Get It, Girls

"The girl and the woman, in their new, individual unfolding, will only in passing be imitators of male behavior and misbehavior and repeaters of male professions. After the uncertainty of such transitions, it will become obvious that women were going through the abundance and variation of those (often ridiculous) disguises just so that they could purify their own essential nature and wash out the deforming influences of the other sex. Women, in whom life lingers and dwells more immediately, more fruitfully, and more confidently, must surely have become riper and more human in their depths than light, easygoing man, who is not pulled down beneath the surface of life by the weight of any bodily fruit and who, arrogant and hasty, undervalues what he thinks he loves. This humanity of woman, carried in her womb through all her suffering and humiliation, will come to light when she has stripped off the conventions of mere femaleness in the transformations of her outward status, and those men who do not yet feel it approaching will be astonished by it. Someday (and even now, especially in the countries of northern Europe, trustworthy signs are already speaking and shining), someday there will be girls and women whose name will no longer mean the mere opposite of the male, but something in itself, something that makes one think not of any complement and limit, but only life and reality: the female human being." Rilke

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Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I am so very thankful for my girlfriends. My girlfriends inspire me, teach me, listen to me, and love me. I am grateful to be surrounded and supported by these amazing women:

SMS, you are my nurse, my granny, and my cheerleader. I respect and admire how long and hard you worked to find the career that was right for you. You know who you are. You are so good to your friends and family. I love watching your relationship grow and love the way you love him. Thank you for being my girl, for all your support and love during my moves. I can’t wait for Friday!

KDD, you are smart, strong, so fun, and unshakeable. Your friends and family, CJ, the education system, the Heels, and I are so lucky to have your love and dedication. You deserve all of the happiness you’ve made, and you teach me so much about how to deal with the unhappy. I am so proud of your passion for your job and can’t wait to watch your career continue. Thank you for sticking with me during rough years and for snagging those front row gaga tickets.

JLM, oh how glad I am to have found you. You teach me patience, level-headedness, perspective, and self-respect. I love how you make your life what you want it to be, and how much balance you have. I adore your parents and your relationship with them. You’re the most socially adept geneticist ever. Thank you for so much hilarity and wisdom and for the limes for our bus trip g&t’s.

JQC, my comic relief and forever friend. You crack me up. I admire your persistence, your endurance and positive outlook through more challenge than you deserve. You are generous and devoted. You were the first one to help me see outside of our little town and its little ideas. You’re my rock forever. Thank you for yelling at Sister Eunice when she yelled at me about my lost teddy bear.

CAL, my girl. You are so good at being real and honest and call me out on my bullshit in the best way. You were the first one to be next to me during my divorce. I love living with you and talking about daily nothings. Your bold perspective is going to do awesome things for you and the education world in your career. Thank you for Spring Break 2009 and for the Alchemist.

MAA, my Miranda and my Mama role-model. Watching you love L is the best lesson in parenting and love. I have looked up to you as a girlfriend, wife, and now mother. You are my wisest, warmest girl. You know who you are and what you want and you don’t let others get in the way of your happiness. Your house is my favorite home. Thank you for guiding me with gentleness and so much lolz. I can’t wait to see you on Friday!!

PAK, girl, you don’t even know. ‘Cept you know. You know me like no one ever done know me. You’ve been by my side during my shakiest and neediest years. You teach me about patient, enduring, conditionless love. We’re inextricably intertwined. Thank you for our phone calls when I was in the lobby of the BB&T building and you were getting on and off of busses in Jerusalem. Thank you for drinks at Acme, green foam before Thanksgiving 2009, High Point, and for New York on Tuesday. Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I am so grateful for all of you. Xoxo.

One of the Guys

College student Jamie Keiles’ story about being a tomboy kind of girl hanging out with her dude friends, and now lady friends. About girls being catty or intimidating, about the appeal of being the girl in the boys’ club, and about people bein’ people aside from gender.

Overcoming the idea that girl was synonymous with catty or dramatic or gossipy was a definite struggle. In the end, though, I came to realize it wasn’t girls that I didn’t want to be friends with; it was people who acted like jerks. Sometimes these people are girls, but lots of times they are boys, too.

The girl friends I have now kick major ass. One sings in an a cappella group. One is the editor of a sex magazine. A bunch of them are involved with a mentorship program that I joined earlier this year (shout out to my WYSE girl gang!!!!). Hanging out with them is different from the time I spent in the boys’ club in that I don’t feel like I constantly need to wreck on my own gender to be cool. If I call someone out for being catty, it isn’t because they’re a girl, it’s because they’re acting like an ass.

alexachunglover: “Girls chillin” source: dev hynes twitter

alexachunglover:

“Girls chillin”

source: dev hynes twitter

(via alexachungblog)

Cool WSJ report about business women promoting one another, mainly via social media. The story notes that these women are mixing business and friendship, which can go awry, but that when done well it’s powerful. Get it, girls.

hey, hellogiggles 

(via bffproductions)

“The Switch” via The Sartorialist.

“The Switch”

via The Sartorialist.