At my first audition for a children's play, I began a turbulent relationship with my voice.
Fancying myself as quite the singer, I stood on the stage and sang what can only be described as SPECTACULAR version of "Hi Neighbor". One problem; nobody could hear me. So, I became a townsperson in the chorus and my sister, who shouted her audition, got a lead.
Lesson learned: Be loud.
Then when I turned 13, puberty turned out to have more changes in store for me than getting hair in odd places and encouraging my chest (not effectively) to grow. I went from a normal, giggly tween to a young lady with Man Voice. I didn't realize it at first, it snuck up on me. But when I took a second shot at auditioning for the school play and sang a LOUD and SPECTACULAR version of Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" in the original key, it was hard to miss. My voice was low...and kinda cool. I didn't get cast in that version of the Sound of Music (damn nuns), but I did start to embrace my voice for what it
Blog Posts by Laura Nickerson
I am suffering from "Beauty Fatigue". It started after I had children and went from being somewhat well-groomed woman to a tired, unshowered milk machine. It was then that I realized my body had so much more value than the way it appeared to others. It could actually FEED SOMEONE! All by itself!!! And it could pick up things from the floor that were REALLY HEAVY! After a few years of parenting it could PICK UP TWO KIDS AT THE SAME TIME...WHILE HOLDING GROCERIES!! And my face, the one I plucked, primped, coated with paint, and attacked with retinol, could make my boys feel safe after a boo-boo and soothe a temper tantrum.
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The talk show for Smart, Funny Women
So that is the secret the beauty industry doesn't want us to know about-that we are actually more than a vessel for their products. We have actual worth beyond our appearance and that how we come, straight out of the box, is beautiful too.
Now, I am suffering from "Beauty Fatigue". Because once you see beyond the pressure to look amazing at all times, you see howThe Femimyth: When Did "Feminist" Become a Bad Word?
By Laura Nickerson | Author Blog Posts – Wed, Jun 20, 2012 2:37 AM EDTI was chatting with a friend about a great quote on feminism that I recently heard. When I asked my friend if she related to it, she shrank back in shock"A feminist? I'm not a (with horror) Feminist!"
The talk show for Smart, Funny Women
I was totally thrown. I am always surprised when a woman seems proud of being treated as "lesser" in the name of being traditional; it seems so outdated and insecure, especially when this is a confident and smart woman who lives a very progressive lifestyle. What was I missing here?
So I started poking around the Internet and was blown away by the negative and frankly ignorant ideas that people have about what feminism really is. Here is the word as described by Webster's Dictionary:
fem·i·nism noun \ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm\
1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests
Now that doesn't seem so bad, does it? Maybe I sound patronizing, but I find it unbelievable that women
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The talk show for Smart, Funny Women www.broadtopicstv.comI was having one of those parenting moments: I was playing with my two boys (3 and 5) and for once we were all relatively calm and not hurling ourselves across the room with gleeful hyperness (them, not me). I was off of work and not stressed or running around as usual and I was ready to have a Hallmark Moment. So I asked them "What do you think Mommies do?", assuming the answer would be something sweet that I would write in their baby books like "Mommies love" or "Mommies give cuddles". But instead I got an answer from my 3 year old that I still am chewing on:
"Mommies Work!"
Sigh.
As a working mom, feeling guilty is just a regular state of being. So of course my first thought in response to that statement was the feeling of little guilt knives stabbing me in the chest. But then another emotion started to rise up and that one was pride. Pride in showing my sons that a mom can work and contribute financially to the family, pride that they see me as doing something more than just
