Why yes, I haven't blogged for a while. I am almost as bad at updating as Peter Ryan (oh, snap!).
So, I have swine flu....maybe? Regardless, I am sick. So I may as well blog. The protesters really stepped it up this past Tuesday - maybe because of Remembrance Day, or maybe just to be dicks, it's hard to say. Regardless, there were a lot of them and they were being more aggressive than usual.
There is a new protester (as of last week). He is a young guy (well, younger than the rest of them) and he is nicely dressed, with a black leather coat. He stood across the street last week, which is a little weird because the rest of the protesters walk around on our side of the street. This week new guy started across the street but eventually came over to our side of the street. He got the honour of holding the "in memoriam" sign with the cross made out of glued-on plastic flowers. It is one of my favourites. Point being, we definitely need a nickname for this dude! Lay those suggestions on me in the comments.
A couple good observations from volunteer escorts this week. The first, from KM:
"[One of the escorts] was showing [another escort] a variety of dances that he had never heard of, including "The Shopping Cart", "The Chicken", "The Shower", and other things. We were all laughing, and then a flock of [protesters] near by looked at her with sad eyes, and said "Now imagine if her mother had aborted her".
Well....I guess then the other escort would still not know those dance moves? I mean seriously, the whole "what if your mother had aborted you" argument might just be the worst one. Or I guess the least effective one. I don't even want to get into it, it is so full of fail.
The second thing was that AB overheard one of the protesters telling another that God had called on her to quit her job and be a stay-at-home mom, and she had never worked since then. I wish God would help me make life decisions. Although afterwards we were talking about it and a couple of the escorts agreed that they felt "called" to be clinic escorts. So is God playing us, or what?
Anyway, if you weren't at the Andrea Gibson show last night you should be kicking yourself, because she is amazing. Google her. And if you are in Halifax tonight, please go see her - it will change your life, I promise.
I know there's more I want to blog about but I am DYING OF SWINE FLU. Bring me soup.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Jeff Goldblum is My Co-Pilot
So October has maybe been the busiest month for me so far. I'm not really sure why, it just happened that everything converged at once. So of course I'm at my most stressed during 40 Days of Ridiculousness.
That said, they haven't really bothered me that much. I feel more concerned for them (it's quite cold out there!) than annoyed. It's been a pretty interesting few weeks.
Last week SL had some signs made that I put up in the windows. They are shaped like stop signs, and they say things like "stop shame" and "stop intimidation". I guess just to get the protesters thinking about what they're doing - not that I think it will have any effect, but one can always hope.
Really, a great way to deal with this sort of stuff is by taking the piss. Yesterday after all the patients were inside, three of the escorts and I went over to stand with the vigil, with signs of our own. They said ridiculous things like "Kittens are adorable", "Safety first", "Dinosaur justice second", "Jeff Goldblum is my co-pilot" (that one was mine), and "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it". We just wanted to play up the absurdity of their message, get a little post-modern up in here. It was fun. It drew most of them out of the house to come and stand with us/around us, and to pray and sing loudly.
We only got one verbal reaction from the protesters; the Mad Chatter starting asking us about the signs (she wanted to know "whose safety" we were putting first - I don't think she understood the concept of random sayings), and then when we wouldn't take our bait, she asked if we had helped raise money for Henry Morgentaler. She said she couldn't figure out why university students would raise money for "a multi-millionaire". I think I strained my eyes from rolling them so hard.
I also just noticed that the Mad Chatter's sign (not "I regret my abortion", the other one) is really ambiguous. It says "stop abortion hurts women". So...stop! Abortion hurts women? Or, stopping abortion hurts women? I can haz clarity?
Clinics have been fine the last couple of weeks. Patients haven't been noticably more upset by the vigil. I know they think they are saving babies by being there, but everyone who has left so far has been either too far along or not pregant. There was a young woman who changed her mind a couple weeks ago, but she came back this week (to my surprise! I thought for sure she wanted to have a baby). And there was a woman who went to their place last week, but she found us this week and went ahead with the abortion. I'm always in awe of the bravery of some of these women. I think a lot of them don't even realize how fierce they are until they walk through those idiots outside to get the care they need. It's really cool.
