“You’re more beautiful in person,” he says. I look up from my checkbook, as I’m writing out the amount for groceries. We’ve been chatting as I unload my basket and he rings me up. I’m only half-paying attention; I have budgets on my mind. Worries over money. Worries, always worries. He studies the image on […]
Connection, Communal Living, and the Future
It may have been the second or third time I saw the show that I realized: communal living – family, friends, once-upon-a-time strangers – maybe this is the answer. The answer to keeping excitement in a household. The answer to empty nest. The infusion of energy and array of attitudes to fight the urge to […]
“Living a Life That’s Not Working”
Recently I read words I could relate to, written by a woman who was feeling – at that moment – overwhelmed and trapped. No matter what she tries – and she is working hard in so many ways – she lapses back into a sort of “creep” as she calls it. It is something many […]
Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover
You know the old adage – Don’t judge a book by its cover. In other words, we shouldn’t judge by appearances, though we know that first impressions count, that the public face is important to success in many areas, that social conventions serve their purpose. But is anyone ever who you think they are? Haven’t […]
Romance Fitness
Spring, with its indefinable je ne sais quoi. And it has me thinking about taking risk, about lifestyle change, about romance. Let’s be honest. Sex is accessible to most of us, if we really want it. But romance is a different story. It’s a matter of the heart, whatever your marital or parental status. It […]
Just Say No
It’s Friday evening. My son pops into my room. I’m working on documents – there are papers and folders scattered all over the bed. “Hey Mom.” I look up. “Tomorrow night, I’m going downtown with friends.” I ask for details, and I tell him it sounds like fun. “I want to have a few people […]
Sandra’s Bangs (Living in a Fishbowl)
Yesterday I considered red paint for my walls, red paint for my hair, and settled for a new shade of vermilion on my toe nails. Last night, I also cut myself bangs. Very Sandra Bullock. And don’t we all know that she appeared at the Golden Globes with a new do? Blunt bangs, and commentary […]
Ordinary Days
Aren’t we a culture that professes to value individuals? A society that goes wild over the stand-out: exceptional performance, particular charm, something – anything – distinctive? And don’t we oo and ah over beauty? And yet. The distinctions we seek – in professions and in personal style – are increasingly conventional. As for beauty, who […]
The Feminist Factor: Do Men Fear Women?
This question has been rolling around in my mind for days: On some level, do men fear women? I’m not trying to be provocative. But I was reading a discussion on contemporary feminism recently, and the implications around gender-based control keep bringing me back to the issue of fear. Don’t we all try to combat […]
Confidence (Our Secret Weapon)
Perhaps our most important asset. French women know it, and show it.