The first time I recognized that my body should be controlled was when I was eleven or twelve years old. Thanks to some particularly nasty asthma medication, my body was already well on the “after” side of puberty by that point. A large three-way mirror, inviting...
In fourth grade, I auditioned for my elementary school chorus. I love to sing—but it’s not, let’s say, one of my more celebrated talents. So I’m standing next to an upright piano in our school auditorium-slash-gym-slash-cafeteria and singing along to my music teacher...
How do influencers impact the way we see ourselves, our families, and… our shopping lists?
Distrust is society’s default emotion. That’s according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer survey. It found that 6 out of 10 people report that their default tendency is to approach new information with distrust until there is clear evidence of its trustworthiness....
I’ve always loved makeup. I’ve gone through many phases with makeup over the years—and I’m sure there are many more to come! Over the last few years, though, my makeup routine has involved wearing less. Most days, I wear a tinted moisturizer, bronzer, eyebrow...
Do you know Dr. Rick? Dr. Rick was one of the only good things that came out of 2020. He’s a "parenta-life coach"—he helps young homeowners avoid turning into their parents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcw6uS-gsqk Dr. Rick is an invention of Progressive, the...
The economy is in the news. Big time. Inflation has been a big headline, with news breaking August 10 indicating that it rapid price growth might be slowing down. On August 5, news broke that the US economy created over a half-million jobs in July—and unemployment...
Pundits, journalists, and your Uncle Joe all wring their hands about the state of discourse online. Too siloed. Too promotional. Too empty. Too rage-inducing. The list could go on and on. I truly don't want to add to that particular conversation. But I will admit that...
There’s a small village in interior Alaska called Anaktuvuk Pass. It sits inside the Gates of the Arctic National Park, the northernmost national park and the least visited park in the United States. Anaktuvuk is an anglicized version of an Inupiaq word that means...
Mary walks down Market St toward Oxford Street on a cold February day. It's 1866–Lynn, Massachusetts. Despite taking careful steps, Mary slips on a patch of ice and crashes to the ground. Electricity prickles up and down her spine. Each attempt to right herself is met...
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