Yesterday a stranger on Facebook was kind enough to message me and inform me of my evil ways:
"Peggy, you aid in killing unborn babies on a daily basis. Sadistically you seem to be proud of that as well. You work in a culture of death. Even though what you are doing is morally wrong and aborehent I am convinced that you have as much a chance at realizing that as David Letterman does zipping up.
Now it is one thing to start a group like that [I admin a Facebook group supporting Dr. Morgentaler]. But what makes it ten times worse is the fact that you physically partake in the exact atmosphere you promote.
I don't know your parents, but personally mine taught me a little better than that. I'd be ashamed if that was my daughter."
So, sorry Mum and Dad - you fucked up. I sent this guy a message back asking if this kind of hateful shaming message ever works (as in, does it ever succeed in changing an evil pro-abort's black, frosty heart), but haven't heard back yet. I'm on the edge of my seat.
Oh, friends. The end of the 40 days draws near...soon we can go back to just the normal level of harrassment. Can't wait!
That said, they haven't really bothered me that much. I feel more concerned for them (it's quite cold out there!) than annoyed. It's been a pretty interesting few weeks.
Last week SL had some signs made that I put up in the windows. They are shaped like stop signs, and they say things like "stop shame" and "stop intimidation". I guess just to get the protesters thinking about what they're doing - not that I think it will have any effect, but one can always hope.
Really, a great way to deal with this sort of stuff is by taking the piss. Yesterday after all the patients were inside, three of the escorts and I went over to stand with the vigil, with signs of our own. They said ridiculous things like "Kittens are adorable", "Safety first", "Dinosaur justice second", "Jeff Goldblum is my co-pilot" (that one was mine), and "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it". We just wanted to play up the absurdity of their message, get a little post-modern up in here. It was fun. It drew most of them out of the house to come and stand with us/around us, and to pray and sing loudly.
We only got one verbal reaction from the protesters; the Mad Chatter starting asking us about the signs (she wanted to know "whose safety" we were putting first - I don't think she understood the concept of random sayings), and then when we wouldn't take our bait, she asked if we had helped raise money for Henry Morgentaler. She said she couldn't figure out why university students would raise money for "a multi-millionaire". I think I strained my eyes from rolling them so hard.
I also just noticed that the Mad Chatter's sign (not "I regret my abortion", the other one) is really ambiguous. It says "stop abortion hurts women". So...stop! Abortion hurts women? Or, stopping abortion hurts women? I can haz clarity?
Clinics have been fine the last couple of weeks. Patients haven't been noticably more upset by the vigil. I know they think they are saving babies by being there, but everyone who has left so far has been either too far along or not pregant. There was a young woman who changed her mind a couple weeks ago, but she came back this week (to my surprise! I thought for sure she wanted to have a baby). And there was a woman who went to their place last week, but she found us this week and went ahead with the abortion. I'm always in awe of the bravery of some of these women. I think a lot of them don't even realize how fierce they are until they walk through those idiots outside to get the care they need. It's really cool.
Yesterday a stranger on Facebook was kind enough to message me and inform me of my evil ways:
"Peggy, you aid in killing unborn babies on a daily basis. Sadistically you seem to be proud of that as well. You work in a culture of death. Even though what you are doing is morally wrong and aborehent I am convinced that you have as much a chance at realizing that as David Letterman does zipping up.
Now it is one thing to start a group like that [I admin a Facebook group supporting Dr. Morgentaler]. But what makes it ten times worse is the fact that you physically partake in the exact atmosphere you promote.
I don't know your parents, but personally mine taught me a little better than that. I'd be ashamed if that was my daughter."
So, sorry Mum and Dad - you fucked up. I sent this guy a message back asking if this kind of hateful shaming message ever works (as in, does it ever succeed in changing an evil pro-abort's black, frosty heart), but haven't heard back yet. I'm on the edge of my seat.
