I Am a Human Rights Supporter!

Hello loves! Sorry about not posting last week- midterms and sickness had me down for the count (I'm still a little sick but, hey, I can't let it get the best of me).

My topic today is human rights. This topic has actually been on my mind for a while now. On my way back from the store last week, my friend and I came across a few volunteers that were standing outside when one of them called to us, asking if we supported gay rights and wanted to contribute. Now, mind you, it was cold and a little windy- about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (and that's a generous estimate), and after being outside on the walk back to campus, I wanted nothing more than to get inside my warm building. But I decided to take a look. Long story short, I donated nine dollars to the Human Rights Campaign. (Also note that in addition to being bisexual and knowing that my rights could/would be affected if more people knew about my sexual orientation, I contributed because I am an LGBTQ ally and I support human rights)

So, human rights. What are they? According to businessdictionary.com:
The fundamental rights that humans have by the fact of being human, and that are neither created nor can be abrogated by any government
The Human Rights Campaign is a campaign that encourages and rallies support for equal rights in the LGBTQ community so that they match those of their heterosexual counterparts.

Basically, human rights are rights that belong to all humans, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, skin color, eye color, music tastes, and so on. Human rights are the base of equality and justice, but this concept has reached the entire world yet. It's seen in the places that do not allow their women to vote, work places that don't permit homosexual people to work under their employment, etc.

So why do I support human rights? Look at it this way- the way the world is today, I am the bane of society, plagued with many things that set me at a disadvantage. I am: a woman, an African-American/black, young, Wiccan, bisexual- and those are the main things. I know that even based on my appearance, people in the world will judge me based on what they know about people who look like I do- and that is without knowing what I am about. I support human rights because I know what it is like to be at a disadvantage for things that are out of my control, such as my race, my lineage, etc. After these prejudices are overcome in my own town, state, and even country, of course I want the same for everyone because I know what it's like. Anyone who denies a person or group of people certain things or choices that everyone else has is just... wrong. Just wrong.

Now to the nitty gritty: What can we do? Well, I've mentioned it before- it all starts with us. We enforce these laws and what is accepted by policing ourselves, inside of our societies. Try not to deny anyone anything based on race, nationality, appearance, religion- whatever- only deny their request if, and only if, it is not within reach or reason, or if it would be unjust to grant them their request. That said, do not deny the actual person- only their request. If we knew how powerful we were, things would be different. Much different, I'm sure.

So I will leave you guys to chew on that for now. As with most of my topics, there's always more to say here, so it's likely I'll come back to this in a future post. Later, peoples!

Cough cough,
~H.P. Echo~

I Am Aware of My Body and My Health! (Eating Disorder Awareness)

Hey guys, what’s up?

So, this week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The name speaks for itself- an entire week dedicated to making people aware of eating disorders like bulimia, anorexia, etc. This is for the ladies, the gentlemen, and everyone in between.

I have personally never had an eating disorder, nor personally known anyone with an eating disorder, but I am aware of how serious eating disorders can be- physically and mentally. I know that reading fiction books (or even non-fiction books or autobiographies) with main characters who struggle with eating disorders can never compare to experiencing it in real life, even with the small glimpse.

The problem is that eating disorders can be disguised as diets. Diets that start out regular can sometimes turn into eating disorders. And for those who live in societies that pressure people to look a certain way and weigh a certain number of pounds or kilograms, it’s astounding how more people are not aware of the dangers of dieting and doubting how far it can go.

Have I ever been dissatisfied with the way I look? Of course. Have I ever thought of myself as anything but beautiful? Yes. Have I ever tried to change the way I look? Sure. Have I ever tried to diet or police what I eat and how I eat it? Only calorie-wise. I realized that I sometimes eat over 3,500 calories a day (not healthy… maybe even for those who do extraneous exercise) in school when the average adult is only supposed to intake 2,100 to 2,500 calories, give or take a few, depending on the amount of daily exercising and such. But a “true” diet, such as one that cuts out bread or meals altogether? No. I see myself as a healthy, somewhat fit (martial arts and running, woohoo) young woman who can sometimes underestimate my worth based on beauty ideals that are not my own. Still, at the end of the day I do not attempt to change how my body looks by overeating or under-eating.

(Doctor-prescribed diets are another thing- those are really only for those who are in danger of complications with their health.)

