family
Family life from the feminist perspective; can women have it all? Can anyone?
50-something women get hobbies
I love decorating - always have. The women of my family were good at many things especially cooking, shopping, and decorating. When we were little kids, we just had to go to school and we got to free-load and enjoy all the delicious meals and holiday magic that our mothers created all throughout the year. Year after year, until that horrible day: Graduation. Oh no! Now I'm officially an adult and I'm expected to know everything these amazing Divas know. Huh? Me? So I embarked on the quest of the job and apartment. I had a few good moments in my 20s. My little studio apartment in Hyde Park was thrifto-cute. My townhouse in North Tampa with my roommate Tammy was stylish and welcoming enough for visitors. My tiny pad in Keansburg, New Jersey was more affordable than glamourous, but definitely qualified the word "efficiency". Yet in all my 50 plus years of living here or there or anywhere, I've never really had a "home" that I could say was decorated to perfection.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 months ago in Viva
Finding your groove in the 50s
How come we don't have a show on television called 50-somethings? There are plenty of shows with the kiddies as stars, or the teens as stars, or the 20 and 30-somethings as stars. They even have movies and shows for the silver haired folks in their 60s and up club. What about the 50-somethings? Where's our movie or show? When I was younger I had all kinds of guidance. The Breakfast Club helped me through high school. Sex in the City helped me through my 20s. Comic books and movies helped me through the 30s and 40s. Now what? Whose representing the 50-somethings journey and pathways? I feel like I have no guidance. In a way, I like that. I'm too old to be listening to a drill sergeant or condescended to as if I haven't been around the block. Yet, there's still a piece of me that is uneasy and insecure about navigating on this new territory commonly called "over the hill" or "after the change". Big changes, big accomplishments, yet not much art or literature for guidance or reference as if the 50-somethings are in unfamiliar living situations. I trust my own instincts and judgements most of the time, but I do feel a discomfort of not having more movies and books to use as a reference for this phase/chapter of my aging experience.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 months ago in Viva
Penis Envy changed in the 70s
Did you think that Frued was a lunatic or just a sexist male chauvenist pig? Did you ever consider that as a woman you might have "penis envy" and that if you had been born with a penis all of the horrors of being a woman might never have occurred? I did. I thought maybe if I just had a penis I wouldn't be subjected to objectification, being considered property, or the disrespect that comes from those who still want to punish Eve's daughters just for having a vagina. Not only was I proud that I bore a son instead of an evil girl, I finally had my own personal penis. Or so I thought. But really it's not about the penis at all. Nope. It's not about the vagina either. This whole sexist thing is just a sado-masochistic game that both sexes have been playing since before 1908 when Freud published his "Penis Envy" theory.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 months ago in Viva
Grumpy Old Lady Angry at the Economy
I'm frustrated as hell today. Grumpy and snarky. I didn't have to fight the cat to get to the coffee machine, but I couldn't find a pair of pants quick enough, and when I organized the coffee station yesterday I forgot where the filters were. By the time I sat down with my coffee I was already grumpy. The other day my ex-husband/current roommate stood at the coffee station (that cost $400 and I'm making monthly payments on) as if he owned it (because he's a bully who is three times bigger than me and he knows niether of us want to go to jail) and forced me to ask him if I could get myself a cup of coffee (because he was in my f'n way) so I did while I shot him daggers from my eyes and poured the hot coffee into my cup when I really wanted to smash the glass pot against his skull. Whoever said I'm not a good actress, lied. He gets his jollies off by demeaning me with that passive-aggressive behavior. Does it in regards to the toilet also which is why I sometimes have to leak or poo in my own personal bucket toilet.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 months ago in Viva
Old lady grumbling about work
Happy October! May the leaves change colors in glorious autumn fashion and may you enjoy a tasty pumpkin spiced latte or donut this morning. I am here at my desk with a Maxwell House coffee brewed out of the cheapest coffee maker on the Walmart shelf. I like it. One button and will brew the cheapest coffee on the shelf. Good. I'm broke and I'm cheap just like my coffee maker.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 months ago in Viva
Nicole Kidman: The Shining Star of Hollywood
Nicole Kidman: The Shining Star of Hollywood *Nicole Kidman's Early Life* Nicole Kidman was born on June 20, 1967, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Her mother, Janet Marie, was a nursing instructor, and her father, Anthony David Kidman, was a clinical psychologist and biochemist. Nicole grew up in a middle-class family and moved to Sydney, Australia with her family when she was four years old.
By America today 5 months ago in Viva
Eldery people visit profound places
I found this meme today scrolling on Facebook. It was the most profound one I read and decided to write a poem and an article featuring this. Where do you think the elderly or the poor hang out? Some roach infested ghetto apartment or a sparkling clean dazzling condo overlooking the ocean? Both? Some elite gated nursing home featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous or some decaying old building with overworked and underpaid nurses calling it an Assisted Living Facility? A tent in the backyard where Granny fights the dog or the cat to call it "her" tent? A car that's over 20 years old and needs a new transmission and has no air conditioning or heater, but still lets Grandpa take a nap in the Walmart parking lot? Some old dusty hall where they gave the old homeless bum a free pack so he could play Bingo and try his luck? Yeah, I'm sure you can find the elderly at all of the above, but I think the meme is directly referring to places where the elderly have been much more than those younger folks. Typically, young people (child age to say around 30 somethings) are not typically hanging out at the hospital, the prison, or the cemetary unless they are employed there.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 months ago in Viva
Body Image in Aging
As I mentioned in my previous article, my focus is on the topic of aging especially regarding women so I'm thinking about old ladies which is what I consider myself since I am "over the hill" (over 50 years of age). Though wise men will say that we ought not compare ourselves to others as it is a source of emotional havoc, I notice that sitting in front of a television or computer screen in a female aging body is a source of loneliness and restlessness. Though I may be wise like those men or other notable wise women in the famous stories, I see daily that comparisons are often made (intentionally or not) almost as if it is impossible to get through the day without doing so. Scroll on Facebook because you're bored and see a joke about sagging breasts. Lots of laughs but would it be funny without comparison? If we didn't have plastic boobs or 15 year old boobs to look at, would the saggy drooping old lady boobs be funny? I'll try not to compare us to animals, but when I get in a serious mood I tend to compare human behavior to the animals and the animals seem to be more civilized. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Maybe that was as cruel as laughing at your grandmother's breasts. Did you laugh at the porn stars breasts the same way? Oh right, it isn't wise to compare. What? The laughs or the breasts?
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 months ago in Viva
Using Viva for My Magazine Ideas
"What it means to be a woman. Viva explores the lives of women, from the workplace to home, family, adventure, ambition, and more." That is the description provided by Vocal for the "Viva" community. I haven't submitted much (if any) to this community although I am a woman who does much "work" at home often thinking about family, adventure, ambitions, and other things. I noticed that in numbers (statistical reports of members and articles) this community is on the low side. So I've decided to FOCUS on this community and narrow my subject matter in my articles to fit this community. I was ambitious enough to want to start an online magazine and call it "Over the Hill" or "Poor People" or "Lonely Old Ladies" but I think this community is sufficient for my writing desires on these subjects.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 months ago in Viva
5 Life Lessons I Learned Watching Yellowstone
When I first started watching Yellowstone, I thought I was signing up for a series about cowboys, cattle, and sweeping views of Montana. And while I got all of that in abundance, I also walked away with something far more valuable: life lessons wrapped in the chaos, grit, and beauty of the Dutton family’s world.
By No One’s Daughter7 months ago in Viva