Oh, friends. The end of the 40 days draws near...soon we can go back to just the normal level of harrassment. Can't wait!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Rainy Days and New Faces
There hasn't been much to blog about in the last couple weeks, surprisingly. The protesters continue their 40-day vigil, as the weather gets continually colder, wetter and generally yuckier. There were a couple days when some school-aged children joined the protest; some from a Catholic school and some who were home-schooled. I feel pretty bad for them, but at least now they know where the clinic is if they ever need us later.
I have three new volunteers coming this week, so that's exciting! One benefit of the extra protester presence is that it galvanizes pro-choice people into action. We get people who just drop in and ask how they can volunteer, because they were so pissed off by the protesters walking by.
I am still reading their blog, and don't know whether to find it amusing or scary. Sometimes I just find that extreme earnestness really creepy. I mean, they really believe they are, quite literally, saving babies.
I wrote a letter to the paper - I don't know if it will make it in or not, but I felt that it might be good to occasionally counter Mad Thad's lunacy. I'm not sure if the paper even wants to print my letters any more; I got really fired up about marriage equality a couple years ago, and wrote a whole bunch. But they publish crazier people than me, so maybe it'll work out.
Only two more clinic days until 40 Days for Life is over, which is a relief. Even though they are not more aggressive than usual, it will be great to not have them standing there with their stupid signs and their creepy stares any more.
I have three new volunteers coming this week, so that's exciting! One benefit of the extra protester presence is that it galvanizes pro-choice people into action. We get people who just drop in and ask how they can volunteer, because they were so pissed off by the protesters walking by.
I am still reading their blog, and don't know whether to find it amusing or scary. Sometimes I just find that extreme earnestness really creepy. I mean, they really believe they are, quite literally, saving babies.
I wrote a letter to the paper - I don't know if it will make it in or not, but I felt that it might be good to occasionally counter Mad Thad's lunacy. I'm not sure if the paper even wants to print my letters any more; I got really fired up about marriage equality a couple years ago, and wrote a whole bunch. But they publish crazier people than me, so maybe it'll work out.
Only two more clinic days until 40 Days for Life is over, which is a relief. Even though they are not more aggressive than usual, it will be great to not have them standing there with their stupid signs and their creepy stares any more.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Matters of Death and Life
So...yeah.
I have a legitimate excuse for the hiatus this time. My grandmother passed away on Friday. Thus, I spent most of my weekend moping/grieving/doing family stuff, and didn't do anything on my general "to do" list, and am now totally behind in life. Not to get too personal, and maybe it's super tacky to eulogize people on the internet, but my grandmother was a fierce lady. She was strong and independent and stubborn and awesome, and she taught me a lot about simplicity and kindness. Rest in peace Nanny.
I know you're all dying to know how 40 Days for Life is going, right? Well, they are still out there, every day. It has been raining a lot, which pleases me. I have seen a couple people stop and talk to them; sometimes it's hostile but most of the time it seems pretty pleasant.
Clinic was pretty ridiculous. I think the combination of the normal protesters hanging around the clinic and the vigil types standing across the street creates a pretty intimidating environment for some of the patients. They are getting in, though, thanks to the volunteers, and most of them are in pretty good spirits. Crazy Legs was out yesterday in a jaunty newsboy cap paired with a trenchcoat - the whole look was very old-timey journalist. Tres chic. Glare-y Mary was getting all up in everyone's grill, as usual.
The police were called (by the protesters) twice. The first time was because one of our clinic staff had parked her car right next to the clinic, which makes it hard for the protesters to bother people (such a shame). However, as JB (whose car it was) explained to the police, that area is not city property; it belongs to George Street School, who are quite happy to let us park there.
The second time they came was because SL was supposedly "harrassing" Glare-y Mary by walking alongside her. You know, getting in her personal space, much like what they do to patients. I'd be careful what you call "harrassment", friends - it might come back to bite you. Regardless, Suzie Ryan had her cell phone camera out across the street to record this supposed "harrassment", and continued to record after a teacher from George Street went over to ask her to stop. And this is my problem with them: I understand their notion that they care about life and want to protect it, but I don't understand how people who care so much about human life seem so unconcerned with common decency and kindness towards human beings.
