What a Week: Choices

Choices

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about choices. A life of wonder depends on our ability to make choices for ourselves, to live our lives bravely on our own terms.

I’d actually been thinking about them before Monday’s explosive report that the US Supreme Court appears determined to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision legalizing abortion. Overturning Roe removes choice, and it’s foolish to believe that the other choices that the right to privacy makes possible aren’t on the block.

These include the right to birth control and the right to love and marry who we choose without government interference—if we choose to do so. Robbing us of choices diminishes wonder. It’s hard to celebrate a week that foreshadows a loss of critical life choices.  

This isn’t what we the people want

The truth is that a majority of Americans want to see Roe upheld and privacy rights left intact. Four of the five justices poised to rip away our rights were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote and confirmed by senators representing a minority of Americans. At least two of them clearly lied in their confirmation hearings, if this draft opinion holds.

Stand up for our choices

We need to take a stand. If you are in the US, please contact your senators and congressperson and tell them to fight for our choices and our right to privacy. The Senate is poised to vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe. Ask your senator where they stand.

If you’re able, consider a donation. This targets the poor and people who live in states with trigger laws. March, if you can.

Check the laws on the books in your state. Even here in Massachusetts it was only in 2020 that our antiquated laws were removed from the books and Roe codified—and it took overriding a veto from our governor to do it. Contact your state representation, too, to demand that they stand up for our rights.

Watch

Following my on choosing to be childfree, several friends recommended a new independent film making its way through the festival circuit. Well, you can now stream My So-Called Selfish Life worldwide until 16 May. I’m planning on streaming it (it costs $10). I’d love to hear what you think if you watch it, too.

Read

I’ll fess up to a fair amount of doomscrolling this week, but I am about halfway through Jennifer Egan’s Candy House. Egan, if you’ve never read her, loves playing with different perspectives and voices, and here, it works incredibly well with the technological invention at its core. I’ll keep you posted, and you can keep me posted if you’re reading it.

Give

The world, sadly, does not stop spinning, and even as my attention focused on home this week, people in Ukraine still need help. If you’re able, please donate to World Central Kitchen or Razom for Ukraine.

Upcoming

Tomorrow we’ll have the second part of Safety and Solo Female Travel, which will focus on staying safe on trips. I’m celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom in New Hampshire this weekend, so we’ll have a recipe from the archives on Sunday. On Monday, we’ll have a Sundry Wonders post. Wednesday, we’ll introduce a new area on Wonder & Sundry.

In the meantime, let’s catch up on posts from the week. These are challenging times. Thinking of you.