In response to Sabrina's Post

Sabrina talks about the blog post entitled “Does Being Successful Scare Men Away?” by Lara Busch. This blog was about how men feel intimidated by women who are successful and are well educated.

Although I agree with some things Sabrina is saying about the blog post, I do disagree with most of her arguments. I agree with Busch that men are afraid to be romantically involved with a woman that is smarter or gets paid more than he does. Men want to always feel like they’re more important than everyone else and that they have to be the one supporting the family, not the female in the relationship. It’s a pride thing with men.

When a woman is making more money than the man is, he feels as if the women should depend on him. A man almost loses his dignity when he is the parent that has to stay home with the kid because the wife is out working and making more money than he could bring in.

Sabrina uses the quote “Men still want to feel like they are needed and have the power and control that comes with being the main income earner.” She says she feels that this statement makes men seem aggressive and abusive. Though I agree with her that saying a woman does not need a man for money, I agree with the statement when it says men want to feel powerful and in control of the money coming in. A woman does not need to rely on a man or his money to be successful; she can be successful without a man.

Sabrina brings up a good point that gender roles have changed a tremendous amount in the last few decades. More women are attending college than men today, and women are almost at equal numbers to the amount of men in the work force. They are also finally letting women fight in combat in wars. This is a huge step for our generation because women have never been able to fight in a war, now women can prove that they are just as strong and capable of protecting their country as a man is.

There is still a lot of discrimination and sexism in the U.S. but women are striving for equality in today’s society. One of these major problems is the difference in a man’s pay check to a woman’s paycheck for the same work done. I women makes 75 cents to every dollar a man makes. Isn’t that ridiculous? Even if she has a better college degree than a man does, she still gets paid less than he does.

When a woman starts making more than a man, he feels threatened because “men are better than women.” A man never wants to feel inferior to a woman so that’s why all of the presidents, all of which were MALES, avoided passing the bill to make women have equal pay for the same work as a man.

I feel that if a man likes a woman but she makes more money than him, he will feel threatened and will not want to date her for that reason. If two people are already in a relationship, I feel like the man will try to compete with the woman so he is always in power. Men instinctively strive for dominance and power, so having a girl interrupt that power is like a slap in the face to them.

Sabrina says “In today’s society, divorce seems to be extremely common and the notion of being with only one person for the entirety of one’s life is seemingly going out of fashion. It makes more sense to blame the fact that there are less couples on the ways in which our society functions.”

I completely agree with this statement. The divorce rate in the U.S. is at about 50%! That is crazy because half of all marriages are ending in divorce. This makes it so much harder to find true love that people will actually want to make last a lifetime. If a man is worried more about how much more successful his wife is than him, he needs to reevaluate and be happy for her and make their relationship work.

Procrastination

Procrastinating is the act or habit of putting off or delaying something. I would have to say I am a professional at procrastinating. I am the type of person to wait until the very last minute to do something, this often means my homework. If I am given an assignment that is due in a month, I will wait until the last day before it is due to even start it. This is a terrible way to go about anything. You would thing I would learn better after hating myself every time for waiting so long to start, but I still continue to do it.
I had so much free time some days where all I did was sit around and watch Netflix or take a nap, when I could have started that paper and not been overwhelmed all at once. Of course I am doing that with this post now. It is due tomorrow morning and of course I am doing it now at midnight...
Whenever I try to work on not procrastinating, I still procrastinate. I tell myself I am going to start my essay due in two weeks today and then the next day I tell myself the same thing. But do I ever start it? Nope, of course not. Not until I remember the day before that is due.
This is a terrible quality to have because when I have to plan my wedding or work on a major project when I am a doctor of physical therapy, I am going to wait until the last minute to do everything and I am going to overwhelm myself and won't know how to handle all the stress I caused myself.
I am hoping that one day soon I will break this cycle of procrastination and I will be able to start something early and finish it so I won't have to worry about it when everyone else is racing to finish. I will be able to smile and say "Mine's already done."
It will be a great day when I can actually sit back and know that I don't actually have anything to do because I already did it all.
Procrastinating is an art, and the way I see it is, if you get your work done on time and you get a good grade on it, you are a professional procrastinator. If you wait until the last minute and don't get your work done or it's done but you got a bad grade, then maybe you should retire from procrastinating and try to start your work a little earlier.
From yours truly,
The Procrastinator

In response to Shannon Cutts: Beauty Sickness- Do You Have It?

