Dangerous assumptions while talking to a Latina — “Your English is so good! Where did you learn English?” Yes, most of them assume English is not my first language, and are shocked when I can speak. They can’t help but compliment me…even though, like them, I’m American. These days, I just reply, “I learned English from Tupac and Biggie.” News flash—Americans of all colors, ages, sizes, and genders…

Even though I’m actually Latina. — It was one of my first jobs. My resume listed my skills, of course, and I mentioned that I spoke Spanish. During the phone interview, the person who would be my boss asked if I had studied abroad. They asked if that’s how I knew Spanish. I said no, but…

I thought they’d finally perfect heterosexual, penetrative sex and show us all what went wrong. I thought it would be beautiful, synchronized, like watching an old couple dancing with one another. I thought they would know each other’s bodies in a holy, miraculous way. I envisioned a kind of electric…

“You feel pain, too!” — I remember going on a yoga retreat that I could barely afford. I probably should not have gone, honestly, and I immediately realized I was one of the largest and darkest people in attendance. I feel othered in yoga spaces, which is why I go back and forth on it…

Is it possible that he just wanted to speed along the social site’s demise? — As the Musk-buys-Twitter thing unfurls, with debates over how many bots are *really* on the site (impossible to prove, and purely speculative), one thought popped into my head: Maybe Elon Musk wanted to kill Twitter all along. Maybe he never wanted to save it. Or maybe he thought he did…

Congratulations, and I’m sorry. — “You’re on the team! Or as we like to call it: A fundatory family. You’re what we like to call a ‘mental health hire.’” “Really? What is that?” “Well, you listen to all the complaints people have…and that makes them better at their jobs, because they get it off their…

Adopt an untrained puppy Build a bookshelf Ask reddit what their most embarrassing moment was, a time they quit a job on the first day, or what to do in Pittsburgh Write a novel exploring spirituality without religion Think (in silence) about all the women they called crazy, and reflect…

There’s really no choice, after all. — There’s a little girl who doesn’t dream of getting married. Adults make jokes and comments about how she’s going to be a great mommy one day. In TV and movies, all the women talk about how they pretending to wear wedding veils and dresses as kids. She does not do…

I was afraid as soon as I saw the first false equivalency. — We have probably all seen the “my body, my choice” chant being usurped by the anti-mask movement. As usual, it kills all the nuance to serve as a “gotcha!” moment. Far-right propaganda is filled with such moments. From menimists taking the Johnny Depp trial as “proof” that all women are…