Thursday, March 31, 2011

Living simply and INTACT! Genital Integrity Awareness Week March 28- April 2 2011

Genital Integrity Awareness Week 2011

Yesterday marked the 14th anniversary of the United States' criminalization of female genital mutilation (a.k.a. female circumcision).  Although it was never a threat to a majority of girls in the States, a law was passed affirming their rights to genital integrity, regardless of their parents' cultural or religious traditions. 

This may be the one time in American history when congress defined and affirmed specific rights of female citizens, while failing to ensure comparable rights for their male counterparts. 

I will not go into why or how circumcision became so rampant in the western world.  I will only address why we as a country should stop circumcising our boys and dispel myths that say we should.



American Academy of Pediatrics' policy on circumcision clearly discriminates against males when compared to their policy on FGM, and yet they ultimately state that there is no evidence supporting routine neonatal circumcision. 

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology's policy on circumcision repeatedly calls it an elective procedure but also stresses that it is a decision that should be left completely up to the parents.  (I find this very interesting, because if a parent brought their kids in for almost any other elective procedure, like, say, a nose job, the doctors and nurses would be shocked and dismayed and maybe even call CPS.)

The argument that one should circumcise for hygienic reasons is ridiculous and could just as easily be used to justify female circumcision.  Parents can very easily learn how to clean and care for their intact sons, just as easily if not more easily than learning how to care for a raw post-op penis that spends 24/7 in a dark, damp (and sometimes dirty) diaper.

Studies linking male circumcision and AIDS are conflicting at best.  The United States has one of the highest rates of male circumcision and also one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the developed world, suggesting that circumcision is not helping.  Conversely, Finland and Japan have some of the lowest rates of circumcision and also some of the lowest rates of HIV/AIDS.

In a meta-analysis of statistics catalogued from 1989-2009, results are clear.  There is a much greater likelihood of complications, including illness, infection, and death from circumcision than there is from keeping a baby whole and intact. Plainly, circumcising carries more risk than not circumcising.  (Duh!)

Parents have two options when it comes to deciding whether to circumcise their newborn son; only one is reversible.  That is to say, an uncircumcised boy can always decide to get circumcised later in life.  Conversely, it is virtually impossible for a circumcised boy to decide to regenerate his foreskin. 

I have personally heard doctors make the argument against waiting to let the boy grow up and make his own decision.  They say that it is better to do it when the baby is young, so he won't remember it.  However, there are some people who believe that we subconsciously retain memories from as early as in utero.  If that is true, then it stands to reason we would retain some kind of subconscious memory of trauma in our first days earthside. 



Doctors also like to calm new parents by telling them that circumcision is not painful because local anesthesia is used.  If it doesn't hurt, then why is it so important to do it "before the baby will remember it"?  Also, talk to my husband about how much pain is actually still involved when local anesthesia is used.  (He had a local for his vasectomy, and said he felt A LOT of pain.)

I think that if we left it up to the boys to decide for themselves, there would be 99% intact males in this country.  Why do I believe this?  Because every intact man I know, is eternally grateful that he was never circumcised.  While I have read or heard hundreds of stories of men who were forever scarred (literally and figuratively) by their parents decision to fundamentally change their sexual organs.  And only 1% of intact males are faced with a medical indication for circumcision in adulthood.

Circumcision can cause permanent nerve damage, which may explain why adult males who were circumcised after becoming sexually active, report decreased sensation during sexual contact.  I guess the bright side for men circumcised as newborns is that they never knew how good it could be, so they don't know what they're missing. 

Sex is one of the most basic, necessary, intimate, joyful human experiences we are blessed with in our short time on this rock.  Take pride in giving your baby boy the opportunity to grow up to have a fulfilling and satisfying life in every way possible, including sexually! 

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

A Day in the Life of Living Simply

I had a wonderful day yesterday after a pretty rough start, so I thought I would share! 

I woke up feeling like crap.  After an hour of yoga and a long, hot shower, I was finally ready to start my day.

8:30 a.m. Made coffee, then called mom to commiserate about cramps.