But hey, if you find my record of their vigil incomplete, feel free to read their account! (h/t to one of our awesome volunteers, KM, for finding this!).
Also, one thing I want to set straight - you guys are not saving babies. I have worked here for over two years and I've never seen one woman change her mind because of the protesters. Some of them change their minds, of course, but for their own reasons. The closest the protesters come to changing minds is when women drive by and are too intimidated or scared by the protesters to come in. If that's how you want to "save" "babies", by bullying women into continuing pregnancies, then congratulations. You are absolute scum.
I know sometimes it seems like women have changed their minds, but this rarely happens; I would say 90% (if not more) of the women who actually show up, go through with the abortion. If you see someone leave shortly after they come in, it is probably because either they aren't pregnant (a false positive on a pregnancy test or, more likely, they miscarried) or they are too far along and we've had to refer them somewhere else (like Montreal or Toronto). Cases like last week when the young woman left immediately after coming in are rare. I wasn't too surprised about her - she was reluctant when she confirmed her appointment, and her father called afterwards to express his concerns. She was already incredibly conflicted about the decision, and I believe she had already decided before she walked in the door that she didn't want an abortion. I hope that in the end, she made the right decision for herself; she is at least blessed with supportive and understanding parents, which is something a lot of young women don't have (especially young women who get pregnant at seventeen).
Last week the clinic hosted an excellent workshop on pre- and post-abortion counselling. We had a counsellor from the Toronto Morgentaler Clinic come and put it on, and there were a lot of people in attendance - more than I would have guessed. There is, it is clear, a huge need for this kind of counselling. An important part of access to reproductive health care is ensuring that women get the support they need when making difficult decisions (and in dealing with the decisions afterwards).
In other news, gumbooting is back in my life. Hooray!
I have a legitimate excuse for the hiatus this time. My grandmother passed away on Friday. Thus, I spent most of my weekend moping/grieving/doing family stuff, and didn't do anything on my general "to do" list, and am now totally behind in life. Not to get too personal, and maybe it's super tacky to eulogize people on the internet, but my grandmother was a fierce lady. She was strong and independent and stubborn and awesome, and she taught me a lot about simplicity and kindness. Rest in peace Nanny.
I know you're all dying to know how 40 Days for Life is going, right? Well, they are still out there, every day. It has been raining a lot, which pleases me. I have seen a couple people stop and talk to them; sometimes it's hostile but most of the time it seems pretty pleasant.
Clinic was pretty ridiculous. I think the combination of the normal protesters hanging around the clinic and the vigil types standing across the street creates a pretty intimidating environment for some of the patients. They are getting in, though, thanks to the volunteers, and most of them are in pretty good spirits. Crazy Legs was out yesterday in a jaunty newsboy cap paired with a trenchcoat - the whole look was very old-timey journalist. Tres chic. Glare-y Mary was getting all up in everyone's grill, as usual.
The police were called (by the protesters) twice. The first time was because one of our clinic staff had parked her car right next to the clinic, which makes it hard for the protesters to bother people (such a shame). However, as JB (whose car it was) explained to the police, that area is not city property; it belongs to George Street School, who are quite happy to let us park there.
The second time they came was because SL was supposedly "harrassing" Glare-y Mary by walking alongside her. You know, getting in her personal space, much like what they do to patients. I'd be careful what you call "harrassment", friends - it might come back to bite you. Regardless, Suzie Ryan had her cell phone camera out across the street to record this supposed "harrassment", and continued to record after a teacher from George Street went over to ask her to stop. And this is my problem with them: I understand their notion that they care about life and want to protect it, but I don't understand how people who care so much about human life seem so unconcerned with common decency and kindness towards human beings.
But hey, if you find my record of their vigil incomplete, feel free to read their account! (h/t to one of our awesome volunteers, KM, for finding this!).
Also, one thing I want to set straight - you guys are not saving babies. I have worked here for over two years and I've never seen one woman change her mind because of the protesters. Some of them change their minds, of course, but for their own reasons. The closest the protesters come to changing minds is when women drive by and are too intimidated or scared by the protesters to come in. If that's how you want to "save" "babies", by bullying women into continuing pregnancies, then congratulations. You are absolute scum.
