#IWD2023 - International Women's Day. About Me.

Why do we have this day? 

I think my problem with celebrating International Women's Day is that we have to have one. Like, a whole day to celebrate just women or men (November 19th, before you ask). Women have been in constant pursuit of equality and even one day of the year to celebrate us seems hilarious to me. If we want to get truly technical, women represent slightly more than 50% of Canada's population as of July 1st, 2019. Yet we live in a "man's world", and fight every day for our voices to be heard. The funniest thing is we could shout about it all till we're blue in the face and it wouldn't change a thing. Globally, women earn 23% less than men on average. Worldwide, women occupy not even 25% of parliamentary seats. All we can do is call attention to the disparity that exists, year after year after year. Sad.

Until I had a baby I didn't pay attention to public washrooms - in fact, I intentionally avoided having to use them. Is this something you've thought about? Most likely the answer will be yes if you are someone's mom. If we go to a restaurant to dine as a family, nine times out of 10, I'm the one who has to change the baby's diaper. Not because it's a women's job, but because women are seen as the ones who perform this task on a regular basis. And because it's an expense that can be avoided or limited. How much would it cost for a restaurant to install a baby changing table in the men's room? Or better yet, have gender-neutral washrooms that accommodate everybody including infants? What is the cost of equality? This question will be asked till the end of times.

Still, I believe it's not a bad thing for a women to celebrate. But that's just it - for us to celebrate each other. I don't mean a business to host an International Women's Day lunch where the men in the office get to eat our fucking cake. We women are the ones who should be celebrating: All Women, cis women; young and old. 

Today is about women who are brave, intelligent, special, unique, authentic, and needed. For the day, I guess.

I'll tell you a little about me since I don't think I've done that in the past 14 years:

I'm a daughter, first. 

An older sister. 

A younger sister.

Recently, a wife. 

For 11 months, a mother.

I'm also an auntie, cousin, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, subscriber, amateur chef, observer, writer, reader, driver, and friend. I'm a women who still lives in the city I was born. I'm a statistic. I'm a person who thinks a lot, counts out loud, listens to music and talks to herself. 

My favourite colour is green. I like making things and laughing (at myself). Sometimes I feel really powerful and other times I just want to curl up under a blanket and watch TV. When I think about the life I want to life, it involves exploring the world. My ideal life involves being in control of my finances and having financial peace of mind. I don't have all the pieces put together yet but I know I want those things and feel I have it in me to achieve them. 

I doubt myself.

I overthink. 

I get too worried.

I forget.

This last one is so accurately me, it's scary. I forget how far I've come and how my life experiences have lead to me having a lot. In fact, I have more than many others in some cases. "We want what we don't have." is a phrase I'm reminded of as I type this. 

54 weeks since my last blog entry here. I am grateful to have a space like this where I can just me myself. No matter how much time passes between posts, I feel safe to write what I'm thinking. Should I use a comma in certain place? Do I abuse the semi-colon? Who the fuck cares? 

Two years ago I decided to create an online space for Firstborn Daughters because I wanted to belong to a specific group of women. It's a Facebook group and I don't use Facebook but sometimes I'll ask a question or post an image in there. The group has 0 members and receives little to no engagement but it's a space that I claimed for me and others who might relate. 

Women must make spaces for themselves. 

Everywhere. 

Can I use one word as a sentence? Fuck yeah! How about two?

Yes. 

Yes. A million times, yes.

Thank you for reading, if you've reached this point.

Have a happy fucking women's day.

#COVID19AB Suburban Update 02/02/22

The final decision is coming Saturday from dear Premier Kenney. He's calling it, "a prudent decision based on the latest data." This should be interesting. I believe Alberta will proceed with the second phase of the province's reopening plan and it's a good step, again, as long as we're going off the data... y'know that factual stuff with numbers our Premier doesn't seem too familiar with?

Last Monday I returned to the office for the first time since September 2021 and noticed a change in attitude in my clients. From saying things like, "we'll get there if we work together," to being completely over it/tired//done with all things COVID-19. Just yesterday I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things I needed to make my husband a special birthday dinner (1 bag = 100$). There were quite a number of people already not wearing a mask in CO-OP. And the funny thing is CO-OP was one of the grocery stores who until now, took masking quite seriously. The tone has changed a lot in the last three weeks. Enter: #FreedomConvoy - a movement that involved a lot of Albertans. And they are angrier than and people I've ever seen.