9 a.m. Made breakfast and read my BBC News app

10 a.m. Gathered everything I would need for the day, and put it into a bag that would fit on the back of my bike
  • Business cards & marketing goodies
  • Client file
  • Notebook
  • A Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer (to lend to a client)
  • The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin CD(DONA)
  • Lavendar vanilla massage oil & room scent
  • Rebozo
  • small purse
  • heavy sweater
  • spare tube, wrench & pump
  • water & snacks

10:30 a.m.  Left home and rode 9 miles to Chino Hills for Doula Appreciation Day at AquaNatal Birth Center


East End Avenue toward Chino Hills
Photo by Living Simply
10:50 a.m.  Not even halfway through my ride and I feel 100% better!  Physical activity produces the most awesome pain-relieving endorphins.  (Not to mention that it was an utterly gorgeous, sunny yet crisp, Southern California day)  How can you help but smile and feel well?

11:15 a.m.  Arrived at AquaNatal Birth Center, where I met many wonderful women committed to helping mamas birth the way they want to!

1:45 p.m.  Left birth center and rode a mile to catch a northbound bus.

2:10 p.m.  Got off bus and rode 2 miles to my client's house.

2:20 p.m.  Had my last prenatal meeting with clients before Baby B decides to come.

4 p.m.  Left client's house & rode two miles to catch another northbound bus.


French bread from Some Crust Bakery
Photo by Living Simply
 4:30 p.m. Got off bus and rode two miles to the Claremont Village to buy a loaf of fresh french bread from Some Crust Bakery to go with the baked penne with meat sauce I planned for dinner.

4:50 p.m.  Rode one mile home to prepare dinner and spend time with my best friend in the world!

Halfway through my long ride in the morning, this song came on my shuffle and made me smile for so many reasons.  It is such an appropriate song to describe my simple living philosophy.  And, of course, you can't go wrong with a little Harry Connick Jr. in the morning!
















Song: Nowhere With Love
Album: Come By Me
Artist:  Harry Connick Jr.

"In a way, I really don't know much at all
And if you say that I'm simple, you're on the ball
On the ball to say that I'm going nowhere
But I'm going nowhere with love

They all say that I'm not impressive at best
That's okay, I've got nobody to impress
My impression is they'd rather be elsewhere
Oh, I'm staying nowhere with love

Well, it's better to be happy in a cardboard shack
Than to be alone in a castle
All you get for your money is a heart attack
I'd just as soon alleviate the hassle

Everyday I watch the go-getters go by
Even they say that the ladder is much to high
Why should I go high, I'm happy below there
Right here in nowhere with love"

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Get Out Of The Car & Into Simple Living

Los Angeles Union Station
Photo by Living Simply
Rapidly Rising Gas Prices Give Public Transit Riders Highest Savings in Two Years
"Using public transportation is the quickest way people can beat high gasoline prices,” states William Millar, president American Public Transportation Association (APTA).  Los Angelinos can save more than $10,000/year when a two-person household lives with one less car. 

While most people in Los Angeles will tell you that it is impossible to live here without owning an automobile, I am here to tell you otherwise. 

First, let me be clear: owning an automobile is NOT a necessity.  It is a convenience-providing luxury.  Besides being stupidly expensive to purchase, use and maintain, autos add to the pollution stew that we have been cooking for the past century here in LA.  And they make you lazy. I know people who will drive less than a mile to buy a quart of milk.  It just doesn’t occur to them that there are options beyond driving.  I call these people Auto Addicts. 

Why not combine things you have to do with things you want to do?  For example, if exercise is important to you, save some money on transportation AND the gym membership by walking or cycling to the market to do your grocery shopping.  Walking, jogging, cycling and taking public transport are great ways to save money and improve the health and economy of our community.  The fewer cars we have on the road, the less traffic and pollution there will be, and isn’t that better for everybody? 

Utilizing public transport requires just a little bit more thought and time budgeting than using a car, and therefore many people don’t even consider it as an option.  But in this age of technology, utilizing public transport has never been easier!  Smartphones have made it possible to have bus and train schedules available to you in an instant.  Google Maps has increased the ease of surface travel in general, but it has completely revolutionized travel by public transport. 

