The (NOT SO) Skinny Girl

Maybe it's just me and my upbringing, I mean Italian mothers/grandmothers are top notch at laying on the guilt. God forbid you made ANY plans on a Sunday, or any other day designated as a family day, that didn't include getting together at Mom or Grandma's house for a 3 course (or more) army-sized meal. As I grew up and became aware and independent, I felt 'guilt' more and more. Not just for not spending time with family. For not thanking them enough. For not doing enough around the house. For not offering to do enough. For not having better grades or being better at something. For not having enough money for things. All sorts of guilt. I've carried this childhood notion of always feeling guilty about everything into my married, established, adult life.  Interestingly enough, where I thought it was just a "ME" thing, I'm starting to realize our culture, as a whole, is very geared towards placing guilt on people unnecessarily. It comes in a lot o...

Fat shaming. Slut shaming. Thin shaming. White shaming. Privilege shaming. Straight shaming. Fake tan and comb over shaming. Shame shame shame on you! I had no idea that I am quadruply privileged. Apparently... I need to check my white privilege, my straight privilege, my thin privilege, and my woman privilege. Why does being what I am, make me privileged? Why does working hard and benefiting from it make me privileged? WHY DOS EVERYONE ELSE THINK I'M PRIVILEGED AND I'M ALL OVER HERE LIKE "WOE IS ME.... LIFE SUCKS"???? I think I know the answer. When people are unhappy with things, they like to disagree. Makes sense. I agree with that. When people are unhappy with things that they don't want to take responsibility for, they start to blame/shame other people.  I am fat. I feel lesser.                                  You make me feel lesser. Shame on you! I am black. I feel less...

I have been catching up on this topic of a young woman who got drunk, and while drunk, was sexually assaulted by another drunk person-- who turns out to be a an outstanding student athlete at Stanford.  That being said. Let me tell you about a young woman who was sexually assaulted at a D 3 school.... That didn't make any headlines. In 2005 an 18 year old woman was drinking in the freshman dorms on campus.  She and a few friends went to a party in a 6-man suite. At some point, someone forcibly poured vodka down her throat from a handle. That's when things got out of control. (Now some may ask "How was she forced to drink??" Have you ever had someone bigger and stronger and taller than you make you do something? Even if it was the stupidest thing, other people can MAKE YOU do things. They can force you to do things. That is a reality. You didn't want to jump in the water- but it was a better alternative than being hit by that train/bus/car/person running at yo...