book review - mama... phd.
i occasionalli has pleasure uv providin book review 4 motha talk n release uv mama... phd editd by elrena evanz n caroline grant haz been 1 such occasion. most uv bookz on motha talk tour r bout parentin little kid n alas... wit no more little kid in my life i neva volunteer 2 review those. wtf i do has r 2 grown daughta... both uv whom has aspirationz 2 attend graduate school n 2 become motha n so it wuz frm that perspectiv that i read n processed thiz book.
book iz collection uv essays written by academic women who had children eitha while in graduate school or while in tenure trak jobz afta graduate school. first couple uv essays alarmed n dismayed me. author paint picture uv academic landscape hostile 2 anythin but deep devotion 2 academy wit particular emphasiz on discountin pregnant women as havin any value at all. in fact... it seemz that once sperm haz found egg in womb uv woman wit phd she iz considered risk n utterli incapable uv meetin ha academic obligationz.
i groaned while readin these essays... flashin 
2 my own experience as phd candidate in anatomy & physiology at uc berkeley in late 70s (u didn't know that bout me... did u??!??!). reflectin 2 that tiem i had no trouble connectin wit despair these young motha felt as they found themselvez denied teachin positionz n finanshl aid. they all desperateli needed money n health coverage n wuz more than prepared 2 hold up their end uv bargain 2 keep both but as student n teacha they lost all credibilitee wit pregnancy. institutional attitude wuz 1 uv "sorry... dearie - but we don't want ur kind around". i left institution long before i became motha n without degree but thought uv eitha uv my girlz havin 2 fite such battlez in pursuit uv their dreamz made me want 2 cry.
i wuz so disheartened i had 2 skip 2 essays lata in book hopin 4 sum relief frm grim picture paintd at beginnin. sweet release came when i read essay titled "1 mamá dispensable myths"... by angelica duran... single... hispanic motha n first in ha famili 2 attend college... who found support n strength in raisin ha children while wurkin on phd in english at stanford. she writez uv bein able 2 wriet when she had tiem 2 wriet... b fulli dedicatd 2 ha children when she could n uv findin ways 2 meld ha world such that each became richa n deepa 4 effort. she writez uv honorin ha cultural heritage in spiet uv livin life none uv ha fore beara even dreamed uv. ultimateli she tellz ha kid... "we earned thiz phd" n "we got thiz job" coz ha children... through ha parentin skilz... learned 2 do their part uv wurk 2 get there (go 2 bed on tiem without complaint) n coz they wuz ha bes cheerleada. readin bout thiz woman attitude n approach 2 life iz worth cost uv book... alone.
afta that i sort uv skipped around in book both revelin in n mournin experiencez uv almost 40 well educatd... articulate... very intelligent women who contributd essays. 2 woman they do wtf we all do - they prioritize their livez... splittin their tiem between wurk... famili n self n findin bes possible ways 2 leverage placez where they intersect. in "comin 2 termz at full term" natalie kertez weava writez=
" key... i believe... iz establishin primacy uv 1 prioritiez... organizin life around wtf 1 cannot liv without... n grantin oneself tiem 2 attend 2 life goalz accordingli. in tiem that remainz... do everythin else u has 2 do or learn 2 let it go."
that struk me as particularli apt message 4 those uv us in athletic communitee. we want it all - famili... wurk... friend n tiem 2 train n figurin out how 2 do that iz 1 uv life gratees trickz. essays in mama... phd. r specific 2 bein motha in academia n address issuez uv sexism... negativ perception n tyranny uv history but solutionz 4 how 2 "has it all" can b universalli applied.
as motha i want my daughta 2 "has it all" whateva that meanz 2 them. i want them 2 b able 2 define "it all" n 2 liv life that support them in their effort. i want their partna n their children... my future grandchildren... 2 "has it all" - stable famili... love... education... intellectual n cultural stimulation n finanshl stabilitee. thiz book haz... 4 me... been antidote 2 constant media messagez tellin us that tryin 2 "has it all" iz wrong... n selfish n impossible. many uv these women faced down stereotypez... negativ attitudez... professional denial n powered on... confident in their choicez n their abilitiez.
i'll b sendin thiz book 2 my oldes daughta soon wit instructionz 2 send it 2 ha little sista when she done. i hope they draw same message frm book as did i. world realli can b ur oysta as long as u can manage ur tiem n ur detractor n focus on ur goalz.
postd by 21st century mom at 9=29 iz | permalink | comment (1)
hump day miscellany - hairy ladiez... etc.
