Oh, the simple days before Facebook and email, when enchanted paper airplanes brought lovers together.
In the age of skinny jeans, it may not always be easy…but we hope it’s always worth it! (And that you’re covered on the condoms/birth control front.)
(via mindalyn)
“Honestly a lot of times your gynecologist isn’t gonna say ‘well, do you want to hear about the latest products on the market?’ They’re gonna say ‘well what do you want?’ So you almost have to go in knowing your order, and you never have seen the menu.”
—Charreah Jackson, Relationships Editor for ESSENCE magazine.
We’ve got a menu you can look at—and some tips for ordering.
Just in case you somehow managed to miss this amazing two-birds-one-stone parody of yogurt and birth control commercials when it burst onto the web a couple weeks ago—or if you just want to watch it again—voilà and enjoy! (Mmm, crunchy…)
And just in case afterward you find yourself jonesing for some vintage Sarah Haskins (please don’t tell us you somehow haven’t seen “Target Women”), we took the liberty of tracking down three segments that directly apply here: yogurt, birth control, and lady friends. Get your diverse group of lady friends together and watch ‘em all—maybe over some chocolate.
Love and career, 2012: Looking back, moving forward!
Last year at this time I was contemplating whether I could have both love and a career in 2012 and a year later… I still don’t really know. One thing I will say: by allowing myself to fully let go of the past, I did open myself up to meeting an amazing guy. A guy I did fall hopelessly in love with—for all the things on the checklist I threw away back in 2011.
He’s funny, supportive, God-fearing, loves me too, and being with him actually flipped my I-want-to-be-married-one-day switch to “on.” However, he comes with baggage I never anticipated when imagining my perfect guy—he has kids. And though my career goals can make room for him, I soon realized I am not interested in, nor up for the emotional and (let’s be real) financial commitment that comes with being a stepmom. (…Or any mom for that matter—hence my IUD!)
So here it is, another year, and I’m making the decision to let go and start over. Again. I feel empowered knowing that if I’m open, the universe will provide, but at the same time—if I’m being completely honest—it’s exhausting! So I will be taking things slow for a while. And at least I now know that it’s not just about “love”—falling in love is the easy part. The hard part is committing.
When it comes to my career I LOVE what I do, and I am very committed to all the challenges I will face along my way to being “Oprah.” Now, if I can find a man I’m as committed to, I think that’s when long-lasting-love and a career can co-exist—but only if there is a balance. That’s why for my latest vlog, I spoke to 3 women taking on their own work-life-balance journeys. Here’s how they’re working through things:
How was your 2012? Did you manage to have it all—success, personally and professionally?
*****
Veralyn Williams is a Multimedia Freelance Journalist currently working in New York City. She has spent 4 years at WNYC Radio working with various departments including: Radio Rookies, Culture, News, and Freakonomincs. Also freelancing for Black Enterprise, BronxNet Television,Bedsider, and The Museum for African Art. Her independent work is featured on her website VeralynMedia.com. Through all of her endeavors she aims to give a voice to perspectives that are often forgotten in the media.
Ah, the eternal struggle for balance continues into another year…
ASAP Science (of “Morning wood” and “Science of orgasms” fame) has yet another super-cool, super-informative video—this one’s on how emergency contraception (EC) works. Not only does it have cute drawings and explain a complex scientific process in under 3 minutes, it also debunks the common myth that emergency contraception causes abortion. BONUS: It has a nice explanation of how the pill works, too.
If all the myth-busting whets your appetite, we’ve got an article on EC myths that might be of interest. And while you’re thinking about EC, why not read about the all-time most effective method of EC you can get your little animation-loving hands on?
A Method Monday reminder that no one has to know about the implant but you. (Though you might be so psyched about it that you tell everyone anyway.)
3 Ways to Deal With Political Differences in a Relationship
With Election Day just around the corner, I’ve noticed a lot of my Facebook friends being way less tolerant about political views that differ from theirs. I’ve witnessed “un-friending” announcements and call-outs in the comments of politics-related status updates. With dating and relationships on the brain (as always), of course I found myself wondering how this political climate is affecting our love lives.
Through the interview process for my latest vlog, Is Politics a Dating Deal Breaker?, I learned that political differences can cause conflict in a relationship, but that they don’t necessarily have to be a deal breaker. Here are 3 political problems I heard about, and solutions to get past each.
Problem #1: My partner sees EVERYTHING as political—and I don’t.
You know those people who make everything into a conspiracy by the government, or who can’t get through dinner without pointing out all the ways the restaurant is not “green”? If you’re not as passionate about the same issue, this might get old really fast.
Solution: Remind your sweetie that being present and in the moment (with you!) is just as important. Interviewee K-Swift has to be reminded of this sometimes:
Problem #2: The views of our families conflict.
You can choose your mate, but you can’t choose their family—or yours, for that matter. So what do you do when grandma makes a racially insensitive statement at Thanksgiving dinner?
Solution: Pick your battles and remember there is a time and place for everything. Natasha’s take:
Problem #3: We just don’t see things the same way.
Probably the most common conflict of all: You think you’ve found the one, but every time you talk about your political beliefs, the “love” seemingly goes out the window. Sounds like an impossible situation, but does it have to be?
Solution: Decide it’s okay to agree to disagree. Or, in the words of Obama, disagree without being disagreeable. Henry, tells us how he (a conservative) and his wife (a liberal) make their relationship work:
How does politics affect your relationships (romantic or otherwise)? Could you see yourself in a “bipartisan” relationship?
*****
Veralyn Williams is a Multimedia Freelance Journalist currently working in New York City. She has spent 4 years at WNYC Radio working with various departments including: Radio Rookies, Culture, News, and Freakonomincs. Also freelancing for Black Enterprise, BronxNet Television,Bedsider, and The Museum for African Art. Her independent work is featured on her website VeralynMedia.com. Through all of her endeavors she aims to give a voice to perspectives that are often forgotten in the media.
Can’t we all just get along? Depends who you ask…