Once we are aware, then what? The ideal thing is to promote that “healthy is in,” rather than a certain body type (i.e. – thin, athletic, thick, etc.). It will not be easy- society will always have its expectations, but the policing begins with us. What are our individual standards? What do we want for our kids and young people? Health begins not only with us, but it also begins in the mind. If children see or hear about “issues” with human bodies, they will begin to compare, contrast, put two and two together and look to us to see how we handle this.

That said, keep in mind that setting a positive example and explaining misconceptions to a few people can make so much of a difference. It starts with one. Thanks for reading, you’re all beautiful!

“Body, body, body language,”

~H.P. Echo~

I Am Busy! (Week's Hiatus Notice)

Hello my peoples!

Due to the busy happenings in my college life (assignments, projects, extracurriculars, down time, etc.), I cannot post this week. Sorry, but school work comes first...

Much of my project deadlines are for Friday and Monday, so I should be able to post as usual on the 25th (also be aware that some of these projects are continuous so delays may happen now and again, but rest assured that I will try my darnedest to post weekly among the craziness). I apologize if I inconvenienced anyone.

As usual, thank you so much for reading and for your patience!

Bring it on,
~H.P. Echo~

I Am a Feminist!

 (Feminist button bought from I <3 Female Orgasm 2012 event)

 

Hey guys! Welcome back!

So, as always, the title dictates. I’m a feminist!

Let’s jump straight into it with some Myth-busting Time:

1. Not all feminists are women. I know a good number of guys who support equal rights. If you support equal rights among everyone, guess what? You’re a feminist, too!

2. Men who are feminists are not all gay. See #1. Guys across the spectrum support equal rights.

3. Feminist women are not lesbian man-haters that want to rule over men. I cannot speak for all women, of course, but women just want equal rights. Sexual orientation doesn't matter. And ruling over men would create imbalance and the same problem of unequal rights would begin again. Besides, I’m bisexual- you know that to be bisexual, I have to like men to some degree (haha).

Now, you may have noticed that I keep throwing around the phrase “equal rights.” That’s because that is just what they are- rights that women want to be equal between all genders (women, men, and people who don’t label themselves as either). The more common phrase is “women’s rights,” but I think “equal rights” is the more politically correct term.

Think of it like this: “women’s rights” are not special rights. They are merely rights that women want so that they can be equal to men and have the same privileges. If you’re not convinced, think about the phrases “gay rights” or “gay weddings.” We don’t call heterosexual weddings “straight weddings” or their rights “straight rights,” do we? Neither are the rights of humans called “men’s rights” and shouldn’t really be labeled “women’s rights” either- they are “human rights.” See what I mean?

So why am I a feminist? Well, I could say it’s because I am a woman; anyone could argue that this makes me a feminist by default. But no, I don’t think I’ve always been a feminist. I mean- I’ve supported equal rights my whole life, but it was in silence and without full knowledge of what was going on. I actually took a Women’s Studies course last semester that changed my outlook on many things. I now look at things more closely, somewhat scrutinizing advertisements and comments for sexist assumptions and expectations (for both genders, too!). You would be amazed how many there are.

So what’s changed for me? I now profess that I am (take note of the button that resides on my bookbag above), indeed, a feminist. I choose not to laugh at sexist comments or illustrations (i.e.: pictures or comments telling the woman to get back in the kitchen). And I choose not to date (and attempt not to associate with) sexist people who do not change their ways (dated a semi-sexist guy that had like-minded friends. I will not be doing that again…). Even these personal little actions can make any a feminist. Even better would be doing community/feminist work. I have not yet worked up to that, but I have attended Take Back the Night events (community events of awareness and to support survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse and rape) and this week I will be attending my first ever V-day event (and by “V-day” I do not mean Valentine’s Day, per se. Here, take a look: http://www.vday.org/home. It is kind of hard to explain, especially since I’ve yet to attend one. It seems to be similar to Take Back the Night, though. I’ll report back after I attend). Now that is a good way to spend a good Valentine’s Day… perhaps I’ll ask my crush to go?

As with most of my topics, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. But what would you take away from this if all I did was overwhelm you?

Thanks for reading- I really appreciate it.

Love abound,

~H.P. Echo~

P.S: Here is a little present for everyone, whether you’re single and ready to mingle, in a relationship, in a complicated relationship or whatever other relationship status Facebook offers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDMwpVUhxAo&list=HL1360640621

I Am a Solitary Wiccan! (Part 2)

Hola my peoples! What is up?

