But they SWOOSH wonderfully.

Ha! I'll have to add that to my dating profile. That should finish the process of completely excluding every possible New York male. :)

I was thinking about Dr. Chojnacka the other day!! (Was reading Kushiel's Chosen and flashing back to her research—wasn't it based in medieval Venice?) Also, I thoroughly and completely pooched a paper for her and she called me on it. I still have guilt.

Ugh . . . this is so hard for me! Thankfully, my name and accent are unremarkable, and I don't think I ever participated in any of these conversations (but how funny would it be if I did!). . .

It's never easy to have to scrutinize your own responsibilities around "tradition", especially when you're 19, flush with your own graduated success, and have self-chosen to belong to a social construct where Doing The Same Thing and Togetherness make up 99% of your world.

Context is everything, and I say this as a southern un-racist feminist who loves me some swooshy hoopskirted goodness who was not and never had any desire to go greek.

We were there at the same time, and yes, you have it spot on. On the other hand, I hope and pray no one has memory or record of my overly-earnest classroom tirades. (It is hard to be a know-it-all in the heady exhilaration of new-minted adulthood.)

Oh, that sound . . .

This makes perfect sense to me—probably because I was raised (and still am) Catholic by a family of strong, independent women.

Too true. Broccoli is SO full of hot air...

Ooh, that's interesting! I have the opposite relationship with the Food Network—it inspires me to take time and craft a meal that will truly satisfy me rather than "aaaahhh! it's 3:15 and i forgot to eat and am now ready to murder someone for food! *dash away from computer and grab first edible item that is hot and…

The LoseIt sub on Reddit is a great community, and this subject comes up often there. You may find it satisfying.

I love this!

Yes. Came here to say:

My grandmother said that so many times when I was little that I have a near-allergic reaction to it now. That said, the advice is solid. :)

Because while your weight loss journey is a constant companion for you (you can remember almost every pound lost, back however many weeks, months, or years, as well as the changes to your fitness systems), people see your body as it exists in one particular moment, and because it's new to them, they assume it's new to…

And those are the ones who will, hands down, be the first to tell you you're lying if there's something even minutely more complicated involved.

Those people . . . I cannot even word.

Thanks!

I do this! I always thought I was just extremely weird.