How community theater changed my life
One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one “yes” would end up changing my life…
What to pack for a loved one’s hospital stay
In the past few years, my partner has had to stay in the hospital twice, and both times, I stayed with them. They have one more surgery coming up which will, hopefully, be the last one. There’s plenty of advice on how to pack for them, but this time, I’m determined to get it right and pack sensibly for my own stay. Here’s how I’m doing it…
Does choosing an LGBTQ+ label mean you’re THAT forever?
Some people have asked me: if I identify with a term today does that mean you always have to identify that way? The answer to that question can be complicated and contentious. Here’s my take: HELL FREAKING NO!
My heartfelt advice: Don’t worry so much about labels. Labels are great, but, in some ways, they’re also for cans.
Why electroconvulsive therapy was the closest thing to a magic bullet I’ve found for my depression
When I requested electroshock (also known as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT) from my psychiatrist, she was shocked that I was actually requesting it. Nearly every medical professional I spoke to on my ECT journey made a concerted effort to sing its praises and try to convince me to stick with it. I didn’t need convincing, and I am incredibly glad that I stuck with it. ECT has helped me in ways that no other treatment has, lifting me out of a 15+ year fog of depression and making me much more capable of functioning like a “normal” adult.
An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear
On this particular evening I was in full Spanx. I did look great in the dress, but I had not thought about how bathroom breaks would work. I took a bathroom break during the award ceremony and it was exhausting.
I’m totally going to overshare here…
3 steps to get through a conversation when you’re the family’s liberal black sheep
Are you one of the few liberals in your conservative family? If you’re a black sheep like me you probably get stressed out when they ask you, “What are you doing, ya know, with your life?” Here are some ways to save your mental health and hopefully your family ties.
How sex toys empowered me after trauma & shame
In December of 2009, I bought my first sex toy, and it was incredible. Here was an entire industry dedicated to the act of bringing my body pleasure. Not for anyone else, but for my own enjoyment. And it wasn’t presented as secretive and embarrassing and shameful: it was bright purple. And for the first time, my body felt like mine and my sexuality belonged to me. Since then, sex toys have been an active interest of mine, and I’ve learned a lot about them — and about how important they are.
Move over “spinster”: this old term for an unmarried woman is bad-ass
Back when I was buying a condo as an unmarried woman about a decade back, I was confronted with the term “spinster” in the legal documentation declaring that I *gasp* had no husband in the process of buying this home. Get your fainting couches ready. I think it would have been far less jarring had I been confronted with the term THORNBACK, though. What’s a thornback you ask? Come with me on this journey of fantastic singlehood, friends…