Sorry- I know it’s Wednesday. Things were hectic Monday and yesterday, let me tell you. But since my first class was cancelled, I can update now.

So I promised you guys more info about Wicca. But first, I must make this disclaimer: Though I wish I could, I CANNOT speak for everyone when I’m talking about this. Everything does not apply to everyone. I am only talking from my experiences, people I have encountered, and what I have learned along the way… now that that’s out of the way, let’s begin.

I chose to convert to Wicca because I felt that my beliefs did not align with the Christian way that I was born into. I believe in reincarnation (not the same as eternal life in the Bible, right?), spirits (seen/felt a few), the sixth sense (clairsentience, clairvoyance, clairaudience, etc.), and healing through meditation, stone and crystals, and chakra cleansing. And then there’s magic. I believe in that too.

By magic, I am not talking about Harry Potter-type magic- that stuff is Hollywood inspired. Real magic (usually spelled “magick” to avoid confusion with camera tricks and slight-of-hand magic, as seen with magicians) consists of working with nature and the universe in order to influence people or situations (generally in a good way- once again, can’t speak for everyone). For instance, the five points of the pentacle represent earth, air, water, fire, and spirit (no place in there for Satan- imagine that. Haha!).

And we do spells. Not like, “bubble, bubble, toil and trouble,” with a cauldron and bat wings. Spells are basically prayers and affirmations. And I’ll just say this now- I do not believe in using love spells! I’m sure with the right amount of influence, they would work like any other spell, but influencing someone against their will is not good. Which brings me to this:

“An it harm none, do what ye will” and the Three-Fold Law. The first is the Wiccan Rede, which basically states do what you want, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone or anything. And the Three-Fold Law is similar to karma- everything you do has a consequence, which can be good or bad. If you do something bad (mostly on purpose or for personal gain), it will come back to bite you in the butt three times as powerful (this has happened to me, not with magick but with relationships). If you do something good (especially when you’re doing it out of goodness and not for personal gain) good things will come to you (I’ve also experienced this). So basically don’t hurt anyone or anything for personal gain, you’ll be fine.

Also, being a “solitary” Wiccan, well… the meaning is obvious- solitary practice. It means that I do most or all of my worship and practices by myself. However, I am a part of my college coven here. We just get together to celebrate holidays, but I wasn’t able to make it for the only one so far. For Yule- which is basically Christmas for us- I celebrated by practicing astral projection, the ability to project my mind and body into the astral plane while my body remains motionless on the physical plane. I did this because it was a special day and I usually do not have the time to take some time and practice, due to being too tired or too restless. So it was a special day, even though I was not celebrating it with a group of people. And as I said before, it’s different for everyone- some feel comfortable practicing with a group, others like doing it in private. I’m one of the latter.

Alright, that will be all for now. I’m sure I’ll be coming back to this soon enough- there is so much to say about this subject. If anyone has any more questions or wants details from someone more experienced than I am, I recommend watching videos by Cara:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cutewitch772

She is a video blogger that talks about Wiccan matters and more, from celebrating Samhain and Yule to working with stones and crystals (my personal favorites). Later guys, and thanks for reading (as well as being so patient for this post)!

Adding a touch of love (potion) and understanding to the world,

~H.P. Echo~

I Am a (Solitary) Wiccan!

What’s up my peoples?

So last week I was tackling bisexuality. This week, I’m tackling the religion that goes along with this symbol:

Picture of pentacle from netplaces.com

 

And that, my friends, is Wicca.

Now I know that at least one or two people who read this have probably been raised to think that this is an evil symbol and an evil religion- the path toward the devil himself.

While I can’t un-teach you, alter your beliefs or perhaps- heaven forbid- shake your faith, I can do a little teaching of my own and bust some myths for you.

When faced with someone who is Wiccan in your life- and actually, this goes for anyone who is different from you, religion-wise, sexuality-wise, politic-wise, etc. – here are basic ways to approach them respectfully:

Rule 1: If they are wearing a symbol that you feel offends you or you don’t quite understand, ASK THEM ABOUT IT. Ask them questions, but be nice about it. Instead of “aren’t you afraid you’re gonna go to hell?” ask “What does that symbol/phrase mean to you?” Phrasing matters.

