Have you ever spent a week watching the media around you, and asking yourself, “What do they want me to feel so I’ll buy their product?” It’s eye-opening.
Most of us know that algorithms ‘decide’ what to show us — on social media, on the news and tv shows we watch. That’s not evil. It’s just what is: they show us what we want, so we’ll buy the products associated with it. If we don’t shell out, they’ll show us how bad life is without it, and then, ka-ching! We buy it.
Here’s what happened as I lived with a very important question. Check it out.
THE “BraVa!” Here’s a recording of my reading.
When do you ever hear any real, honest-to-God conversation about bras? This was a series of readings that told profound, funny, and important stories about the world of needing, having, wishing you didn’t have, loving or hating our bras.
Marion Roach Smith, memoir coach and author, started this fundraiser because she understood that there are countless women, victims of domestic violence, who are forced to leave their homes in terror. They don’t think about anything but their children and getting out alive. They leave without anything. No bras. No extra clothes. Sometimes even no shoes. They go to a shelter, but then what? What are they supposed to wear for job interviews. It doesn’t get talked about a lot, but for many women, the bra is absolutely essential.
This event came about to help those women. All attendants brought however many brand new bras they could bring as part of their ticket prices, so the night we read our pieces, we raised not only money, but hundreds of brand new bras for the women who need them. It was an honor to serve in this way.
So interesting, Tina, to just stop and notice. There’s such a physicality that goes along with the feelings of “want” and craving. Thank you for helping me become aware of the importance (to me!) of noticing and pausing.