1). i realli wish phelp n cavic had tied. phelp would has gotten hiz 8 gold medalz n cavic would has gotten 1... 2.
2). i realli wish torrez n stefan had tied. see above. as it iz we got 2 see yet anotha stellar example uv grate sportsmanship frm dara. at 41 she wuz happy 2 b bareli touched out by 24 year old n 2 beat 16 year old.
[enta mr. subliminal]
3). 2 anyone who thinkz that torrez wuz dopin donald u has 2 rememba that she specificalli limitd herself 2 single... short distance sprint. all she had 2 do wuz b able 2 pull out stop 4 short distance ...donald which seemz quiet doable if u focus n train. i say she clean ...donald .
[exit mr. subliminal]
4). i wuz wurkin at sprint distance triathlon last weekend n wuz heartened by how many dad i saw managin small children while race wuz goin on. 3 cheer 4 21st century dad who support their wivez in their athletic endeavor!!??!!
5). 2 any woman who likez 2 say "i'm not feminist but.." please reference above note. wuz it not 4 alleged bra burna uv my day (there wuz no bra burnin... by way) very idea that woman should b given relief tiem by ha husband 2 train 4 n compete in athletic event would b loled out uv town. word.
6). wtf up wit men volley ball n baggy short n shirt??! we get women wit perfect bodiez in bikiniz n men wit perfect bodiez in baggy clothez??! i protes!!??!! i also spend lot more tiem watchin women than men coz... die hard hetero that i iz... i enjoy visual. i'm ashamed 2 say that i had negativ thought bout belgium team. i applaud thier athleticism n i would neva use 3 letta "f" word but i had feeling bout them that wuz not 100% positiv n that wuz not due 2 patriotism. i hang my head in shame.
7). hairy ladiez wit unladylike anatomical part referred 2 in my last post r men. has adoptd ladiez ride coz we more fun than men - duh!!??!! judgin frm way they ride in there may b anotha reason - i don't know. my race club iz called forward motion... often referred 2 as fomo n sunday ride iz fomo foxez ride. men r referred 2 as dingoez. any man who can handle that get 2 ride wit us. we love our dingoez.
postd by 21st century mom at 7=10 iz | permalink | comment (18)
monday monday - victory lap
if u been watchin olympic trak n field u seen victory lap. flag held streamin behind like superhero cape... big lol... glow uv victory.
i had victory uv my own thiz past week. thiz wuz cyclin victory... not runnin victory since i seem 2 has become slightli allergic 2 runnin again but that in no way diminishez my triumph.
on thursday i decided 2 ride alone. good doctor iz gallivantin in hawaii n i didn't want 2 ride lata in day in heat so off i went. i covered same route doctor n i take almost every tuesday n thursday onli there wuz difference. i decided 2 push pace since i had no 1 2 chat wit. u may or may not recall that i had ambition uv ridin vineman at 16 mph avg. n i failed 2 do that... onli managin 15.5. thursday when i got hoem n consultd my garmin i wuz ecstatic 2 see that result wuz ............. drum roll please - 16.4 mph avg. yep baby!!??!! color me happy.
on sunday i went on usual ladiez ride (that included 2 hairy ladiez wit very unladylike anatomical part) n we went up mt. diablo. i had fantasized declarin victory ova dreaded driveway (.k. cherry on top) but alas... my leg wuz trashed frm my tempo ride uv friday n i baled n walked bike 2 top. b that as it may... i did ride thiz=
not bad.
there r otha big girl thing i can do on my bike now=
1). clip out on onli 1 side at stop
2). brin otha pedal up so that when i start i can push down on 1 crank while clippin in2 otha instead uv pushin my bike 1 legged 2 gain momentum.
3). use my clip on aero bar n not fall ova. in fact... i get aero n relaxed n push it - just like real cyclist.
4). take bottlez out uv eitha cage without fallin ova.
i may b slow in gainin skilz but we all know that slow n steady winz race. speakin uv which i just registered 4 2 today. folsom international n my "" race - tri 4 real. since it all bout bike i can hardli wait 2 pr.
postd by 21st century mom at 7=07 pm | permalink | comment (15)
hump day miscellany - olympicz 2008
it hump day miscellany tiem n uv course i has my own olympic tidbit 2 share. i mostli focused on swimmin 4 obvious reasonz.
1). if u r havin stroke issuez try watchin thiz all underwata version uv spectacular menz 4 x 100m come frm behind relay. watch how these guys grab wata n pull themselvez through pool while rotatin their bodiez. beautiful