Rule 2: Remember that these people are not just the symbol they are wearing or what the symbol represents. They are also friends, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, co-workers, mothers, fathers, students and, overall, human. Even if you two do not agree in the area in question, you both are human and therefore are similar in that way and maybe some other ways as well. Treat them as you would want to be treated or as you would treat another family member, co-worker, human, etc.

Rule 3: Taking this old-school- what your parents or family members might have told you as you grew up- “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” If you truly feel that you cannot find anything nice to say about whatever the person “is” or the path that they are on and feel is right for them, don’t say anything. Remember- you’re not perfect either and it is likely that people in your life have also tolerated an aspect that is a part of who you are.

Rule 4: It is possible to remain friends with (or related to) someone who lives differently than you. See Rule 3. Even if you don’t agree with your friend’s lifestyle, religion, sexuality, whatever, you can still be friends. And anyone who is different in your family is still your family. If anything, you don’t even have to address it all the time. After all, this difference isn’t the only part of them. Also keep in mind that if they are only recently coming out, they need support now more than ever.

And finally Rule 5: Keep in mind that every person is not the same! Reasons for changing an aspect of a life varies from person to person. What the subject at hand means to them also varies. Also, people’s decisions and lifestyle choices do not ultimately determine what they are like! I have met rude Christians, friendly Christians, friendly Wiccans, shy Wiccans, shy homosexuals, abrupt homosexuals, loud Hindus, quiet Hindus, etc. So ignore the stereotypes and get to know the person before deciding your feelings about them or (worse) spreading rumors.

So those rules aren’t just for when you meet someone who practices Wicca, those can be applied to for many things and to anyone who is different from you.

Since this post is getting kind of long, I’ll end it here. I’ll make this a multi-post because I’ve got more to say about this. Part two- in which I’ll explain what this symbol means to me, the basics about Wicca in general, and some myth-busting- will be up next Monday! Thanks for reading!

Nox,

~H.P. Echo~

I Am Bisexual!

Hey guys! Sorry I didn’t blog yesterday. I usually try to post every Monday (I’ve actually been thinking about posting more than once a week) but classes started yesterday, so I was gone most of the day. But since my schedule says I’m free now, it’s writing time!

So because you guys have been so patient, I will share something with you guys that few people in my life know: I am bisexual.

Now quite frankly, I’ve been questioning for years. I thought that being bisexual meant that you have an equal preference for men and women. Then I learned about this thing:

A colorful table  of the Kinsey Scale from Tumblr.com

This little wonder is called the Kinsey Scale. Being a zero on the scale means that you’re exclusively heterosexual, and being a six means that you’re exclusively homosexual. Everything else in between is basically where bisexuality, pansexuality, and etc. are (Except asexuality- that’s kind of a league of its own). I actually first learned about this in my women’s studies class. Since I was still questioning at the time, I took a couple of tests- one given to me by my instructor and one I found online- and came up as a 2, which seems about right. I have a preference for men, but I’m not exactly against liking/dating girls. But ultimately it’s on you- tests can be wrong, you know. But I do feel right about being a 2 on the scale.

Myth-busting time!

1. Being bisexual does not necessarily mean that we are up for threesomes! Trust me- I don’t like them. Quite frankly… I don’t like sharing my partner, you understand. Haha.

2. Being bisexual does not mean that I’m struggling to play for one team! I know that I am not strictly heterosexual or strictly homosexual. Yes, some people in those categories use bisexuality as transition into the other. I am not one of those people.

3. Being bisexual does not mean that I’m desperate! I’ve had a boyfriend and girlfriend at this point (not at the same time, see #1 above). I know that love is patient. Bisexuality technically doubles your chances at finding love but at the same time it does not. There are many factors that would make this difficult.

Those are my three truths for you. If I think of any more, I’ll either write them in or put them in another post; I’ll be coming back to this subject again because I’ve searched- there are not enough books, movies, or even write-ups like this by bisexuals, for bisexuals, about bisexuals. I want to make this kind of information more available to people like me who are out there and were as confused as I was.

That said, for my bisexual (or questioning) amigas, I recommend this site here: http://www.shybi.com/

This site has a lot of information and other bisexuals who know what they’re talking about. If you guys want to ask questions or just mingle, join the forums (listed along the top of the page). I’ve been signed up for a couple of weeks now- there are plenty of topics to talk about, and the ladies on the forum are pretty empathetic, friendly, and helpful- with all problems and such, not just stuff about sexuality. Definitely beneficial for those who are still in the closet. You’ll also find that a lot of the ladies on there also rank as a 2 on the Kinsey Scale.