Shannon Cutts responds to a YouTube video called “An Epidemic of Beauty Sickness.” In the YouTube video Renee says “Beauty is not just desirable, it is also rare.” Our culture and society is so focused on the idea that “thin is better.” Girls today put themselves through so much unnecessary pain, discomfort, and health risks for an unrealistic image of what you are “supposed” to look like. Women today spend too much time worrying about their looks rather than how smart and beautiful they really are. Renee said a statistic that “54% of women would rather be hit by a truck than be fat.” This just shows how powerful the image of beauty really is, being skinny is the new way to be pretty. 

Over 1.5 million plastic surgeries were performed in the last year and 1.3 million of the surgeries were done on women. Altering your body because other people think beautiful looks like a certain image is stupid in my opinion. We are all made to be different for a reason and we are all beautiful in our own skin. “Beautiful is the most important, most powerful thing a girl or woman can be.” Being beautiful and owning your own body is so powerful and sends such a great image to other women who worry about their body image. Over-exposure to images of skinny women in bathing suits or underwear in the media causes women to have increased depression and decreased self-esteem. We ask too many questions about ourselves because we are too focused on the ideas of what the media shows what women should look like.

Shannon says that she still struggles to put down the mirror, that affects her ability to experience and enjoy life. She believes she has this beauty sickness and is still recovering from eating disorders. Eating disorders are a major problem among women today. Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are the eating disorders found among young women today. Women don’t feel comfortable in their own skin so they resort to not eating or vomiting after they eat to make themselves feel skinnier. You can always eat a piece of fruit instead of that bag of chips. Or you can take the stairs instead of going up the elevator at work. Go for a walk instead of watching TV. There are so many different ways to get to a better body image rather than starving yourself or making yourself vomit after every meal.

Shannon says “I am not going to stop striving for freedom from beauty sickness, because the quality of life I want to live requires it.” This shows just how important it is to Shannon to feel comfortable in her own body because she wants to stop worrying about the way other people perceive her. This is so important because we should not care what other people think about the way that we look. If we are not perfect in someone else’s eyes then that person is not an important asset to your life. People are never going to stop being judgmental so you can’t always worry about what everyone else thinks of you at every waking second of the day. Shannon took Renee’s advice and tried to do things that wouldn't lower her self-esteem such as purchasing reading magazines with models and celebrities on them. Shannon is also finding other ways to praise her niece and nephew other than the way they look or how they are dressed so they aren't worried about how they look starting at such a young age.

I believe that what Shannon is doing is the best way to go about her struggle with her body image. She is taking her negative feelings about her body and taking away the temptations of reading magazines, and instead telling herself that she is beautiful and the only people she needs in her life are the people that believe she is beautiful too. By focusing her niece and nephew’s attention on things other than their appearance, Shannon is improving their self-esteem at a young age by telling them how smart and creative they are instead of how beautiful or handsome they look.

In response to Hunter's post

College Student's Biggest Addiction

     I completely agree that college students are addicted to Netflix and spend way too much time watching a show rather than studying or doing their homework. I know exactly what he means when he said he watched nine seasons of The Office and watched Wolf of Wall Street for the sixth time. I am one who is also addicted to Netflix and it seems to be the most appropriate time to watch it when I have a ton of work I need to get done...  This is a major problem because it is a distraction when I need to get my work done. Instead I watch 3 hours’ worth of Grey's Anatomy and all of a sudden it’s eleven at night and I haven't even started an essay that is due at ten the next morning.

