Happy Birthday, Dad

Today would've been my dad's 47th birthday. 

We went to the cemetery today and put flowers and balloons by his grave. I hope he liked my rendition of 祝你生日快乐 ("Happy Birthday" in Chinese), even though I was pretty much blubbering when I sang it.

You know, I'll never understand this, but the only thing my dad ever wanted for birthdays, Christmas, you name it — were socks. He even told me one time that I could get him "a rock with some mud on it" and he'd be happy. 
That's the kind of person he was.

I suspect, however, that he also spent some time in a super-secret organization learning the dark art of Gift Guessing, because he always made a big show of guessing his Christmas presents with 95% accuracy.

"Oh, I know what this is . . ."

Don't say socks, don't say socks!

The "R" Word (By Randi S.)

This piece was written by Randi S., and also appears on her blog The Radical Idea. Randi is an activist, writer, and student of international women's issues.

Rape. Go ahead, say it. It’s not such a pleasant word, of course. We don’t like to delve too much into the issue of rape, or how widespread it is. We don’t like to look at the heartbreaking accounts of victims’ experiences. We don’t like to imagine it could happen to us.

But it is there, the dirty laundry we’ve somehow failed to clean up. And it’s not just "there." 17.6% of women in the United States are victims of an attempted or completed rape; and on college campuses, that proportion rises to 20-25%. On top of that, 64% of those crimes are perpetrated by current or former spouses, cohabitating partners, or boyfriends. And that’s just the crimes we know about: the FBI estimates that less than 40% of rapes are reported to the police.

That’s a little uncomfortable to think about, no? Now, many colleges offer crash courses in defense against rape — my own university offers a class called Rape Aggression Defense, or RAD. But that isn’t always enough. Among college women, about 47% of rapes were by dates or romantic acquaintances, and that applies to both male and female rape victims, mind you.

Unfortunately, colleges do tend to downplay problems like sexual assault, according to Jennifer Dorsey, a RAD instructor at American University in Washington, DC. Dorsey, who instructs women in moves used for self defense, says that a lot of what RAD teaches deals with mindset — focusing on understanding those who have been raped to be survivors, not just victims.

That’s an important point, because often victims of rape do suffer from psychological consequences, including anxiety, guilt, and depression. It can be a traumatic and redefining experience, but people shy away from talking about it, and the problems it cause make victims even more likely to be re-victimized. On top of that, 44% of women who have been date-raped say they’ve considered suicide, because they often feel they’ve lost who they previously were, or because of the shame/depression that accompanies this kind of situation.

Now, it can’t be denied that some percentage of rape cases are false accusations — but that’s about the same rate as other violent crimes, and yet you don’t see victims of burglaries or assault painted the same way that rape victims often are. In fact, sexual violence is a real problem because of the stigma attached to it — and because of the sense of humiliation and hurt that most victims encounter, making them reluctant to come forward about their experiences. According to Dorsey, many women don’t come forward "because (a) they feel it’s their fault or (b) they fear they’ll be judged for admitting it happened." And those two reasons are linked back to an increasingly prominent problem: victim-blaming.

Cases of victim-blaming are becoming more common, or at least more publicized, as people become increasingly agitated about the phenomenon. An AOL news story in March of 2011 reported that following the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in Texas, much of the outrage was in fact directed at the victim.

In a remark that caused the controversy that would eventually inspire the SlutWalk campaign, a Canadian police officer commented that "if women want to avoid being raped, they should avoid dressing like sluts." This kind of victim-blaming is (a) not uncommon and (b) is probably part of why victims are reluctant to come forward. But the reality is, rape is not about sex: it’s about control. And people can try to point fingers at girls in short skirts and say they create temptation, they create opportunity, but that doesn’t make the rape any less of a crime. And odds are, if rape is about control, it’s more a matter of "when" than "if" — the victim was more likely just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So right here, right now, I just want to state very plainly what every crisis center and advocacy group and counselling resource has ever said: victims of rape and sexual assault are not at fault for the crimes perpetrated against them. 

As a character in Jodi Picoult’s The Tenth Circle states, "A rape victim and a fatal accident victim are both gone forever. The difference is that the rape victim still had to go through the motions of being alive." Blaming the victims only removes blame from the people who actually commit these crimes and violate other human beings. The job of friends, family, and communities is not to shove blame onto these victims, but to help them try to make sense of their lives in the aftermath of what has happened to them.