For my bisexual (or questioning!) guys, here is the brother site to shybi: http://www.shybi-guys.com/

Because I’m not a guy, I haven’t really explored the site or the forum (listed on the left-hand side of the page), but if it’s anything like the ladies’ site, then it’ll be equally beneficial for you guys out there.

Alright this is a long post… so I’ll cut it now. I’ll being this back be coming back to this (*edit: my brain stalled when I was writing the part that's crossed out- ignore that) later. Thanks for reading people! Drop me comments and questions if you have any!

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyyy sexy lady (or gentleman)!

~H.P. Echo~

*Update*: There is a fantastic new book about bisexuality called Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Eisner! It includes topics such as what bisexuality is, biphobia, passing, bisexuality while being trans* and more. If you want to further educate yourself- or if you have a paper to write, I recommend checking it out!

I Am Resolving for the New Year!

Hola my peoples!

How are those New Year Resolutions coming along? Hitting the gym? Eating healthier? Being a better friend? Husband? Wife? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Overall better person?

Now, I don’t usually do resolutions at New Year’s, since my year revolves around school and January is only the halfway point in the school year. So if anything, I make my resolutions at the beginning of each school year (toward the end of August).

I wrote these down as my resolutions and goals back in August to be done during my first year of college:

1. Get to know/ get along with my roommate- first and foremost

2. Make friends on my own [especially with my R.A (residential assistant) and the food servers in my dining hall]

3. Run at least a few times a week

4.Do projects at a productive rate (aka don’t procrastinate)

5. Check out the martial arts club

6. Check out the religious groups

7. Remain single for (at least) the first semester (hopefully all year)

8. Continue finding and working on scholarships

9. Remember: “Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none” (Benjamin Franklin)

10.Remember, in times of anxiety: “Peace, quiet, tranquility” (Starfire from Teen Titans)

11. Speak (my mind), be the “new” person I am inside and let her shine, and do something I thought I’d never do

 

Definitely a long list. But I’ve actually completed a few of them already; the ones that aren't highlighted have been completed (although obviously they’re all a work in progress). I’m pretty satisfied that I’ve done so many of these already.

But this year, I want to do something that I realized have not done in years, and I decided to make it my New Year’s Resolution since I had my “epiphany” just before Winter Break. And my resolution is this:

1. Treat myself better

I need to take care of myself and pay attention to my needs and feelings more. I do not mean this in a conceited way. I’ve been focusing on doing things with my life for the good of others before doing things for myself for so long. And the things that I thought I did for myself were really for other people and, to make it worse, those favors that I did only did harm to me, making me feel like crap. I want 2013 to be the year that this changes. I have a new college, a new start, a new life- now the only thing that I need to change is me and how I treat myself.

This means that I have to start putting my needs first before even thinking about helping others. Because if I can’t even help myself, how can I help others? I’ve been asking myself that question since August, and I want to get to the point where I do not have to ask this of myself anymore.

Seven days into the new year, I have already taken care of a few things- bought clothes and supplies for myself, tended to this blog and my art, and taken some time to just sit down and read books and watch my favorite shows and YouTube videos with my family. It’s a good start- but the real test comes next week when I am back on campus.

What are your resolutions? Do you make them for the new year or throughout the year and do you complete them? I hope you guys are doing the same and changing things for yourself to improve your life- not just at New Year’s but year-round. Don't just plan it- do it. Thanks for reading guys!

Resolving to end this post,

~H.P. Echo~

P.S- Since I’m not going to do the video thing, I’m thinking about putting together a little treat for you guys by animating a video. Don’t expect it to be anything fancy- I’m just playing around with DeviantArt Muro and randomly free-drawing right now because I need another flash-drive to put my pictures and videos on, and it will take a while, but it's for fun and I think it’ll be worth the time.

I Am an LGBTQ Ally!

(Button that I bought from the "I <3 Female Orgasm" event at school)

 

Hello all and welcome back to my blog! Hope you all had good holidays with your families and friends!