I know sometimes it seems like women have changed their minds, but this rarely happens; I would say 90% (if not more) of the women who actually show up, go through with the abortion. If you see someone leave shortly after they come in, it is probably because either they aren't pregnant (a false positive on a pregnancy test or, more likely, they miscarried) or they are too far along and we've had to refer them somewhere else (like Montreal or Toronto). Cases like last week when the young woman left immediately after coming in are rare. I wasn't too surprised about her - she was reluctant when she confirmed her appointment, and her father called afterwards to express his concerns. She was already incredibly conflicted about the decision, and I believe she had already decided before she walked in the door that she didn't want an abortion. I hope that in the end, she made the right decision for herself; she is at least blessed with supportive and understanding parents, which is something a lot of young women don't have (especially young women who get pregnant at seventeen).
Last week the clinic hosted an excellent workshop on pre- and post-abortion counselling. We had a counsellor from the Toronto Morgentaler Clinic come and put it on, and there were a lot of people in attendance - more than I would have guessed. There is, it is clear, a huge need for this kind of counselling. An important part of access to reproductive health care is ensuring that women get the support they need when making difficult decisions (and in dealing with the decisions afterwards).
In other news, gumbooting is back in my life. Hooray!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Praying to End the Nonsense
So, as some of you may know, this Wednesday marked the beginning of the annual "40 Days for Life", which involves ant-choice protesters standing outside their local clinic for 40 days straight in an effort to end abortion through the power of prayer. (Can you see my eye-roll through the internet?).
I was expecting Tuesday's clinic to be a little more intense than usual, but I didn't find it to be too bad. The main difference was that there were already protesters out when I arrived; usually when I get there they are just getting started, so there might be one hard-core old person but never a gaggle. On Tuesday as I was locking up my bike I was greeted with the sight of three women walking shoulder to shoulder towards me; they stood in front of me and prayed out loud the whole time I locked my bike and got my purse out of the pannier. One of them said "good morning" to me, but I don't say good morning to people I don't like. I would make a bad Christian, probably.
A passerby stopped to have some words with the protesters, which hasn't happened in a while and is always welcome. It's good to know when the public is on our side, and it says something about how enraged they must be to stop and "chat" with strangers.
The actual 40 days thing is kind of interesting in a pathetic sort of way. It is an American concept that has been spreading into Canada only in recent years. Our protesters are standing across the street - there is usually between two and seven of them out there at a time. They hold signs that say "Pray to end abortion" and that kind of nonsense. I'm sort of baffled as to what the point of it all is, but apart from that it's nowhere near as obtrusive as their Tuesday morning exploits, so it doesn't bother me. They're not bugging any patients, they're not harrassing the staff, they're just out there in the rain looking kind of sad. That's their right, I guess.
There are, of course, other clinics where it's much more harmful (especially clinics that perform abortions all week instead of just one day). If you're interested in clinic defence where you live, PLEASE contact the clinic first and ask them what they need. Most clinics would much rather have patient escorts than counter-protesters.
I was expecting Tuesday's clinic to be a little more intense than usual, but I didn't find it to be too bad. The main difference was that there were already protesters out when I arrived; usually when I get there they are just getting started, so there might be one hard-core old person but never a gaggle. On Tuesday as I was locking up my bike I was greeted with the sight of three women walking shoulder to shoulder towards me; they stood in front of me and prayed out loud the whole time I locked my bike and got my purse out of the pannier. One of them said "good morning" to me, but I don't say good morning to people I don't like. I would make a bad Christian, probably.
A passerby stopped to have some words with the protesters, which hasn't happened in a while and is always welcome. It's good to know when the public is on our side, and it says something about how enraged they must be to stop and "chat" with strangers.