I'd love to know "who" exactly the #FreedomConvoy is for. Is it just the baby boomers or the babies?

My own Mother has been aggressively vocal - saying things that don't make much sense (like, "I regret getting the vaccine at all") and posting shit on Facebook that she suddenly identifies with because like all of us, she's tired of the mandatory mask bylaws and the work-from-home. If I question her or begin to argue she becomes extremely defensive and it makes me feel as though I'm talking to a truck driver in support of the #FreedomConvoy. It's all pretty sad to me. Even though she was born after the baby boomer generation she's 100% on the bandwagon. Pretty sure she's not talking to me right now because I sent her a text the other day saying: for the love of God, take a break from Facebook please. 

Growing up in a Conservative household in Alberta, exactly zero members of our immediate family made money in the O&G industry. Mom's Mom owned a hair salon and Grandpa drove a tow truck after his partner in a concrete business moved to Texas. According to my Mother, Trudeau is responsible for all damages to our economy - that is, Alberta's. She claims Premier Kenney has done the best he could throughout the pandemic, with the knowledge he had of #COVID19AB and yet our modeling was doomed from the second "wave." Not to mention the war he waged against Alberta's teachers and nurses at the start of the pandemic which led to an overwhelmed healthcare system. And not to mention he is under investigation STILL by the RCMP for how he was elected to his party. Mom has grown a specific hatred towards Trudeau and thinks Trudeau is punishing Alberta. Meanwhile for the last forty years, Conservatives have been making assloads of money in this province and investing sweet fuck all into any other industry. I heard Kenney this week announce a nearly two-billion-dollar investment into the Red Deer Hospital to distract from the fact he is STILL handing out money to fund new charter schools in Alberta when the public school has had a budget freeze for how long, again?

If you checked the type of news I consume, most of it would be leaning left. But when you have an extreme-right side of the political scale, like the hateful people honking their horns and declaring a #FreedomConvoy for the "rights of Canadians" it makes me wonder, exactly whose freedoms are you "fighting" for? Just because I'm more liberal than you doesn't mean to say I love Justin Trudeau. Sure, we can blame him for not shutting down the border sooner. Blame Trudeau because you couldn't vacation in the last two years. Travel abroad is a fucking luxury. You could have gone anyway because we weren't locked down. It might have cost you more time and money, but the point is you could have left. 

So what is Phase 2 anyway? The biggest thing, which has a lot of Albertans angry is the mandatory indoor mask requirement - that will be gone. Indoor and outdoor gatherings will no longer have a limit and the mandatory work-from-home requirement will be lifted. I guess it includes removing any remaining requirements for schools as well. Oh, and also capacity limits on large venues - those will be gone. Again, lots baby boomers - sorry, babies, are so looking forward to all of this.

It's no coincidence the REP (Restrictions Exemption Program) ended over a week ago and more and more people started entering an indoor public place without a mask on. This is how Premier Kenney governs: he waits to see happens and then takes up the podium (always late, of course) to react. Earlier this month he did say Alberta would continue with the reopening plan by the end of February if COVID-19 hospitalizations were trending downward. I personally cannot even look at the man so I haven't been watching his last few press conferences. The man has no respect for anyone who doesn't drive a pickup truck.

Speaking of coincidence, this is probably the biggest one to date and so I must update...

Before I went into CO-OP I drove to Sobeys and found the channel letters gone from the front of the building. The windows and automatic doors were boarded up and it looked like a construction site. Sobeys CLOSED... I wonder how that happens. As I'm leaving the shopping complex I see this white Dodge pickup truck pull in and park in front of a cannabis dispensary. The first thing I notice when the driver gets out is he leaves the truck idling. Good for you man, giving no fucks about the environment! The second thing I noticed, of course how could I miss the classic bumper sticker Alberta's baby boomers love. Whoever made this is probably one of my customers but I really couldn't care less about that. The best part about all this is the dude is the picture perfect: middle-aged; 5ft 5inches tall. 

Fuck You Trudeau, Thank You Very Much For The Legal Marijuana! Coincidence? No. Alberta is just an ironic province.