     I feel that Netflix should have a restriction during the week for college students so they cannot watch TV when they need to do their work. It should only be available Friday through Sunday until about five at night. This will allow college students to do their homework with minimal distractions. Also with this, if they cannot do a restriction for the whole week, they should have a time limit of how much Netflix a user can watch in one day. For example, a person should not be able to watch more than 3 hours of Netflix in a day. Another point Hunter touched on was that Netflix doesn't post all the seasons of an episode at once. When you start one season, you might have to wait a couple weeks or months until the next season is available. This could be good and bad. Good in the way that a person will put down their laptop for a few weeks and actually do their homework or it could go the opposite way and when a person is waiting for the next season to come out, they may start a new show or watch other movies.

     Also Hunter touches on how watching Netflix affects a person's mood. I completely agree. I feel that if I am watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy and it gets very suspenseful, I have to watch the next episode too or I get really upset and anxious to watch it. Netflix is addicting and some people do have a serious problem when it comes to watching their favorite shows. Once I finished the first two seasons of Orange is the New Black, I started watching Grey’s Anatomy. I had to keep myself busy for six months while I am still waiting for the new season to come out in June. 

Life Lessons

In the past year, I have come to the realization that life is too short to not cherish the things you love. Since the passing of my father, I have looked at life through a new perspective. The people you love will not be around forever so cherish those precious moments you have with them. Family and friends are the most important things in my life. Family will always be there for you and will love you unconditionally even if they hate you some days. They would do whatever it takes to make sure you are okay and happy. They will always be the first ones there right when you need them, even if they live in another state. You're family supports you in everything you do and are always your number one fans. You never realize how much you love someone until they are gone, so show them every opportunity you get because it may be your last chance. Most people will brush this off and say 'Oh nothing bad will happen to them because they're healthy and happy' until they're gone and you were forced to learn the hard way like I did.

Friends are the few people you count on to be there for you whenever you need them. When there is something you don't want to tell your family, a friend will be there to lend the listening ear or the shoulder to cry on. A good friend is one that picks you up when you are down and makes you laugh when all you want to do is cry. When family isn't around, they're the first people you call. they will support you in every decision you make but will be truthful and tell you when you're wrong. Your parents treat your friend as if they are their own child. They come to all the family gatherings and birthday parties because your whole family asks where they are when they are not with you. At this point you no longer have a friend, you have another family member. The friends you have that become family are so important, make sure you share how much they truly mean to you. Life is too short too hold back your feelings, so love with all your heart and speak your mind often.

Like I said in the first sentence, life is too short to not do what you love. Many people have hobbies such as playing an instrument, knitting, or playing sports. I love the game of soccer. If I could play everyday until the day I die I would. It makes me so happy and I never get sick of it, even after already playing for 12 years. The endorphins released when you exercise diminish the perception of pain, it's like a drug but better because you can't get addicted. Endorphins make you a happier person as well. Exercising, such as playing a sport or just running, reduces stress, depression, anxiety, and boosts your self-esteem. Whenever I am feeling down or just not myself, I go and play soccer. I forget about everything that is on my mind and I am only focused on the game. Once my dad passed, I lost my drive to play. Everything in my life ceased for a while because I didn't know how to handle the emotional toll and stress of losing a parent. During this time period I was asked to commit to a school to play soccer at the division 1 level, but because I was in a slump, I declined all offers and chose the school closest to home. Once I realized my mistake it was too late. I was in season for basketball and I took over a week off. Once I realized that my father would have wanted me to continue to do what I loved and not mope around, I started playing again. Not very well but it made me feel better, it kept my mind off the world around me for a few hours and I was able to smile again. Even when bad things happen in your life, you shouldn't quit doing the things you love. That will only make things worse.

Do what you love and love the people in your life unconditionally because one day it may all be gone.