Happy Friday, ya'll
I have some delicious, delicious apricot butter to share with you just as soon as I have some good light. It's worth waiting for, I promise.
In the meantime, a few things I've seen online of late that are worth a read.
Celebrate the women of NASA's 2013 astronaut class and think about why we don't do it more here.
My mom sent this one to me. I'm an only child, and I like to think that I'm neither lonely nor unusually selfish. I also am grateful for the time, energy, and money my parents have been able to spend on me through the years because I am an only child. Why do us Onlies have such a bad rap?
This photo from a Saudi Arabian women's conference? oi vey.
This one from The Atlantic is pretty spot on. Stephen Marche presents an actually multi-faceted take on "having it all," the work-life balance, and the balancing act that is marriage. He points out what I think is often unacknowledged -- most couples I know will move cities and follow a job and face un- or under-employment by one half of the partnership, not because one spouse's job is more important than the other, but because one pays much more than the other. In my generation, money is the driving force, not one gender's perceived importance.
Oh, this one I love. While I will always love being told I look pretty, there's only so far that conversation can go. Ask me what I'm reading or what you should be reading and we can really get to know one another.
Finally, need a mini break or don't believe you're addicted to the internet? Try doing nothing for two minutes.
Anything you want to share with the class?
As another only child (basically - I never lived with my stepsiblings due to the age difference), I like to think I'm pretty well-adjusted too. I do think it pushed me to be more independent, but I don't see that as a problem. I'm also somewhat of an introvert, but I wouldn't consider myself overly lonely or selfish.
ReplyDeleteOnly child high five!
DeleteI admit to being a full-fledged introvert, but I don't see that as a bad thing. Sure, large social settings/events can be exhausting, but I've figured out how to recover (nothing complicated- a book and sleep), and I can small talk when the situation calls for it. Imagine a world of all extroverts...[shudder]. Sitting alone for hours doesn't make me lonely, and I can't see how that's a bad thing.
As for being selfish, everyone is a little bit (or how would humans have survived through the ages?), but I imagine the way I was raised has more to do with me not being a completely spoiled brat than being an only child. There are families full of spoiled, selfish, sibling-ed children.