I've Been Meme-Tagged!

Beep-Beep it's me asks: What are 5 things feminism has done for you?

Well, "feminism," per se, hasn't done anything for me directly, because it's not...

Let me explain.

I have been blessed by some amazing women, who have hands and voices and brains, unlike a concept. And well, I suppose I have, too, blessed myself, because I learned, over my young adulthood, how to shake off the imaginary shackles of what I thought I was "supposed to be." And maybe that's because of the feminism meme.

So here are my 5 things.

My amazing marriage.

I waited until I wasn't still really stupid (I was 37!) about false concepts like "wife" or "husband," or "family."

My sexual "career."

I have been able to experience many sides of a sexual life, placing myself in roles rather than being placed, and I am now able to appreciate the ups and downs, and disappointments, as a part of an interesting life. Can't wait to see what's next.

Adventures in Revolution, Grrrl-Style Now!

I was a part of it, indirectly, back in the 90's. I was there, with all the women who started the Riot Grrrl Movement, watching and sometimes contributing. I helped inspire at least one woman who was considered the "mother of 3rd-wave feminism." We had a whole, intimate sisterhood thing going, and she continues to inspire me to this day. I got to sing with a band, tell people I met this and that rock and roll icon, and generally feel proud of my associations of those exciting days.

The Adventures of Big Girl!

A comfortable relationship with my body, and, coincidentally, with delicious, delicious food follows a few years of pre-internet fanzine days when I published a semi-popular fanzine that killed any remaining timidness and anonymity that allowed me to find some public honesty. I think I still have some copies around here someplace.

The Courage to Deconstruct

"Deconstruct" was a favorite word of both my feminst icon friend and my infamous husband, and, I've found, one of the most important things I ever did to start becoming real. Feminism was just as much a start as was objectivism, skepticism, atheism, and any other "ism" for me. None of those alone will remove the final layer of false constructed beliefs that prevent a person from living in reality, but they certainly helped.