It is time for me to weigh in on the New York Times article.  Yeah, THAT article.  The one I was quoted in. The one that everyone is freaking out about.  News to you?  Well, then I invite you to take a moment to read it.  It is okay. I’ll wait….

I wasn’t planning on speaking out on it, I was perfectly content to let it ride and read what others were saying.  They were all much more eloquent then I, anyway.

But then I started musing about a couple of things:

1. Who EXACTLY is the adversary here?  The author?  Or perhaps the powers that be at the New York Times?

2. Why was everyone so riled up? Perhaps there was there a bigger issue at stake?  I think the answer to that is a RESOUNDING YES.  It is a bigger issue. And I am not alone in my thinking, Kelby Carr believes the same. Mom 101 wrote a letter to the New York Times. And PunditMom also addressed the issues behind it.

So what pushed me over the edge to take to my own computer?  Two things, actually.  My quote was being misinterpreted AND I personally spoke to the author, Jennifer Mendelsohn.

Yep. I reached out to her.

But first let me address my own quote.  I was quoted as saying “We all live online.”  Yes, that is  what I said BUT it was part of a bigger discussion about putting our lives out there online and relating to each other and finding companionship.  I actually wrote an article for Maryland Life Magazine in the March/April 2010 issue talking about “mommy bloggers” and connecting with others via the Internet.  (I personally prefer the term DIGITAL MOM, by the way.) Some have misconstrued my quote as me saying “we live way too much online.”  NOPE. Not what I meant. At. All.

Anyway…. back to the author.  I reached out to her because I was wondering her thoughts on all of this.  I was wondering how she was holding up and frankly, I was wondering if she felt a backlash. I know that when women mobilize we can be a force to be reckoned with.  My opinion on the whole piece was that the GRAPHIC and the HEADLINE were insulting and DEGRADING. Now, I don’t claim to know much about the newspaper industry but one thing I do know is that the author has no control over any of that.  And if you read the headline and look at the graphic, well, they have exactly ZERO to do with the story she wrote.

My own dealings with her at the conference were very pleasant and were consistent with our phone conversation afterwards.  She has actually posted her official response on her blog.  You might want to hop over and give it a read. If you read through the comments on her blog post (which incidentally have been closed at this point) you can deduce that she has indeed felt the backlash.  It is a shame, really.  It marred what would have been one of a writer’s most glorious moments. (“Oh My Gosh, I am published in the New York Times!!!)

You know what I wish?  I wish I had the name of the jerk who put the headline and graphic on that story. THAT is where the real prejudice and bias begins.  HE is the person we should take to task. (I am assuming it is a HE but I could be wrong.)

I invite you to re-read the article and IGNORE the headline and graphic.  Try to read it without being insulted by those two things and you may not come away with the same anger.  Or maybe you do. We each interpret things a bit differently.  Who am I to tell you how to feel?

I encourage you to read the articles I referenced above by Kelby Carr, Mom101 and Pundit Mom and weigh in for yourself.  Where do you stand on the controversy?  Was it fueled by the author or by a deeper more cultural bias?

Don’t you hate it when you are out for a long run and you are taken prisoner by Imperial Storm Troopers?  Oh, and a nasty little Jawa?

Okay, so maybe it didn’t happen like that.

But I digress…

It just seems like the weirdest things seem to happen to me when I am out on a long run. Which, of course, is why I always return.

I guess you are just bound to find insanity or inspiration out there. Somewhere.

I’ve developed some intense friendships out on the pavement. We talk about everything out on the road. And we experience everything together.

It is what I love most about running.  The camaraderie.  The hilarity and the bonds of friendship.

I remember reading this one article that Kristin Armstrong wrote for Runner’s World magazine.  It was called “Speed Queens” and it was about celebrating her friend Paige’s 40th birthday with a 5K. That article… No, that picture, has stuck with me for years.  They just looked like they were having so much FUN.

I remember wishing and hoping that one day I could have that kind of fun. I just wanted to experience that level of joy while doing something I loved.

You know what?  I believe I have.  Amazing.

Oh sure, my running partners and I have run through marital strife and through money woes. We’ve run through neighborhood dramas and educational issues. We’ve talked of politics and world peace. Yes, there have been some doozys.

But, oh the hilarity! You can’t spend that amount of time with people and not come out of it with some incredibly amusing memories.  Indeed, memories that no one else will understand.

And bonds of friendship that will never break.

…Oh, right.  So back to the Star Wars guys… Truly, Katie and I were just running through Baker Park the other day minding our own business when RANDOM Storm Troopers appeared. It was too bizarre to pass up. So we stopped to investigate. (Wouldn’t you?) Mileage be damned!

All I can tell you is… that Jawa is definitely creepier then the robot dudes. Seriously. In fact, it had just come out of the porta-potty. People, there is just no telling what Jawas DO in a porta-potty.

I guess it is only appropriate that I formally introduce myself. Depending upon the stage of life you might have met me in, you would know me as either Gigi, Jennie, Jen or Jennifer. I really don’t care what people call me. I’ll answer to all of them. Well, except Gigi. That is reserved for my two brothers who only use the nickname if they want something really badly.

So, if you read my about page then you probably already know too much. (BTW – How weird is it to have an “about page?”) And having read that page, you probably already think I am a little quirky. Actually, I can’t argue with you there. I am a bit of a hodgepodge of interests and talents.

I’m gonna be honest with you here, I’ve reached a very interesting stage in my life. I’m no longer a timid 20-something girl who is unsure of herself. I’ve been though that age. I made a lot of mistakes, but I guess it got me to where I am now, so I can’t complain.

I’m liking my 30s a whole lot more. With each day I live, I seem to discover more about myself. I think I have finally emerged. I no longer feel the need to fit in and conform to what others might expect of me. I’m simply ready to act like… well, me.

So why the title “Hip As I Wanna Be?” Well, there are a lot of reasons for that. Perhaps I will delve more into that later but essentially, as a younger person, I never gave myself permission to BE what I truly wanted to BE.

I think a lot of women do that. We stifle our true selves for various reasons. What will other people think? My boyfriend? Husband? Boss? Co-workers?

Seriously girls, who cares? No more smothering your fun, fantastic selves. Let’s get out there and LIVE!