Recently in 20-somethings Category
Jun 10 2008
Plan, Planning, Planful
I am totally on board with a key quote from an op-ed in seattlepi.com:
"It's odd that we live in a culture that values planning in everything from education to retirement to weddings, yet we're expected to believe that starting a family is something that's supposed to happen, without preparation or choice."
We have been saying this for years at the Campaign. Our list of what one is to plan is even longer--meals, vacations, retirement, living wills, outfits, college savings and more. But somehow it is not in fashion to even talk about the value of planning carefully and deliberately--both partners, too--for child-bearing
And if we expand the concept just a bit to include what we are supposed to not only plan but also worry about, the inattention to getting pregnant and starting families is even more striking. I recall years ago getting a pamphlet about how I should worry--REALLY worry--about radon in my basement. When will I get a pamphlet about how planning pregnancy (for those who want children) is worthy of a great deal of thought and consideration and commitment? We worry about nutrition, recycling, bicycle helmets, what to put on the surfaces of playgrounds, and lord knows what else....How about worrying that half of all pregnancies are unplanned? HALF?
When will this nation get serious about getting pregnant?
May 05 2008
Relationship Redux
Please, all of you, read this article from the New York Times. It is, apparently, an award winning essay and there are more to come from the same competition that led to this one. I love its pace and candor, and Marguerite Fields needs to immediately write more and start her own blog. But what she reports is so, so depressing to me. Doesn't this sad chronicle show -- definitively -- that we have lost our way? I find it deeply distressing that this saga of random hook ups and failed connections is part of the legacy of the women's movement and the advent of modern contraception. I thought the point of those two advances, in particular, was the chance to deepen human relationships. Is there anything about what Marguerite reports that suggests progress? Discuss.
Apr 28 2008
Onward, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Soldiers
In an effort to get the word out about the StayTV Mash Up contest, I came across a really great web resource, Teens Today With Vanessa Van Petten. Vanessa, a self-described "Gen Y'er", is an author, teen mentor, and general proponent of getting teens informed about the risk of teen pregnancy - you can see why we like her! We also love her site and she was gracious enough to give us a little shout out...so, to return the favor, get yourself to Teens Today and read her latest entry about how parents can talk to teens about sex, love, and relationships. And, if you can't bear to navigate away from Pregnant Pause for even a second, here is a clip of the vlog (video blog) that accompanies the post:
Apr 09 2008
Livin' on the Straight Edge?
What hath Ian MacKaye wrought?
As leader of the great and seminal (Don't believe me? Look it up here and here) punk band Minor Threat, Ian wrote a song way back in 1981--I think Taft was President at the time--called "Straight Edge." In the song he celebrates his own choice not to drink, smoke, or do drugs; his straight edge.
Quite unintentionally, at least according to what MacKaye has said in the past, the song took on a life of its own and became a rallying cry for many young people nationwide. Since then, the straight edge "movement" has taken on a life of its own and now means many things to many people. Some in the abstinence movement have, apparently, even latched onto the straight edge concept.
Tonight, the National Geographic Channel premieres a documentary on adherents to the straight edge lifestyle.
Apr 08 2008
What the Tourism Board Doesn't Tell You About Margaritaville
This week MomLogic.com, a website community where Moms from all walks of life and in all stages of motherhood come together, launched the first of their three-part series on Spring Break and teens. Not surprisingly, what they found when they went on location at South Padre Island, TX was a variety of drunk, drunker, and drunkest kids - not all of whom were 21+ - reveling in the lack of parental authority.
On its face, Spring Break is a chance for kids to escape the pressure of school and spend a week relaxing on the beach. Dig a little deeper, as MomLogic did, and see that its become a weeklong binge of drugs, alcohol, and promiscuous and unsafe sex - all those things that make parents cringe in horror. Of course many teens and 20-somethings manage to have a Spring Break that balances fun and responsible behavior, but for every one of those young people are 10 who are busily engaged in the behaviors that MomLogic filmed.
Check out the first part of their three part series here (Spring Break Confessions), with Parts II and III being posted today and tomorrow.
Mar 25 2008
The Unplanned Pregnancy Swerve (Courtesy Richard Russo)
Richard Russo, the world's greatest living novelist (sorry, it's a measurable fact, not an opinion), recently penned an op-ed piece for The
Fictive Eliot will do exactly what the real Eliot has done, only my guy almost never imagines getting caught. And when he does occasionally consider the possibility, he trusts that there will be ample warning that disaster is imminent. For the most part, things in his life have happened slowly, especially the good things, and he trusts that bad things will evolve similarly. He will swerve at the last moment (emphasis mine). The possibility of a head-on collision, swift and devastating, simply never occurs to him."
Mar 25 2008
...And Baby Makes Two. Forget Juno.
I love this article from Slate -- simply because it has the temerity to suggest that the well being of a child might be at least as important as the desires of an adult. When it comes to getting pregnant and having a baby, it's NOT all about me (what I want, me, my life and me), it's all about we (what is best for a family?). Emily: you are my new hero. Be strong.
