Monday, August 24, 2015

No.

You know that word association game when one person says a word and the other person says the first word that comes to mind?

Bra

What was your word?

I'm not playing with myself, but I'm pretty sure my word would be, "No." And that's not just my id talking. That includes my ego and superego.

Shortly after weaseling my way into my first brassiere, a hand me down that was too big, I began to shun them.

Because, not to be dramatic about it, but bras slowly suck out my soul through my breasts, expire it through the polluted air of the city and cram it back into my body through hooks, straps, elastic and clasps. They are also expensive.

I once took off a red sports bra during a middle school softball practice because the underwire was making it impossible for me to concentrate on fielding balls.

My hyper sensory issues and total lack of athletic ability aside, why the hell was I wearing a bra with a goddamn underwire!? I don't remember if a teammate hung it on the wall of the dugout in an attempt to embarrass me (lol), but I do remember the feeling of the breeze going in one arm hole, igniting the line of sweat under my tiny boobs and going out the other. It felt like freedom. Like the freedom of not giving a single shitty shit that Emma's Secret was smacking against chain link for all to see.

And I've kept that feeling with me.

Every rare time I have worn a bra in my adulthood, it has been for someone else. It has been so you wouldn't have to see my nipples through the sheerness of my top or because you (students) have no self control and are turned on by the natural movement and pointy shape of my breasts.

I take that back. I have a wool sweater that chafes my boob hats (Parks and Rec reference), and that hurts me, so that is definitely for myself. But no other time! The rest of the times are for you!

And I will never wear one so that you will not be grossed out. Not important to me. Not important at all.

You is not actually you. You are cool. But you know who is not cool? The shop owner who asked me how old I was, and after hearing the answer, said well then I'd better start wearing a bra.

In her defense, I think she thought that I should be concerned about sagging. Truth time. I'm not.

I realize that a lot of women feel more comfortable wearing a bra because they have large chests, gravity is winning the good fight or for lots of other reasons. This post isn't to convince anyone that they shouldn't wear a bra.

This post is to convince everyone that I have a great rack.

I forced Jaime to impartially feel them last night, and though he did not agree they were the breasts of a fifteen-year-old (in retrospect, I should not have used those words because it made him uncomfortable), he did agree that they were, in fact, very perky and dense.

I understand that I've never had my glands filled with milk, I'm a solid member of the B team, and even though I tell people I'm 30, I'm not yet. Don't hate on me for using this to my advantage.

I'm going to ride this train as far as it carries me (and maybe even way past my stop) because no one gets hurt and I feel awesome when I'm not wearing a bra and significantly less awesome when I am. Why would anyone have to explain anything beyond that?






I mean, sure. I'm bigger than a Tyler and Putin 
(more like a size Nicholson/Rourke). I wonder where they get their bras? 


Saturday, August 8, 2015

America. Fuck Yeah.

Jaime and I live in the United States for exactly two reasons: my family lives here and the crisis (pronounced creesees, what creesees?) in Spain.

But during our walk to watch the Republican debate at our friends' place, we started discussing the American Dream while carrying a pineapple from Costa Rica and popcorn made with palm oil.

Are we living it? We wondered. We have jobs at universities, our one bedroom apartment has running utilities albeit no central air or working oven and we're both almost insured. We're tickling thirty and don't have kids, but we do have an infant marriage. Debt free and we don't live pay check to pay check. Sounds like a fucking dream to me, and I'm not even being sarcastic.

The American Dream is supposed to be subjective, right?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't actually believe in the damn thing because the Jesuits told me it was all a lie, but you know who does? Jaime's padre.

Unlike my own padre, he wanted his sons to sail across the Atlantic to achieve success and high salaries. Alfredo, I see you, I love you, I feel you. I get it.

My brother-in-law and husband are brilliant people who deserve all the success that they will absolutely get in their lifetimes, but what have they given up?

No honey, you will not get the month of August off to surf and swim among the orange groves. 

Please talk to your new boss about how much time you get for Christmas. I really don't know if it will be enough to visit your family and dog. 

Sweetheart, I know that healthcare is a basic human right and so do you, but we still have to pay a shit ton of money for it. 

We couldn't afford children even if we did want them because we won't get maternity/paternity leave. 

No, we can't just "get another degree." That will cost tens of thousands of dollars. 

Anyway, we sort of watched the debate.

Nine men with ghastly fake tans plus Ben Carson all having achieved or been born into the American Dream saying some of the dumbest fucking shit I have ever heard.

If this is what the big AD is supposed to look like...


Imma gonna pass. Mkay?