The actual 40 days thing is kind of interesting in a pathetic sort of way. It is an American concept that has been spreading into Canada only in recent years. Our protesters are standing across the street - there is usually between two and seven of them out there at a time. They hold signs that say "Pray to end abortion" and that kind of nonsense. I'm sort of baffled as to what the point of it all is, but apart from that it's nowhere near as obtrusive as their Tuesday morning exploits, so it doesn't bother me. They're not bugging any patients, they're not harrassing the staff, they're just out there in the rain looking kind of sad. That's their right, I guess.
There are, of course, other clinics where it's much more harmful (especially clinics that perform abortions all week instead of just one day). If you're interested in clinic defence where you live, PLEASE contact the clinic first and ask them what they need. Most clinics would much rather have patient escorts than counter-protesters.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Back to Reality
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm really effing lazy.
I have had a pretty big couple of weeks, and I've been really slow getting back into the swing of my regular routine. And since I suck at blogging regularly anyway, obviously you all lose.
So. I was at a wedding a couple weekends ago. I try not to go to weddings, mainly because I hate them (yes I am a horrible person), but this was a friend of mine from university. I was in a pretty cool program and graduated with a very small, very close class. We have since spread ourselves out across the country, so any chance to see my buds and celebrate with them is one I try to grab hold of.
Anyway, two of my former classmates who I got to see were pregnant. One of them, who was nine months along and just about ready to pop, is married and very excited; she has a medical condition where if she gets pregnant after 30, there's a very good chance it could have a drastic (negative) affect on her health. So she is keen to get her family started. The other is only two months along - not showing yet - and while she is also happily married and planning on keeping the baby, her pregnancy was totally unexpected. She just had a baby a year ago (also unplanned). I know that both children will be raised in a loving home and will probably be pretty awesome kids, it's pretty interesting to see how my friend and her husband are handling it. It's kind of awkward, teetering between joyous excitement and oh-god-how-can-we-afford-this. Watching the politics of what I think about/deal with every day play out in the lives of close friends is...interesting, if nothing else. The personal really is political.
I was also kind of ticked because about a month before she must have conceived, I sent them a package of crap for their wedding anniversary and the first baby's birthday, and there were a bunch of condoms in it (I put condoms in every package I send to everyone). Come on guys, I SENT you the condoms! (Seriously, I love you guys).
Anyway....the NEXT weekend, I went to the Omega Institute in upstate New York for a conference: Women + Power: Connecting Across the Generations. It was AWESOME. I met Helen Thomas!! I feel like that's all I need to write about it, but I guess I should also say that I went to a blogging workshop given by the editors of Feministing. It was really helpful and I actually learned a lot, despite the fact that I was overwhelmed about being in the same room as my blogging heroes. I also had a lot of cool conversations throughout the weekend with some pretty bad-ass ladies. Most of them, when they found out I am Canadian, wanted to talk about health care reform. Which is fine by me! Sometimes I forget how different Americans are. It was excellent to explore the comparisons.
Besides Helen Thomas (I met her!!), the coolest lady at the conference was Sakena Yacoobi. Google her. New hero of life.
So, the other thing I need my blog readers to know is that my partner, who is a third year law student, just got word that he has an articling position next summer just outside of Toronto. Which is VERY EXCITING because it means I get to live in Toronto, which means I won't be living in New Brunswick! Woop woop! Obviously not working at the clinic is going to make a difference to the blog, and I'm starting to think about what direction I want to go with it. Exciting changes ahead.
I know this entry was all personal, no clinic, and I apologize. I promise that starting this week, I will be back on track with all your favourite protesters and their crazy shenanigans. After all, this week marks the beginning of 40 Days for Life, which is sure to be fabulous. Mwahahahaha!
To keep it unnecessarily personal...just wanted to say it's been a year since my buddy Brad passed away. Rest in peace, friend.
I have had a pretty big couple of weeks, and I've been really slow getting back into the swing of my regular routine. And since I suck at blogging regularly anyway, obviously you all lose.
So. I was at a wedding a couple weekends ago. I try not to go to weddings, mainly because I hate them (yes I am a horrible person), but this was a friend of mine from university. I was in a pretty cool program and graduated with a very small, very close class. We have since spread ourselves out across the country, so any chance to see my buds and celebrate with them is one I try to grab hold of.
