Stripes Joplin
Bio
Stories (12/0)
Anxiety, Panic Disorders, and Agoraphobia
Today, I read a post wherein a prominent blogger talked about how grateful she is for her anxiety and how anxiety is a good thing and how if you feel any other way about it, your perspective is wrong and you’re not being “positive enough” about your experience and how your experience will change if you just learn to “like your anxiety.”
By Stripes Joplin5 years ago in Psyche
The Future of Feminine Hygiene
Let me begin by saying (ranting) that I’m going to discuss the content of this article in pretty candid detail, so if women’s bodies make you uncomfortable, I might suggest putting this article down and stepping out of the 7th grade. It’s about time women everywhere feel they’re able to talk about their periods if they so choose. Some people don’t want to talk about their periods because it makes them uncomfortable to do so (or for whatever reason), and that’s totally valid. That’s okay, and it’s really none of anyone’s business. However, the women who do want to talk about it should be able to without feeling “gross.”
By Stripes Joplin5 years ago in Viva
My Choice to be Childfree—Part One
People who don’t want kids are constantly assaulted with questions whose answers are none of anyone’s business, and then dismissed when we provide the answers we really don’t owe anyone. Our choices are a comment on our lives and our lives alone, yet so many people take offense to it as though it affects them. What we say about parenthood and about kids doesn’t apply to anyone else, their lives, or their kids. Yet too many people internalize and take our choice and any instance in which we’re outspoken about it as an attack on their choices and their children. Don’t get me wrong: I know being a mom is hard. That’s not what this is about. It’s about the fact that women who are childfree are constantly invalidated and dismissed by society, other women, and sexist men. As much as some people might feel attacked by a list of reasons not to have kids, this isn’t meant to be antagonistic. It’s meant to be validating for people like me who have never wanted kids and have encountered antagonistic behavior at every turn as a result. So, if you’re like me and have made the choice to be childfree, here are 70 of reasons not having kids is great:
By Stripes Joplin6 years ago in Families
Sun Basket
Right now there are a lot of meal subscription services out there. Some send you ingredients and you have to cook a meal, others send a pre-packaged meal that's as easy as heating and serving. My boyfriend and I decided to try Sun Basket. After all the fantastic reviews, we were really looking forward to our first basket.
By Stripes Joplin6 years ago in Feast
The 30 Beauty Products I Can't Live Without
As the owner and creative director of a start-up cosmetics company, I know three things: what you put on your skin and in your hair is a big deal; all beauty products are NOT created equal; and, if you're able, spending the money on higher-quality products is almost always worth it.
By Stripes Joplin6 years ago in Blush
To My Father
With Mother’s Day having been a few weeks ago and Father’s Day right around the corner, we need to talk about strained familial relationships and why it’s okay not to reach out to your family members just because you’re family. I’ve never put all of this on paper in words, and it was equal parts painful and cleansing. If it helps someone sever unhealthy ties to another person or other people, I’m okay wearing private trauma on a public sleeve. I went back and forth with how I wanted to write this and decided that a letter in which I speak to him would most clearly convey my anger and pain.
By Stripes Joplin6 years ago in Families
Me Too. Still
Let's talk about men. Not all men (get it? It's funny because it's not funny), but definitely a significant number of them. How did a movement that is about empowering women get hijacked by men with victim complexes? How did men manage to make yet another thing that isn't theirs all about them? It was never about them or "men's rights" or "meninism" (I almost can't even type either phrase because they're so ridiculous), but they've made it about them, so let's talk about it. They asked for it.
By Stripes Joplin6 years ago in Viva
Saying Goodbye to Toxic Femininity
We need to talk about toxic femininity. It’s something that doesn’t get enough screen time when it comes to our conversation about personal relationships. We talk about toxic masculinity and the ways in which the patriarchy negatively impacts men and their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, we talk about how the patriarchy interferes with our romantic relationships, and we talk about how the patriarchy governs our careers. What we’re not talking about though is toxic femininity and how a male-dominated society has taught women to compete with each other.
By Stripes Joplin6 years ago in Viva
Chronic Illness & Never Having Enough Spoons
I used to think "why me?" a lot. I was bullied growing up; I had a hard childhood for a lot of reasons I won't elaborate on now. When I finally grew into myself, life got a little easier, and the world wasn't constantly shitting on me anymore, at the age of 27 I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Fibromatosis.
By Stripes Joplin7 years ago in Longevity