Sarah
I'm a PhD student, despite being repeatedly told (for a variety of reasons) I would do no more than grade 6, at best, let alone high school or anything after. Obviously, I pulled up my socks and did it anyway (many thanks to my supportive, feminist, and 'take no shit from anyone' parents). Does this make me a precious special snowflake? Ha! There are worse things, but this isn't a pity-party and I am proud of myself. Still, I'll be damned if I have to listen to either the students that I teach or my fellow students whine about how no one is holding their hand. Sure, life's hard, but whining won't solve anything.
I recently got out of a long term (7yrs) relationship. It wasn't bad, it was really quite good. However, we grew apart and it was clear our paths were going in different directions and I would not sacrifice what I wanted to do (school, travel, stay child-free) just to settle down with someone who everyone else in my life thought was 'perfect' for me. I don't care that everyone thought I would 'break his heart', and that I would regret throwing it away and being on my own. It hurt for a bit, sure, but I moved on and it pisses me off to no end that some people stay in relationships only because 'it's just been so long', 'my family/friends like him/her'(...what about you?!), 'it's what's expected' - and it's easier to stay where it's comfortable. I'm a big advocate of not settling for less than you deserve and that being on your own, happy with it and not afraid of your own company/solitude is a great thing.
I read a lot. I hunt, I fish, I like the outdoors. I own a dog bigger than myself (this usually gets a lot of double-takes). I draw and I paint. I was a vegetarian for 5 years and only answered to myself for starting, or stopping that path. I hoop-dance and belly dance. Feminism is not a dirty word. I (like most well rounded people and other Heartless Bitches) am many things, some of them seemingly contradictory - I won't fit into some restricted box of what it means to be a woman, an academic, or someone from a backwater small town.
And as a last point, I cook (big deal, I know). However, I'm really tired of people reacting to this ability like it's some sort of superhuman feat. What the hell happened to basic living skills?
Country: Canada
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