Life Advice
/Health
Millennial Life: Don't Light the Pyre That Will Engulf Us All
My daughter's swim team meets at a local university. Another mother and I take walks around the campus during that hour, and last week, as we strode past some college students well acquainted with the Hot Topic fashion line, we heard, "I'm really liking Jill Stein."
There was slight whiplash as we looked at each other, and my friend covered her...Read more
Falling Outside the Lines of Purity
We all want consistency, clarity, and conviction from leaders and movements we support. But in practice, chasing ideological purity can become a trap, leaving no room for the ambiguity, complexity, and compassion a functioning society needs. Ideological purity assumes people and ideas are simple, that we can shove ourselves into neat boxes of "...Read more
Millennial Life: Why Are We So Mad at Low-Hanging Fruit?
There's a saying you've probably heard a thousand times: "Don't go for the low-hanging fruit." You should avoid the easy, obvious choice and reach higher, stretch yourself, and go for the real challenge. But let's pause for a moment: Why, exactly, are we dismissing this perfectly good, reachable fruit? Have we learned nothing from centuries of ...Read more
From Hashtags to Policy: How Real-World Movements Turn Passion Into Power
Creating effective advocacy for activism is about more than passion -- it's about strategy, collaboration, and persistence. In a world facing issues from climate change to racial injustice, successful activism requires both a clear vision and a plan to turn that vision into reality.
Effective advocacy begins with a deep understanding of the ...Read more
Millennial Life: Let Me Sell You on TikTok Before They Try To Sell It
Over the years, writing in various capacities from public relations to this column, people have referred to me as a journalist, but I'd reply that while I was a trained journalist -- that is, that's what I had one of my undergrad degrees in -- I would defer to those active in the precarious industry. Most of the people I've respected the most ...Read more
Millennial Life: The Waiting Room Wasteland
Waiting rooms have become a wasteland. I travel it with the same promised oasis in my hand, catching up on emails or scrolling through social media. However, I still like to peek up and look around to see who else might have drunk enough from the fountains that allow us to forget about the desert around us.
As someone who lives in an actual ...Read more
Millennial Life: Reproductive Health Care Is a Human Right
In 2024, reproductive health care is at a critical juncture for women, and as a millennial, I've witnessed our rights erode over the years. For my generation, reproductive health care is not merely about access to birth control or abortion services. It's about bodily autonomy, equality, and the ability to shape our futures. We've seen strides ...Read more
Millennial Life: The Meandering Path of Identity
I have hopes for my 40s. One was that I wouldn't continue to be the youngest person in the room. But as I followed a troop of older women carrying yoga mats into the gym, and then spent time in the weight room with equally older men, those hopes were dashed -- for now. But even if your own gray hair doesn't compete with those around you, time ...Read more
Millennial Life: From Stranger to Councilor
Therapist waiting rooms are inherently awkward. We're all working through something. I'll sit and chat in a doctor's office, especially with the older generations who aren't as glued to their phones. At the therapist, I've picked sliding into a seat and being riveted to my small screen.
This week, though, I sat, hunched over, and caught a: "...Read more
Millennial Life: She Was a Good Dog
My dog, who emitted her typical deep sigh seconds before the medicine stopped her heart, just didn't understand the fuss around her -- and why she couldn't quite get up to romp around with everyone as she had before.
She was a good dog, but she was not a perfect dog. In the haze of grief that settles around the stark finality of death, there ...Read more