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Showing posts from September, 2021

Gender Euphoria

My name is Mac Craighead; I’m a nonbinary writer, event producer, editor, drag artist, and generally an all-around good person. For a long time, I was deeply ashamed of my femininity. I grew up in what I can only describe as the Catholic, Midwestern equivalent to the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, from “King of the Hill” — conservative, for those of you who didn’t watch. I remember visiting my cousins’ farmhouse and enduring games such as “Smear the Queer,” a sport played by straight-up beating up whoever couldn’t catch whatever ball was being thrown at them. I was the common “queer.” Every time I dropped that ball, my femininity was beaten out of me. “Can’t catch, what a girl, right?” I still think about my uncle’s snide remark to his wife, them giggling from the sideline. Let’s flash forward. It would be a good fifteen years later that I finally discovered Brooklyn nightlife. When I eventually mustered up the balls (pun intended) to drag (pun also intended) myself to a queer bar fo...

Embrace your Journey, Part 1: A Series

"Embrace Your Journey "– you've probably heard this phrase -or- something similar, especially in our generation's eagerness to grab hold of New Age philosophies and make them religion. But what does this even mean? Is it just taking the bad along with the good, surrendering to fate, and not actually doing anything to empower yourself or affect change in your world? Isn't it just a lame excuse for not working at things – not taking control over your life? An acceptable way to be lazy and call it a day? As a recovering "Type A, Take the Bull by the Horns, Never Accept No" personality, it has been life-altering for me to actualize "Embrace the Journey." My life journey is complicated, with tremendous ups and downs from the start until now, age 47. So complicated that when thinking about writing this blog, I figured I'd share my story of overcoming childhood poverty and family mental illness to lead a productive life. I figured readers might w...

Combatting Cancer through Fitness

My name is Rori, and I currently live in New York with my amazing husband and 2 Frenchie furbabies. I'm 34 years old, an avid athlete pursuing a Personal Training certification, and I am currently battling Triple Negative Breast Cancer. The mental game is just as important, if not more important than the physical, when it comes to cancer. Being able to stay active during treatment is just 1 component of how I've been able to put up a good fight against this disease. I believe that everything happens for a reason, & getting diagnosed with cancer showed me what I was meant to do in life: help other women fight their toughest battles. Every woman undergoing a Breast Cancer battle will face challenges on how they feel about their body. Utilizing a mantra I began saying to myself helps remind me that my body has gone through hell and back: "Fake, Fit & Fabulous." Every woman should feel inspired & accomplished by what their body has been through. Be proud of yo...

For the Love of Food

When I think back to my favorite memories of time spent with loved ones, almost every one involves the preparation and/or sharing of a meal. Food was the central part of every celebration growing up and continues to be. I am blessed to come from a family of close-knit women, not just my immediate family, but aunts and cousins as well. My mother grew up in a large cotton-farming family, and was especially close to her two sisters nearest in age – she swears its because they were forced to sleep together in a double bed their entire childhood! They were a family of limited means, but because they lived off the rich, fertile soil of the Texas Gulf Coast, good food was abundant and available. Working together to cultivate, harvest, and prepare food forged tight bonds that last to this day. My childhood was filled with special occasions. We had (and still have) an annual family reunion at my aunt’s house in south Texas. The day of the reunion itself is wonderful, catching up with rel...

Hope Through Adversity

“All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” ~ Walt Disney If you’ve spent more than 2 minutes with me, you’re probably aware that I love Disney. Whether it’s my vast Disney wardrobe or the fact that I can connect any conversation with a Disney quote, it becomes clear pretty quickly that I’m a Disney fanatic. For many people, Disney is a kiddish way to spend 90 minutes every time a new movie comes out. They enjoy the film and move on with their lives, likely forgetting about Disney until the next movie trailer is released. Who has time to think about Disney in the middle of the busy, hectic realities of adulthood? Me. Let me tell you why. For me, Disney is so much more than a catchy song, a family vacation, or a quick trip to the movie theater. Disney embodies imagination, adventure, and the belief that there’s a “great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day.” When the realities of life nearly knock me down, there’s a soft, Mickey Mouse-shaped pill...