Lady Gaga’s performance at this year’s Oscars touched lives across the country. The emotional rendition of “Til It Happens To You” brought the crowd to their feet, and started a conversation about sexual assault.
The song was written for The Hunting Ground, a documentary about sexual assault at colleges and universities. The lyrics provide a portrait of what it is like to be a victim, and a survivor, of sexual assault. We are talking about more than rape; we are talking about non-consensual sexual contact. In the song, she addresses how abuse victims are mistreated long after the incident itself is over. Continue reading
We often read fiction as a form of escape, but I recently read a novel that was both entertaining and enlightening. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel speaks to choices we make in life and the impact they have.
Disappointment is a difficult emotion. It can step in and ruin any experience. You are having a good day, something happens where your expectations are not met, and boom! Disappointment sets in, and the experience is ruined.