When Visibility Changes the Meaning of Friendship
There is a particular kind of silence that arrives after people begin to recognize your name. It is not the silence of an empty room. Your phone may be busier than ever. People may stop to say that something you wrote helped them through a terrible morning, or that a few words you spoke gave them courage to get through the week. Those moments matter, and gratitude for them can be completely sincere. But later, when you are having the sort of ordinary difficult day that does not make a good story, you may find yourself staring at a list of contacts and wondering whom you can call without being expected to encourage them first.
Visibility changes the number of people who know about us. It does not necessarily change the number of people who know us. That difference sounds simple until we have to live inside it…
Process-Striving: A New Form of Status Competition In The Social Media Era
In every creative endeavor, there is a “behind the scenes” component that is less refined than the end result - a messy kitchen before a stunning meal, or the awkward rehearsals before opening night. Beauty routines, diets, workouts, planning/life management systems, and cleaning schedules, are just a few examples of the essential “behind the scenes” aspects of womanhood. These processes are integral to excelling at the roles we play in our day-to-day lives but until recently they were intentionally concealed from public view and open discussion. The allure of well-executed womanhood…