Long time, no nothing
So I'm sharing some recent writing from other places
As summer winds down, I realize I haven’t written here in a while. So, I figured I may as well share some stuff I’ve written in other places. It’s not that I’ve been away on some international adventure (like so many of my Facebook friends it seems!) or training for a marathon (cue the laughter.) I’ve mostly been home grilling lots of burgers and dogs for hungry boys, watching lots of baseball games, ignoring massive laundry piles and asking my about-to-leave- for-college son what color comforter he wants for his Twin XL dorm bed. It turned out that “I don’t know” and “I don’t care” were his most common responses to all college purchase questions and while it would have been fun to make a point and surprise him with all hot pink paisley dorm decor, I opted for buying stuff I know he’ll like (as much as an 18-year-old boy can “like” these things.) You guessed it! Dark gray and navy blue.
The only thing he actually asked for was a lamp (and you better believe mom was ON IT!)
He leaves in a few days and I expect to feel lots of conflicting emotions when we give him that last big hug and drive away. I hope to ground myself in gratitude as much as I can but I know my heart will break a little.
Some Recent Writing
Hopefully you’ll find a few minutes to click the links below and give ‘em a read. I promise, they’re short. AND, I always appreciate when readers share my work with others who they think may enjoy it (or even hate it!)
The first piece ran in the Washington Examiner. I wrote it in reaction to our Secretary of Education’s nonstop trolling of parents online (mostly on Twitter, now known as X, UGH!) It became impossible to ignore how his words were so totally contradicted by his actions. So I took some time away from collecting cups from all over the house and picking up socks off the floor to write about it.
One has to wonder why Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is so committed to trolling and provoking parents on Twitter. This kind of behavior is sadly to be expected from teachers union leaders, but one would think the head of the Education Department might at least pretend to care that the Democratic Party — his party — just watched a 21-point lead on the issue of education evaporate right before their eyes.
Rather than reflect on why that might be, Cardona can’t stop adding fuel to the fire.
It was bad enough when he coordinated with the National School Boards Association to target parents as potential domestic terrorists for finally showing up to the school board meetings that educrats had long bemoaned for their sparse attendance.
To read the full piece, click here.
The second piece ran at Outkick. It was my first piece for them, inspired by a moment this past baseball season that got me thinking about what’s not being said enough in our national conversation about gender and the importance of single sex spaces.
No moms in the dugout.
I’ve never seen that on a sign but there is sort of an unwritten rule that the dugout at a baseball field is a place for coaches and players. And most of the time, that means that it’s a boys only space. I broke that rule recently when I quickly snuck in after a double header to grab our cooler because I wanted to go home. I announced in advance that I was coming in because I’m a woman and a mom and I don’t belong in a baseball dugout. I was momentarily violating their space. Even though I’ve known most of the boys since they were seven and I was only in there for about ten seconds, it is their space and I don’t belong there.
This quick dugout experience got me thinking about how the current debate about single sex spaces largely focuses on girls and women. I have personally been very outspoken on that front because when it comes to safety and fairness, the issue is far more serious in how it impacts females. Girls and women absolutely need and deserve single sex bathrooms, changing rooms, locker rooms, shelters, prisons and sports competitions. I’ll die on that hill.
To read the full piece, click here.
Talk soon,
Erika