew this day would come, but already? In December, I got a referral from my doctor for a mammogram. Today was the day. I went to the Rita J. Kaplan Breast Imaging Center at Bellevue Hospital.


After I walked the busy corridors of the main floor of the hospital, I made it to the Third floor, West Wing. The walls are painted a light pink with floral wall border. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the hospital I had seen. After checking in at the desk and receiving my ID wrist tag, I took a seat in the main waiting room.


Visibly, I was by far the youngest woman in there. 58, 67, 70 -- those were the years of birth I overheard. I wondered if the demographic of the waiting room would change as more younger women are diagnosed with breast cancer. I shook my head at the soap opera chosen to entertain us. I was thankful when that was interrupted by the President's press conference.


After another mispronunciation of my name, I was handed a gown and directed to the pink dressing rooms. "Waist up."

Pain, Pain, Go Away

I've had a uterus my entire life. We've had a very amicable relationship. At about 3 pm on Monday afternoon something upset her. She slowly grew enraged. But I was weathering her storm. At about 8 o'clock while I was trying to wind down she was just getting started. I text a friend about these newfangled pains I was experiencing. I wasn't doubled over but was definitely uncomfortable. They say it helps to talk about your problems; you gain insight on how to manage them, solve them or perhaps they'll even go away. I don't remember when I dozed off but at about 11pm I was woken by CM Punk screaming into the pipe bomb and my uterus screaming louder. What the what? I made myself a little more comfortable but was determined to sleep this off like I could sleep off other pains.


Shame on me for not having any pain meds at home but I'm rarely in pain. Moaning and whimpering, I stumbled around my bedroom at about 2:30ish in the morning. Pain blurred my vision. Pain made me sweat. Not doubled over in pain, uh, Abigail? Merely uncomfortable, Missy? I slumped over the bathroom sink for a while when a wave of nausea hit me. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's nausea and vomiting. That was the push I needed. I swallowed hard and had a heart-to-heart with the grimace in the mirror. I needed meds. But I couldn't walk straight due to the pain (my vagina was now singing backup). Never in my life had I experienced pain like this. Who are these women who deal with this every month?