Society and young girls

Christ, it's genuinely upsetting to wander off into some debate forum for teens where young girls ask eachother what to do to fit in. Like a sixteen-yearold who writes about how she feels intimate shaving is painful and feels weird, "but the boys thinks anything else is gross, so of course I do it". My God. If that hadn't been an anonymous forum I'd have contacted her.

I suppose respect for oneself is something you learn with time. At least I hope so. Most of my life I've always wanted to go my own way and be a *unique snowflake* anyway, but being able to think "No really, it's okay to do and wear whatever you feel comfortable with. Really!" is something I didn't fully realize myself until a few years back (in fact I think I keep on discovering aspects of it).

The fact that girls in their mid-teens do things they feel uncomfortable with just because they've been led to believe that doing whatever feels comfortable is socially unacceptable is... horrible. What if these girls go on believing things like that as they become women, as they get daughters of their own?

I think I'll keep telling myself that all eventually learn to respect their own bodies, because the alternative depresses the hell out of me.


CLARIFICATION: I'm not saying that intimate shaving is a problem and wrong in itself, I'm saying that feeling like you don't have a say in the matter is.

Old and new stuff

Another peaceful day at the cat shelter. Knut was there, jovial as he always is when he's not mauling anyone. I read in the log book another worker had to get a tetanus shot as well last week because of him. That's what happens when you pick up Knut.

There's been some exciting changes at the shelter itself though: We finally have a fenced-in backyard! For the first time the cats can be outside!

Of course, we don't own the entire backyard since there are residents in the same building. One of these residents is a very nice girl with a very big dog. She lets it out now and again, and while all the cats come scurrying inside, Mini, God bless him, runs out to chill out. Pointedly.



"Psh, a gigantic Rottweiler? And?"

( Updates on some previous cats (pics taken with a proper camera) )