And on top of that, "no" always means "no". Even if you’re already making out, even if you’re past making out, even if clothes are coming off, no one is ever obligated to go through with a sexual act against their will. The other person may get angry, call them a tease, whatever, but the minute those words turn into action and consent is violated, it is rape. It is a crime. And it is always the fault of the person who actually commits that act.

20 Ways to Lessen Your Risk of Sexual Assault

(Above) One of the many campaign ads
from Men Can Stop Rape, an
organization that seeks to redefine
masculinity and "mobilize men to
use their strength for creating cultures
 free from violence, especially
men's violence against women."

This article was submitted to me by Corrine at NursingDegree.net.

It's heartbreaking that I have to post this, but clearly sexual assault is an issue that we can't overlook. According to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), a person in the U.S. is sexually assaulted every two minutes. According to that logic, there will be another victim — maybe two — by the time you finish reading this article.

Extending emotional support to sexual assault and rape survivors is certainly a topic for another post, but the link I'm about to share contains tips that could potentially spare you the pain of ever being caught off-guard in a dangerous situation. Sure, some of the tips are no-brainers (i.e. be aware of your surroundings), but if it could mean the difference between going into a situation prepared and going in unprepared, why not take a few minutes to look these tips over?

Here are the first 3 tips from 20 Ways to Lessen Your Risk of Sexual Assault:

1. Enroll in self-defense classes: Nearly every major city — and plenty of suburbs — hosts at least a few different self-defense and martial arts schools, as do many colleges and universities. Try to find one within a viable price range and workable schedule and put forth the effort to take regular classes. Make sure to also thoroughly research both the businesses and the different strategies they teach before making any commitment. Even if participants never have to put their newfound skills to use (and here’s hoping they don’t!), self-defense is one of the most valuable investments individuals make for their own safety and peace of mind.
2. Carry a weapon: Consider supplementing those self-defense classes by keeping a weapon concealed somewhere, like a purse or underneath a jacket. For those uncomfortable with the thought of owning a gun, options such as pepper spray, mace, stun guns or batons and plenty more provide a satisfactory level of protection as well. No matter which one proves best, however, anyone owning such devices must absolutely familiarize themselves with proper care, use, maintenance and (of course) legalities. Particularly when looking into gun ownership.
3. Travel in packs: It’s not always possible to step out with a few friends in tow, but take advantage of any situations where it is. Predators feed on vulnerability, as assault and rape have everything to do with power and almost nothing to do with sex. A small group, particularly one with a little self-defense training and/or weapons in the ranks, will certainly make each member feel far safer than if they were to travel alone. This strategy works well for parties, too, as a throng of trusted pals can look out for one another and intervene when it looks like something ugly might happen.
   Read the rest of the article here
   Check out these unsettling statistics from the RAINN's website:

___________________________

Update: Literally two seconds after publishing this article I found this post over at Teenagerie.com. The author's take on this "who should be responsible for preventing sexual assault" situation really touched me. Obviously, a person can take all the precautions in the world and still become a victim. No one is to blame for rape but rapists themselves, and if we spend time educating women how to protect themselves, we should spend an equal amount of time (if not more) reaching out to — let's face it, men — about ending violence against women. 

When You Lose Someone (From One Teen to Another)

It's been a while since my last post. A day hasn't gone by that I haven't gotten some kind of inspiration for a new article - be it something I saw on TV or a pamphlet tacked up to the bulletin board in my school's office (oh yes, that one will be coming soon). I just haven't been in the right frame of mind to write lately.

Understandable, yes?

It's 10:06 AM on a random Tuesday morning (I'm not a skipper, folks, my school is on Mid-Winter Break), but I got a weird impulse to write this post.

I hate to keep saying "for those of you who don't know, my dad passed away last month," but it's a necessary evil because many of you are probably hearing it for the first time.

I've written an article about my dad and posted a video tribute to him, but what I haven't done is spoken to you directly. Those things - the article, the video - were for me and my own peace of mind, but chances are some of you have also lost a loved one in the past few months and, like myself, are struggling with how to get by.

When my dad was in the hospital and hooked up to what felt like a thousand different machines doing all of his bodily functions for him, it was really tough. I try to block those memories out, but I can still picture everything with perfect clarity: sitting by his bedside, holding a hand that at times felt too cold and at others too hot, and above all else, trying to reason with my dad that he "still owed me a game of chess."