In addition to driving directions, Google Maps offers detailed walking, cycling and transit directions to one’s destination with options for departure/arrival times, mode of transit, and routes with the least walking or transfers.  You simply click on the icon above Point A that applies to the type of directions you want.
(See Photo)

The most common argument I hear by Auto Addicts against public transport is that it takes too long.  I could not disagree more!!  At rush hour, trains are always faster than freeways!  Most commuter or express buses get you where you need to be in approximately the same amount of time as if you had driven.  For this reason, these routes are usually a little pricier (but still cheaper than driving).  Local routes can take a little longer to get from point A to point B, due to the increased bus stops and street traffic.  However, this is not lost time! 

Whenever you are on a bus or train, you can do so many things to conserve your time (things that are virtually impossible if you're driving).  For instance, you can catch up on your emails or blogs, check your Twitter and Facebook feeds, read a book, do your homework, watch TV on your smartphone or close your eyes for a quick cat nap.  (Just don’t forget to set an alarm, so you don’t miss your stop!)

Just another empty bus on this rainy Sunday!
Foothill Transit Line 492
Photo By Living Simply
I understand that very few people will voluntarily opt not to own a car.  But, even if you do own a car, it doesn’t mean you can’t set one day a week aside to utilize public transport.  Spice up your family “staycation” by charting a map with your kids and exploring your city by rail! 

And lastly, if you must drive, please be responsible about it.  First of all, yield to cyclists and pedestrians!  Second, please carpool!  It breaks my heart when I am on a nearly empty train, riding down the middle of the freeway (which actually resembles a parking lot).  I see so many cars, trucks and SUVs with only ONE person inside (and these are the people who have the nerve to complain about traffic).  For the sake of everyone’s lungs and your pocketbook, please carpool!




 

Friday, March 18, 2011

Living Simply, Simply Explained


I love life!  More specifically, I love my life! 

As my husband and I navigated the first decade of our marriage, we learned how to simplify our life, thereby giving us time to enjoy it AND each other!  We do not own a home or a car.  In fact, we don't own much of anything, and what we do possess is mostly secondhand.  The most monetarily valuable things I possess are my wedding rings.  But even they are partially secondhand, as we used the diamond from my mother-in-law's engagement ring.  90% of my wardrobe is secondhand; (underwear and hosiery account for the other 10%).  We do not have cable or a DVR or a video game system.  I rarely shop retail, (and the list of retail stores at which I do shop is getting shorter every week).  We do not have ANY credit cards.   My own two legs are my primary source of transportation (I ride my bike everywhere, though trains and buses do provide an efficient and inexpensive supplement)!  Together, we bring in between $20,000-$30,000 per year.
I fall asleep in the arms of my best friend every night and wake up there every morning.  And I am HAPPY!

We met in college where I was stage managing a production of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town."  Mr. LS auditioned and earned the role of Howie Newsome.  He also scored and played original music for the production.  We became fast friends as we learned that we shared common ideals about how we wanted to live our lives as individuals.  Interestingly enough, marriage was not in either of our plans.  I believe the reason neither of us had ever planned to marry is because we thought it was unfair to subject someone to the "starving artist" lifestyle we were prepared to lead.  We both appreciated the finite nature of our time in this world and we wanted to get as much out of that time here as possible.

The idea of simple living is not a new one by any means, but put into practice it was certainly new to us.  Having been raised in a gluttonously consumptive society, the idea of leading a simple life seemed foreign, old-fashioned, and, at times, even impossible.  The key to this kind of simple life is budgeting, which forces one to examine what one truly needs.  The more stuff you "need," the more of your time you have to sell, which results in less time to enjoy that stuff you "needed" so badly and less time to truly live.  So we figured out what we need (food & shelter) and what luxuries we just wanted (TV, cell phone, computer, microwave, fridge, etc), and we sell enough of our time (doing stuff we love, btw) to allow us those things. 

I lead a beautifully neo-bohemian lifestyle, rejecting the idea of private property, materialism and the pursuit of wealth. 

Viva la vie boheme!

I am Living Simply.