So, as my title states, I am an LGBTQ Ally, meaning I support lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered, and people who question their sexuality (as well as anyone else whose sexuality isn’t specified in there!). I support equal rights, and since they are people (yes, their DNA samples and their blood is purely human on a biological level- it’s astounding!), their rights should protected too. It’s just that simple.

If only it were seen as such. The rights of homosexuals have been debated for years. Are they human? Yep. Do they walk the earth among us? Yep. Do they have feelings? Yep. Are they heterosexual? Whoa, slow down now. Who is it that decides who deserves marriage, jobs, and such, and who doesn’t deserve it? Technically, that doesn’t even matter now. The fact of the matter is that we are policing ourselves. We have the final say in how we act, who we shun, and who/what we put on a pedestal. And then our children take our places- for better or for worse.

I grew up in a community that tolerates homosexuality more than anything else, instead of supporting. I didn’t even know what the word “gay” was or meant until middle school and didn’t know anything outside of heterosexuality. So in short- heterosexuality was indirectly preached, homosexuality was indirectly shot down as a choice for me and a lot of my friends and family members. But even so, I know that I have it better than others. Wherein I would face ridicule in my hometown, someone can be jailed or even put to death in another country (there are a few countries that have heavy penalties such as that). I know not every place in the world is safe for every type of person, but I find that ridiculous.

So after being brought up in a semi-homophobic community, why am I an ally? I’ve thought of a lot of reasons, but I’ve narrowed it down to simply this: I have friends who are homosexual. It’s likely that I have friends and family members who may be hiding their sexuality out of fear. I, myself, am questioning my own sexuality and have been for years (I’ll address it more in another post). People who are going through the same thing don’t need another person hating them or hating around them (on people who have already come out) and creating fear about coming out themselves, and I’ll leave it at that.

Does this mean that anyone and everyone who supports homosexual is homosexual themselves? Of course not. It just means that you support the rights of people who may or may not be a little different from you.

A penny for your thoughts- I hope I left an impression on them. Happy New Year everyone!

Dropping the knowledge while they’re dropping the ball in New York,

~H.P. Echo~

I Am Female!

Hi peoples!

Just thought I needed to make this clear since I didn’t exactly say anything of it in my first entry or even my profile (maybe). I wanted to get the main things out of the way before I got into the deep stuff, and since you guys cannot see me beyond my words, I think that I have to state the seemingly obvious.

So yes, I am female. Does this affect what I will put down in the blog, my views and opinions? Possibly. But, as I have seen from the turnout of my Women’s Studies class this past semester- in which guys were voluntarily in (and are heterosexual, mind you)- sex (and sexual orientation for that matter) does not mean that you care or don’t care for certain things. Anything that I talk about here, from college life to emotions to the female orgasm, affects everyone- not just women. I need to make that clear.

So technically… my gender should not matter. But as I said before, I just wanted to state it in case it isn’t as obvious as I think it is (and with the Internet, these days you never know). I was born a girl in the late 20^th century, and I have claimed my female-hood since then. I have all my feminine bits. My personality, thoughts, and sexuality are another story (especially since I read Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man), and will be tackled in a later post.

This does not mean that my posts will be completely “girly-girly” and about sparkles, pink, and kittens (though I do LOVE cats) or completely “tomboyish” and about dirt, fishing, and sports (though I do exercise recreationally, have run track and cross-country during high school and am currently in my college’s martial arts club). By societal standards, you “must” be one or the other- preferably the former- but I am not. Though my mother dreads it, I am utterly androgynous (meaning I’m somewhere in between girly and tomboy… average). And with all these conflicting messages, there is no real definition of what it means to be a girl. So hopefully I can get things on the blog spectrum that both girls and guys will like.

Now, because I am female, there may be some stuff you guys won’t want to hear about- I get that. For the younger audience- parents, I know you don’t like your kids using the words us young adults say. So while being utterly honest with you all, I will try to use the least offensive words I know (because there are so many substitutes for swear words). Some of my subjects, however, will not be censored (in the way that they are not talked about or talked about so little that it may take you by surprise when I mention it), so reader be warned.

Anything else? Mmm for now, no. If I can think of anything else, rest assured that I will either come back to expand on this post or will address this later. But my parting question is this: What does it mean to be female? Any questions or comments, leave them and I’ll read and respond to them later on. Thanks people! Happy Holidays to all! And to those who aren’t celebrating this year- have a good day!

Hand over the nail polish and the cargo pants, Santa,

~H.P. Echo~