That chess set we got him for Christmas? We'd only managed to play once.

It was at the moment we knew my dad wasn't going to make it that my aunt told me something that changed my life. She said "You need to do something with this." She said that there was going to be another 17-year-old girl who was in my exact position:

She would be holding back tears with enough force to make her head pop,

she would be asking God (or whoever she believed to be "up there") why this had to happen,

and eventually, she would have to accept - no, cope with - fate.

Are you that 17-year-old girl?

Okay, maybe you're not 17. Maybe you didn't lose a parent, but a grandparent, a sibling, a friend. Maybe you're not even a girl.

But while I can't see or hear you, I feel like we're linked by an invisible thread. I know that sounds really, really, really corny, but it's true, isn't it? Whether it makes sense or not, we're connected, and we owe it to ourselves to support each other.

So, for any of you who might be trying to cope with the loss of a loved one, here are my tips, observations, snide remarks (heh), and advice:

"You're just grieving."

First off, I hate the term "grieving." It doesn't do our feelings justice, you know? But you're going to hear it about a thousand times from relatives, self-help books, and counselors (if you choose to see one), so I guess we just have to roll with it. The thing I want to say about this whole process is that it's going to be crazy, horrific, weird, sobering, sporadic, gut-wrenching, and life-changing all at the same time. At times you're probably going to feel like an ass for having certain thoughts, while other times you'll feel content in the fact that you tried to be a good daughter, son, sibling, friend, etc. to the person you lost. Grieving (there, I said it!) is one wild ride. Probably because we don't have control over it.

Caught in a Whirlwind

In the week or so after losing your loved one, your house is probably going to feel pretty chaotic. People are going to be checking in on you constantly, your mailbox is going to be stuffed to the brim with sympathy cards (some of which aren't even that sympathetic), and you're not going to have to cook for about 3 weeks because people will keep bringing you donuts and homemade chili (because they don't know how else to help). I like to call this the "whirlwind phase" because there's so much going on around you. Sometimes you won't even have a chance to be alone or cry. It'll feel like you're stuck in a bad dream, and any minute the person you lost will walk right through the front door - probably asking who brought the donuts.

For the millionth time, "Are you okay?"



WARNING: People are not going to know what to say to you after you lose somebody.

It's okay to not be okay.

You're going to hear "Are you okay?" about a million times and you're going to want to bash in somebody's skull every one of those times. You'll think: Am I 'okay'? Are you kidding me? No, I'm not okay, you idiot! I just lost somebody important to me! Do you honestly think I'm okay?!

That's completely normal.

People don't know what to say during times like these because they don't want to accidentally say something insensitive. They feel helpless, so instead of thinking about your loved one they'll think in the moment - they'll want to know if YOU are okay. Even if you think the answer is obvious, don't punch anybody out for asking The Question. Just come up with an answer beforehand that's quick and to-the-point. Obviously "Oh yeah, I'm doing great!" is out of the question, but things like "I'm just really tired lately" or "You know, I'm hanging in there" will spare you the pain of explaining things if you don't want to. Of course, you can't do that with everybody. The people who genuinely care about you - close friends and family members as opposed to casual acquaintances - will want to know the truth. If you're not okay, tell them. They will understand.

Then Comes the Quiet: Don't Cry Alone

The hardest part of this whole process comes after the whirlwind phase. You stop getting cards sent to your door every five seconds, people stop asking you if you're okay and go on with their lives, and sometimes they'll even forget about what happened and inadvertently say something that strikes a nerve. But worst of all, your house will be quieter and you'll be faced with a lot of alone time in your own head.

Let me tell you, crying alone is heartbreaking. Please don't torture yourself like that.

Find somebody you trust and pour your heart out to them. Tell them what you're worried about. Tell them what you're sad about. Reminisce about the "good old times" if that makes you feel better. But do not lock everything up inside because it's an incredibly sad, lonely feeling (even those words don't do it justice). 

If you don't have anybody that will just listen to what you have to say, I'm begging you, find a counselor! A school counselor! A community counselor! Preferably somebody free-but-good!

The thing is, I don't think we're equipped to handle losses like these on our own. We need somebody to lean on during times like these. And that's okay!

