Public femininity is not something our 21st century is built to accommodate. For some reason, instead of feminism embracing lady adventurers and other womanly women, feminism embraced androgyny. (Whyyyy must “the best feminist” look most like a man? Riddle me that). Femininity became equated to weakness, fragility, uselessness – and it was sidelined. One does not wear long skirts to work in professional settings, and color is suspect. It’s a cultural thing, not a practical one -typing on a keyboard is equally easy in a satin blouse or cotton button-down.
Category: Personal Growth
Living a Wonder Full Life
Walking through the eucalyptus woods near me, not only do I see the eucalyptus trees (which were planted for fast-growing firewood, back when steam engines ruled the West) that could provide me with foraged eucalyptus oil (which is, of course, excellent for clearing out the lungs, and has many other benefits as well), I see banks of nasturtiums (seeds can be used as capers, leaves and flowers spicy and edible, a good trap plant for aphids) in the springtime, and even the sowthistle I now know can be part of a nutritious dinner. I drive by plant after plant, and the more you know – the more you know. You see food, fiber, poison, healing, … et cetera. One’s eyes open. You live a more wonder full life.
Leaving Laodicea
Leaving Laodicea includes practical tips on how to regenerate community, start communities from scratch, or join existing communities. It encourages you to examine your values, use beauty as a weapon against mass distraction, and build a life that satisfies, something you can truly call “home”.
Butterflies Don’t Plan
I met a butterfly today, fresh from the chrysalis. She was still fat – about the width of my pinky – and fluttering around my lemon tree while I was gathering lemons. Made me think about the series I’ve been writing here about butterflies and chrysalises. There’s been so many moments over the last few years where I thought, “finally, finally I’ve broken free. I’m drying my wings and any second now, I’ll fly”.
I’ve had a lot of plans. I’ve had ways to get to this goal and ways to get to that goal. I was a very good caterpillar, and I munched through my days (and through my plans) very effectively. I’m a very good planner.
But butterflies don’t plan.
Self-Induced Harrison Bergeron
Self-induced Harrison Bergeron… I was wearing headphones that, while they didn’t shriek 21-gun salutes at me, did keep me distracted from the thoughts in my head, the ones I didn’t want to deal with. I’m strong too, but I carry too much fat around, which causes pain, which makes me weak. I think of all the pretty girls in the world, endlessly wearing hideous clothing when pretty dresses are a dime a dozen. They’re making themselves “normal”, because they’d rather be normal than breathtaking.
Common Ground in Religion
Common ground in religion allows us to discuss serious topics with serious people without getting distracted by team jerseys. There is much wisdom to be had, and in the search, in the arguments, in the hashing out and thought that come with them, wisdom grows.
Patience is the Hardest Discipline
Patience is *not* waiting-for-a-predetermined time. I thought that for years, and counted myself extremely patient, as I can wait in stillness and peace… when I know when my time will be up. But this is not patience. Patience is waiting for completion.
Torchbearer
Torchbearer. Light is your calling, fire your weapon.
Torchbearer. You walk in front, showing the way. In the darkness, you shine like a star. Your fire burns away fog, leaving clarity in its wake.
Women’s Work vs. Deep Work
In all but the most modern of times, men and women have had very different work. There is, and was, a varying degree of overlap. “Women’s work” is something that the group could rely on being done while child care happened. But what makes up “women’s work” is what will always get done while the…
Wardrobe Foundations
Wardrobe Foundations means the building blocks of your wardrobe. These items are likely to be boring and/or invisible and some of your more expensive items.
Bra: Buy one that fits. Be fit, quite probably. Skin tone and smooth. If you haven’t replaced your bras in a year, this may be what’s meh-ing up your wardrobe. Bras stretch, and they have a short life-span. You will be hand-washing this bra and air-drying it in order to have it last for you as long as possible.
Shoes: Buy a pair of shoes that are fit-for-purpose (comfortable enough to do life without thinking about your feet) in your base dark color. This is likely to be your largest foundational investment.
Bottoms: Buy a pair of pants or a skirt in a basic color for you, in a fairly durable fabric.