#5SmartReads - March 28, 2022

Hitha on ambition, patriarchs, and 'that moment' on the royal tour

March 28, 2022

Revenge of the Patriarchs (Foreign Affairs)

I had to read this article three times - a quick skim the first time, and slowly absorbing every single word the second two times to take in every painful word of our present and our future - if we do not act.

“It is not a coincidence that women’s equality is being rolled back at the same time that authoritarianism is on the rise. Political scientists have long noted that women’s civil rights and democracy go hand in hand, but they have been slower to recognize that the former is a precondition for the latter.”

The freedoms that so many of us take for granted as inalieable rights are being threatened and chipped away, and the state of women’s - and mothers, especially - participation in the economy and the lack of care economy has done long-term damage for both women’s advancement and in the growth of our economy and security.

This is a long and difficult read, which makes it an incredibly important one. But you may need a cup of something comforting before you dive into this one.

Crediting my friend Rahaf for sharing this article with me first.

When we think of meditation, the image that comes to mind is someone sitting cross-legged - sometimes propped up on a pillow or block, almost always on a yoga mat - with a serene look on her face.

Aka how my friend Neeti looks in this very article.

I can’t remember the last time I meditated this way (opting for engaging all my senses during mundane moments like making a cup of coffee), but Neeti’s yoga sequence is something I plan to try in the coming weeks as I ease back into a morning ritual that prioritizes meditation on my mat or cushion.

March 25, 2022 (Letters from an American)

I find such comfort in Heather Cox Richardson’s thoughtful analysis of our history when trying to put today’s news in context. And while I fully acknowledge her political views are closely aligned with my own, I find her careful explanation of how “self-government” has been rewritten by today’s conservatives to fit a very narrow, easily propagandized agenda.

And the goal of this agenda? Effectively stripping anyone who is not a straight, cisgendered, and often White man of dignified and equitable life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that was written in our Declaration of Independence - and thus consolidating power.

This is my opinion (and opinions are like a-holes - we’ve all got them), but in studying Cox Richardson’s cited sources and the Foreign Press article I shared earlier, I can’t help but see this as the intended goal, and it saddens me that consolidating power instead of trying to live up to the promise of America is the goal of one of our political parties.

Again - just my opinion. But I have yet to find a convincing argument to change my perspective.

Hannah is a true unicorn of a person.

Her many professional accomplishments aside, she’s gracious and kind and fun and you just want to be her best friend.

And I desperately want to go all Philly on these morons who she’s dated for the moronic things they’ve said and did because they’re frankly threatened by her. And by most women, it seems like.

“That ambitious spark is alluring only up to a point, then it can make men feel insecure — as if there’s only room for one ambitious person in a relationship.”

Men - are you okay? Do you need a cookie and a nap and maybe some deep unlearning?

Also, can any dating app launch a matchmaking feature for people like me who have single friends that should meet without my having to send a bunch of texts? Call me, Bumble.

Remember how I said ‘context matters’ in an earlier article? It rings especially true, in the supposed snub that was heard around the world.

I only wish MP Lisa Hanna’s words are as widely shared and analyzed as the supposed snub. Especially these:

“Condemning slavery with no action, as both Prince Charles and Prince William did, is not particularly bold, nor does it show courage. I would hope that this rhetoric is a start and not an end to their journey on the issue of reparations and justice.”

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