There's lots to report on. I make no guarantee that you'll make it to the end of this post, but I hope you will.
First off, you haven't seen much action on this blog because I've started blogging for Campus Pride, the only national non-profit that supports college students and organizations working to "create a safer college environment for LGBT college students." They published the guide on Transgender Issues in Sororities and Fraternities that I wrote with Jessica Pettitt last summer. Blogging for Campus Pride is a really great outlet for me to feel a wee bit political and connected to the LGBT community.
If you're interested, here are links to the posts I've done for them:
Issues faced by LGBT students when studying abroad
Something Old, Something New, A Good Case of the Bisexual Blue
Something Old, Something New, A Good Case of the Bisexual Blue
Thoughts on the Prop 8 Case from a bisexual point of view
In totally other news, this past Monday I drove Riane Eisler from her home to San Francisco and back. She was speaking at a conference put on by Will's work and so he lined up the gig for me. There's a similar conference happening in D.C. in June if you are interested.
I'd never heard of Ms. Eisler before spending several hours in a car with her, but in other circles she is a celebrity. She has published several books that have been translated into 22 languages. To say it was a little intimidating to talk to her at first is perhaps an understatement. But, by the car ride back we were able to have a really nice conversation.
She gave me copies of two of her books and wants me to email her to talk about them when I finish reading them. I'm only a little bit into The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a More Caring Economics, but it's full of interesting ideas. She basically focuses on all of the work that is done that remains outside of how we measure our economy, makes a clear case that it is work associated with the stereotypical feminine values of caring, and talks about how our economy would be different if we included and gave importance to care giving. My favorite example so far is that we think nothing of paying a man $50+ /hr to take care of our plumbing and require some sort of certification before trusting them, but we only pay around $10/hr for someone to take care of our children. Talk about wrong priorities!
...and that's all the news from Lake Woebegone.
I'm trying to pump out a post a week for them. It's really stretching me to learn more because unlike here where I mostly report on my life and things I'm thinking about, I do a lot more research for the Campus Pride posts. I've also taken on a volunteer project for them, which is making me feel more capable.
In totally other news, this past Monday I drove Riane Eisler from her home to San Francisco and back. She was speaking at a conference put on by Will's work and so he lined up the gig for me. There's a similar conference happening in D.C. in June if you are interested.
I'd never heard of Ms. Eisler before spending several hours in a car with her, but in other circles she is a celebrity. She has published several books that have been translated into 22 languages. To say it was a little intimidating to talk to her at first is perhaps an understatement. But, by the car ride back we were able to have a really nice conversation.
She gave me copies of two of her books and wants me to email her to talk about them when I finish reading them. I'm only a little bit into The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a More Caring Economics, but it's full of interesting ideas. She basically focuses on all of the work that is done that remains outside of how we measure our economy, makes a clear case that it is work associated with the stereotypical feminine values of caring, and talks about how our economy would be different if we included and gave importance to care giving. My favorite example so far is that we think nothing of paying a man $50+ /hr to take care of our plumbing and require some sort of certification before trusting them, but we only pay around $10/hr for someone to take care of our children. Talk about wrong priorities!
Since beginning my unemployment/trying to get a job adventure, I've become more and more aware about how money reflects priorities and how salaries and access to jobs reflect who is valued by society. It's been eye-opening. A few weeks ago I called this law firm where I had applied to do admin assistance to see if they had received my resume. I had a long talk with the office manager, and in the end, she told me that I was overqualified and that I would be too bored to do the job. I thought it was interesting that just because I have a Bachelor's degree I'd be bored, whereas someone without one is assumed to not be bored? It's interesting to watch how the working world almost refuses to allow me to do certain work, even if I am ready and willing to do it. I'm on the lucky side of this equation because I'll probably wind up eventually with a challenging, professional job that's salaried and relatively stable, but the dynamic still bothers me.
For those of you who I haven't told, I was accepted to the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. I'm really excited, but nervous that I won't get a placement in the bay area. I'll be making my final decision in March when I am told of my placement. It doesn't start until early August, so I'm also nervous about how I'll make it until then. We shall see.
...and that's all the news from Lake Woebegone.
I'll try to be better about posting, so I'm not just updating, but rather, getting more into my thoughty-thoughts. Hope you don't mind until then.
Nice post, Sarah.
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