My Life List

Feminism and Friends Don't Always Mix

I've held feminist beliefs probably since I was about fourteen but I don't talk about feminism with my uni friends because they just don't care about it and have basically concluded from my beliefs, and my never ending single status, that I must be a man hater.

The funny thing is that I think girls that sympathise with misogny and put down feminism are generally the ones who really spout some hateful things about feminism but I digress.

I love my friends but I want more feminist friends. I want to have more in common with those closest to me and be able to go to more feminist events. I want to be able to discuss different theories without people thinking I'm weird. I want to be able to call out misogyny when I see it without getting called out for I don't know what myself. I want to speak out more and not care what other people say or think.

I'm a calm person so while someone may not agree with me or get angry when I try to tell them the truth I know I wouldn't lose my cool or make a fool out of myself like they usually do.

I guess becoming a feminist is a life long learning curve, I learnt that on The View of all places, and i'm more than willing to stick along for the ride.

Bicycle, Bicycle!!!

Ever since I've been meeting more feminists I've been hearing more and more about the joys of cycling.

I kinda want to join the girl gang because it looks so fun and most importantly to me it will save me loads of money, I like to be thrifty.

Unfortunately my gut instincts go completely the other way.

First of all I'm scared of being flattened by an unaware lorry driver. That's always the first thing I think of when I think of cycling.

Secondly I'm not sure that bicycle seats are made to fit the, how shall I put it, more curvaceous behind.

Tell me if I'm wrong but at the moment that's what holding me back from being "on two wheels baby".

This Makes Me Happy

Working Out The Workout

I have started going to the gym regularly.

Sometimes I feel like I'm doing the best thing for my health but at other times I feel like I'm giving into the unsettling ideas of womanhood that keep many women in a state of perpetual dieting.

I know I need to get healthy, I should start with cutting down on the junk food but, but I always feel like that insecurity could take over and turn the initial idea of being healthy into something sinister.

I don't want to be like others and spend the rest of my life worrying about what I look like.

I feel like I have controlled it for the most part but I still think about it an lot and hate that I've let my insecurities get the better of me.

I believe there is no easy way to overcome this feeling and I know practically every woman goes through it at least once in their live so I'll just take one day at a time and I'll keep going to the gym.

Mary Jane's Not A Virgin Anymore

This movie epitomises the Riot Grrrl movement and I've only just found out about it.

I'm Trying To Think of Way To Talk To Her Without Being Disrespectful

The number of times I've been out at a club enjoying myself with my friends and a misogynistic, homophobic or hateful song comes on.

I feel completely disrespected when this happens but everyone else keeps dancing leaving me standing like a statute (as another misogynist called Dappy would say).

I always wanted to respond to this feeling in a intelligent and appropriate way.

Cocorosie got there before me (well I probably never was going to get there).

Nothing Feels Better Than Being 8,000 Women Strong

Courtesy of Stephen Simpson Photography

Happy International Women's Day everyone.

I went to the annual Million Women Rise march that stands up to domestic violence against women this week.

It was probably the most inspiring scene I've ever witnessed.

Seeing girls as young as fourteen marching next to sisters that were marching in the seventies is amazing and shows that the feminist community is not as split as some would have you believe.

While I was so happy all day I couldn't help but feel like I should be doing more.

I feel like after four years of acknowledging my feminist beliefs I'm only just starting to incorporate them into my life. I now feel like I'm ready to tell my friends, tell off unaware sexists that I meet on a day to day basis

I've definitely been inspired to be more involved, go to more marches, make Ladyfest Ten the best Ladyfest ever and generally be a better person.

p.s. I want to start by getting one of those sex and the city style gold necklaces that just says "feminist". If anyone knows where I can acquire one of those I will be a very happy bunny.

I've Been Lost Out In The Woods For A While, Sorry I Didn't Call...

So I haven't posted on this blog for a while for various reasons.

First of all my idea for Diary of a Wallflower has changed dramtically. It started out as a kind of passive aggressive rant about being a shy, barely visible girl in a fast paced, image obssessed world.

It slowly changed to being more just about me, being honest and talking about my view of the world. 

Then I forgot about it for a while due to other commintments and high workloads.

The main reason I couldn't work up the courage to get back to blogging here is mainly because the thought of talking about myself on a daily basis was immensely frightening for me.

I am not a person that tells people their feelings, I don't write them down in a diary, I barely even tell people what I do each day. It's something that I always used to do at the height of my shyest years, those between 14-19, in the belief that I would get ridiculed by any little piece of information I gave out.
I have been stuck in this rut for a while and I don't want to be anymore so here I am.

This is me, and this will be me from now on.

Picture courtsey of Lindsay Willard