Let’s all be better humans
The guy with the pickup truck down the street from me blasts his music too loud. It gives me a headache, and I’m not the only one. I know this because I’m in a Facebook group where everyone complains about the noise.
Another neighbor sets off fireworks year round, and not just the occasional bottle rocket. His fireworks are loud enough to rattle nearby trailers, and they’re bright enough to illuminate the sky with colorful streams of light.
Then there’s the kid who practices his instrument at the crack of dawn and the lady who always loses her dog. There…
Let’s stop assuming transgender folks are perverts
The Equality Act narrowly passed on February 25, 2021 and people are already acting ridiculous. There’s a meme floating around Facebook that says something like, “I don’t care what that HR5 law says. If I catch a man in the women’s bathroom, I’m going after him.”
There’s another meme that shows what will happen to the aforementioned man if he gets caught by a transphobic jerk. It’s pretty graphic, so I won’t share it here.
I know I shouldn’t be surprised people are posting this shit, but the memes still caught me a bit off guard. There are so many…
Spoiler alert: It can help asthmatics breathe better
I stumbled through my daughter’s job, lugging my heavy cart to the checkout after she told me it was break time. We had dinner plans, but I was exhausted. I was running on 2.5 hours of sleep, and I’m a person who needs a solid 8 to 10 hours to function.
I decided to grab Starbucks before we ate. After downing my iced brown sugar shaken espresso in the parking lot, I announced that I was ready for dinner. Three shots of espresso can really make you feel like yourself again.
As we waited for our food, I noticed I…
The reason had nothing to do with my love life
One cold February evening, I attempted to bid the world farewell from the comfort of my bed. I was 8 years old.
I’ve written about this experience in more detail — in fact, it was the first Medium article I ever published — but I’m not interested in rehashing my trauma today. I’m not here to cast negative energy into the universe on a day that’s supposed to be all about love and light.
I just want to remind everyone that people don’t always hate Valentine’s Day because they’re single…
Or anyone, really
The drama started when a guy in one of my Facebook groups started mansplaining his expectations for correspondence. We were discussing unsolicited messages sent via social media platforms.
“When a man emails a woman, she should always answer,” he stated. “Especially if he complimented her,” he continued. “It’s just rude otherwise. It doesn’t take that long to say thank you and then explain that you aren’t interested.”
No. Just no.
I practically broke my keyboard typing a response to his comment. …
Just some quick advice for cis men
I’d like to offer heterosexual males some unsolicited advice. I’m sure you guys won’t mind since you often give me feedback when I haven’t asked for your opinion.
Anyway, Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, which means some of you are busy trying to pick up women on dating sites or via Facebook. You might think that sending naked pics of yourself is a great way to do that, but the truth is that not every woman wants to see a nude pic of you standing in front of your bathroom mirror. …
Stop asking why victims didn’t leave sooner
“I had no idea your husband was so bad. Why didn’t you leave sooner?”
I sigh in frustration. My friend has finally escaped her abusive marriage, and this is the crappy support she gets.
Another person calls her selfish for leaving her kids without a dad. There are also a few posters from her husband’s family who claim my friend is an attention-seeking liar. I continue skimming comments on her Facebook post until I finally find an appropriate one.
“I love you,” it says. Short and sweet, but still helpful. It’s not a judgmental comment. The poster isn’t taking anyone’s…
People put a lot of pressure on moms.
If you go out too much, you’re a bad mom. If you don’t go out often enough, then you’re teaching your kid to be clingy.
If you don’t vaccinate, then people threaten to call CPS. If you do vaccinate, then you have to deal with the stress of deciding whether the potential risks outweigh the benefits.
If your house isn’t clean, you must be lazy. If your house is spotless, then you don’t let kids be kids or do anything fun with your little ones.
If you’re single and you date, then…
Our political leaders can’t save us all
Today was Inauguration Day for Joe Biden. Regardless of how you feel about our new president, please remember that he’s just one person. Sure, he’s backed by other parts of our legal system, but he’s just one person.
We can’t put all our faith in one person. It’s the president’s job to run the country, but he can’t make 331 million people happy no matter what he does. It’s just not possible, so it’s important to plan accordingly whether a Democrat or Republican has the office.
Yes, our political leaders have certain duties, and it’s okay to hold them to…
Learn to love healthy habits
It’s a chilly winter morning. Dark storm clouds cover the sun, and the street is silent. This is the kind of day where I usually find an excuse to stay home.
“Why are we even walking today? It’s so gray outside,” my son complains, dragging his feet across the pavement.
“Because we care about ourselves and our bodies enough to take a walk each morning,” I respond, stopping to zip up my son’s coat.
“Is that better?” I ask. He nods.
We continue walking, and my son sings a ’90s hit as we make our way up the steep street…
Missy Crystal
Mom. Writer. Student. — — Some details in my Medium posts have been changed to protect the privacy of other parties and/or allow for creative freedom.