Anyway, two of my former classmates who I got to see were pregnant. One of them, who was nine months along and just about ready to pop, is married and very excited; she has a medical condition where if she gets pregnant after 30, there's a very good chance it could have a drastic (negative) affect on her health. So she is keen to get her family started. The other is only two months along - not showing yet - and while she is also happily married and planning on keeping the baby, her pregnancy was totally unexpected. She just had a baby a year ago (also unplanned). I know that both children will be raised in a loving home and will probably be pretty awesome kids, it's pretty interesting to see how my friend and her husband are handling it. It's kind of awkward, teetering between joyous excitement and oh-god-how-can-we-afford-this. Watching the politics of what I think about/deal with every day play out in the lives of close friends is...interesting, if nothing else. The personal really is political.
I was also kind of ticked because about a month before she must have conceived, I sent them a package of crap for their wedding anniversary and the first baby's birthday, and there were a bunch of condoms in it (I put condoms in every package I send to everyone). Come on guys, I SENT you the condoms! (Seriously, I love you guys).
Anyway....the NEXT weekend, I went to the Omega Institute in upstate New York for a conference: Women + Power: Connecting Across the Generations. It was AWESOME. I met Helen Thomas!! I feel like that's all I need to write about it, but I guess I should also say that I went to a blogging workshop given by the editors of Feministing. It was really helpful and I actually learned a lot, despite the fact that I was overwhelmed about being in the same room as my blogging heroes. I also had a lot of cool conversations throughout the weekend with some pretty bad-ass ladies. Most of them, when they found out I am Canadian, wanted to talk about health care reform. Which is fine by me! Sometimes I forget how different Americans are. It was excellent to explore the comparisons.
Besides Helen Thomas (I met her!!), the coolest lady at the conference was Sakena Yacoobi. Google her. New hero of life.
So, the other thing I need my blog readers to know is that my partner, who is a third year law student, just got word that he has an articling position next summer just outside of Toronto. Which is VERY EXCITING because it means I get to live in Toronto, which means I won't be living in New Brunswick! Woop woop! Obviously not working at the clinic is going to make a difference to the blog, and I'm starting to think about what direction I want to go with it. Exciting changes ahead.
I know this entry was all personal, no clinic, and I apologize. I promise that starting this week, I will be back on track with all your favourite protesters and their crazy shenanigans. After all, this week marks the beginning of 40 Days for Life, which is sure to be fabulous. Mwahahahaha!
To keep it unnecessarily personal...just wanted to say it's been a year since my buddy Brad passed away. Rest in peace, friend.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Poetry Postponed
Tuesday's clinic was busy. The protesters weren't too bad, although Pink Hat did get a hold of a couple on their way in, before the escorts could get there. They still came in, but they were a little upset and Pink Hat was more smug than usual. But if you didn't save the baby, didn't you lose?
I don't know if I can adequately put into words the jumble of my life right now. I am going to Ontario for a friend's wedding this weekend (well, I'm leaving today), and going to NY state for a conference next weekend, so my mind isn't entirely on clinic stuff right now. My partner is in the middle of figuring out what happens after law school, so it's tense.
I was going to do a rather poetic post about bathrobes, the bathrobes people wear and the ones we have, and what people wear in general, and what comfort means to different people. But I can't. I'm too scattered. I will try to write one before next clinic, I promise.
Looks like you prefer Glare-y Mary as a nickname over Lady in Red. I will blog accordingly in future. :)
I don't know if I can adequately put into words the jumble of my life right now. I am going to Ontario for a friend's wedding this weekend (well, I'm leaving today), and going to NY state for a conference next weekend, so my mind isn't entirely on clinic stuff right now. My partner is in the middle of figuring out what happens after law school, so it's tense.
I was going to do a rather poetic post about bathrobes, the bathrobes people wear and the ones we have, and what people wear in general, and what comfort means to different people. But I can't. I'm too scattered. I will try to write one before next clinic, I promise.
Looks like you prefer Glare-y Mary as a nickname over Lady in Red. I will blog accordingly in future. :)
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