MotherhoodWorking In A Society That Worships Motherhood But Disrespects Mothers Three weeks ago, someone I am collaborating with on a project told me: “If you cannot handle the rigors of the position, you should go back to walking your dog and doing mommy things.” Did you gasp? I did too. Let’s talk about how we […]
MusingsThis week, I became the Hatchet Lady. I have always been drawn to small institutions. There is something about a close-knit community that creates a sense of safety for me. My graduating high school class had 32 students. At the time of my graduation, enrollment at my university was just over 3,000. The first professional […]
MusingsIt feels as though it’s easier than ever to identify evil — whether in people, systems, or events. Some things are objectively evil. Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people is an objectively evil act. Jeffrey Epstein was an unquestionably evil man. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party were undoubtedly evil. Evil is part of the […]
MusingsThere is a pivotal scene in the film Sinners that lays bare an unfathomable crime. Early on, we meet Delta Slim—a masterful blues player and a drunk who, despite his outward joviality, appears both haunted and hunted. It quickly becomes clear what has shaped the complex inner life of this towering man, who seems to […]
MotherhoodSo many of us are dealing with the real effects of surviving a period of parenting that has done harm—sometimes irreparable—to our bodies, souls, and psyches. This is not hyperbole. The USA’s Department of Veteran Affairs reports that “about 15% to 43% of girls and 14% to 43% of boys go through at least one […]
MusingsThere is anecdotal evidence that suggests that as we age, our friendship circles narrow. I don’t know that we need peer-reviewed research to confirm what most of us feel in our bones: the older we get, the fewer people we call friend. When you are in elementary school, everyone in your classroom is referred to […]
MusingsTwo weeks ago, I sent the email no woman CEO ever wants to find herself typing. The subject line read: “On the verge of mental collapse, raising my hand to ask for help.” I am the Managing Director of a boutique media company that creates content aimed at demystifying stereotypes about African women. For the […]
The South African SeriesFollowers of my Instagram account know how much I love living in George. I’ve been boasting about this city even when it wasn’t obvious to others why I should take such pride in it. When my family moved here in 2018, George was still a small, gritty pseudo-city with an economy built on industrial activity. […]
MotherhoodWhen your child is born, they bring with them your hopes, dreams, and fears. The moment that tiny person makes their entrance into the world, all the theoretical proclamations you once made about what you would or wouldn’t do as a parent stop being abstract. It’s suddenly very real. You either put your money where […]