Handling the Guilt

Depending on how you lost your loved one and the type of relationship you had before their passing, you're going to have to deal with what we in the biz call "mental crap." In my case, it was guilt. I wish I would've done this. I wish I would've done that. Those thoughts are inevitable, but if we focus too much on them we're going to dig ourselves into a deep, deep hole.

Losing somebody close to us is so, so hard. But we can never forget that there was nothing we could have done to change things. It's not like we can say "If I would've just worn my yellow shirt instead of my orange one Uncle Jimmy would still be here!"

It was not our fault.

Bang! Bang! Another Trigger

Triggers are going to happen without warning. A trigger is something that is completely unexpected and random that makes you think about your loved one in a positive or negative way. For example, if your grandma was a gardener, smelling fresh flowers might remind you of all the good times you spent together. Alternatively, if you lost someone in a car crash seeing a car zoom down your street at 80mph might make you angry and anxious.

Triggers are everywhere, and even if you tell yourself that you're not going to let them affect you (like I did in the beginning - what a dummy!), it is going to happen and you cannot beat yourself up about it.

My trigger came in the form of a poem in English class the other day. The poem my teacher read was about a man who committed suicide, and afterwards all she had to say was "I don't know how many of you have lost someone..." and BAM! I was a wreck. I cried on my textbook for about five minutes, trying to stifle my sobs. I'm sure everybody in class was watching me. About three of them knew why I was crying. The rest were confused: "Are you having a bad day?" "Did something happen in your 2nd period?" "We all have days like that."

And here I was thinking: If you only knew.

But of course, they never know. 

Keeping Memories Alive

I've found that finding ways to honor my dad is really therapeutic. I wrote that article about him, I made that video, I have pictures of him up in my room . . . I even wrote a song for him in Chinese (for those of you who don't know, I'm a Chinese-learning-maniac) and sing it whenever I'm feeling sad or lonely. Maybe it's too soon for you to do anything like this; maybe you don't want to. All I'm saying is, it might not hurt to try.

They Never Leave Us

I don't know about you, but I totally believe in "life after death." I hate saying afterlife, spirits, ghosts, or anything like that because the media has made a mockery of that stuff (except for shows like Medium and Ghost Whisperer which are actually pretty good!), but I am a firm believer that when we die, we don't just disappear. Our loved ones never leave us.

It has been so freaking frustrating for me ever since my dad passed away because, as dumb as this sounds, I've been waiting for some kind of "sign" from him. You see it in the movies - lights flicker, TVs turn on and off, you feel chills, etc. I've been waiting anxiously for my sign.

What I've realized is, your "sign" isn't always going to come when you want it. BUT you can't lose faith in the fact that your loved one is looking out for you. I talk to my dad whenever I need to because there's not a doubt in my mind that he's listening.

If you're on the same wavelength with me about this stuff, I'd suggest reading James Van Praagh's book Ghosts Among Us. It gave me so much reassurance . . .

What the Future Holds

Most of the time it hurts too much to think about the future. To think that my dad will never get to see me graduate, get married, or have a book on the National Bestsellers List (hehe) . . .  really kills me. But I've also learned something through this.

I've learned not to take people for granted. When we expect someone to always be there for us, it's so easy to justify petty arguments or think "Eh, I'll hug 'em some other time." But experiencing death head-on has made me realize and appreciate that (corny) line that says life is fragile and precious.

We need to be so grateful for the people we have in our lives. We need to treasure every laugh, every funny conversation, every hug, every "I love you." We need to take things less seriously. I mean, does it really matter if we get a B on a test? In the grand scheme of things, hell no. We need to be more open to spontaneity, more willing to try new things, and more accepting of new people. We need to recognize that beauty does not come in a shampoo bottle or lipstick tube, but in a smile, in kindness, in confidence. We need to love ourselves more, and pursue all the relationships in our lives with a new appreciation and vigor.

*Sigh* Okay. That concludes my philosophical spiel.

P.S. It might not mean much, but if you find that you ever need someone to vent to, drop me a line at teenagefeminist@gmail.com.

"Life is eternal and love is immortal,

and death is only a horizon,

and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight."

--Rossiter W. Raymond

"We Will Remember" (A Video Tribute to My Dad)

It might not seem like it, but this video took me hours to finish. It's a tribute to my dad who passed away last month. It's a celebration of his life, and it makes me smile and cry every time I watch it. Love ya, Dad.