Please Just Calm Down.

     Just before I start, I'd like to say that I tried as hard as I could to be professional and not say bad words in my posts, but that's the way I talk in real life. So why wouldn't I write like that, right? I don't really care if it offends you or not, I just thought I'd let you know what's up with that and why I've gotten progressively more intense as time has passed.
     The last time I tried to write about feminism, I got verbally abused (without any hint of constructive criticism) by a person who knew a lot more than I did about it, and that's okay. I was kind of hurt by it at the time, but then I realized that person is just a troll. To you, my dear instigator of frustration, I say thank you. Thank you for making me realize that there's people out there who know more than I do and I need to read more. Thank you for being so utterly condescending towards someone who is trying to learn (sarcasm). Also, thank you for making me realize that I don't really care about being "third wave". I think it's fantastic that some people are confident enough to call themselves that, but I don't think it's very important to me personally. All I care about is people realizing that feminism is an issue that needs to be addressed and the importance of equality among men and women. And lastly, thank you for making me feel better about your comment by making me realize that you've got a lot of work to do too. A true feminist wouldn't diss another feminist's point of view simply because it isn't necessarily the same kind of feminism. Arguing is cool. If you want to argue with me, I invite you! But don't just put me down and not offer up any kind of advice. Frankly, I think that's a little rude simply on a person to person basis.
     Phew.
     That's been building up inside of me for a long time.
     Anyways, I just have a few things to rant about and stuff, so stick around if you've got the time.
     1. Stop thinking you're ugly. I don't care who you are, where you live, what sexual orientation you are, what colour your hair is, or how many fingers you have on your right hand.

You are not ugly.  

     Saying you're ugly is giving in. It's giving in to every single person that's every put themselves above you on any level, it's giving in to society, it's giving in to Victoria's Secret, it's giving in to Covergirl, it's giving in to Playboy. Don't give in. I  guarantee that someone you know thinks you're beautiful. Or at least someone on Instagram thinks you're beautiful. Definitely your mom thinks you're beautiful. And if they don't...

     2. Stop giving a shit about what other people think. I know that you've been hearing different variations of that phrase since you were five years-old, but I'm serious. Why should you care? No one is better than you. No one should be able to make you feel inferior. Everyone is equal. If you spend all of your time caring about what other people think you won't ever be satisfied. BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT THEM BRO. Sure, you can ask. Sure, you can guess. But people lie and assuming is stupid. The only person you can ever truly trust is yourself. So start caring about what YOU think, dude. 

     3. Focus on loving people and the relationships you have. "Ugh, this girl is a hippy." said the judgemental blog reader. When I speak to girls, a lot of the time I hear, "Oh, I wish I had hair like hers", "I hate that girl; her legs are so long", and "Look at that girl's make up, it's so nice. What a bitch." Stop it. For fuck sakes, just give it up. Maybe instead of being envious, you could go up to that pretty lady and say, "Gurrrl, you got some sick legs. Show those babies off! Good for you!", you know? Stop hating people because they have stuff that you want. You have great stuff too! Just be happy with your own stuff and be happy for other people with their stuff. CALM DOWN. Do you know how many more friends you would have if you complimented a fellow girl every time you liked something about her? You would have a lot more friends, in case you didn't get where I was going there. Also, if you stop focusing on being so jealous and down on yourself, your significant other is going to like you a whole lot more. Yep, I went there. Just think about it; how much would you hate it if the person you loved more than anyone else in the world spent all of his/her time hating himself/herself? Especially if this prevented him/her from seeing how much you love him/her? Be confident, guys! Love your bodies and love your souls. Every single person in the world has the capacity to be unbelievably sexy and incredibly kind, he/she just needs to believe it. 

     I don't mean to be rude or preachy with this post, I just want everyone to love themselves. 

     If you have any questions or comments, I would really, really like some feedback. Comment below or email me: jenelledufva@gmail.com

    

     Do something fun tonight! Thanks for reading. 

Hokey Pokey.

     "I only have two followers," says the girl behind the screen. "I need to work on that."
     Hi guys! I hope all is well. This will be short and not so sweet and I hope you enjoy it.
     Hockey, hockey, hockey. It's the pride and joy of Canada. It's high up on the list, next to bacon and beavers and maple syrup and polar bears, of things we celebrate here on our frozen landscape. And I think that's pretty cool. Personally, I can't watch a game without falling asleep, but I like the idea of a family going out on a snowy Friday night, wrapped tightly in mittens and scarves and things of that nature, to watch their daughter/son play in a chilly arena, drinking hot chocolate or coffee and cheering her or him on. It's a nice little picture, isn't it? And I think that's how it should be. Friendly and homey, happy and cold, in a little arena made for young kids to have some fun doing what they love to do.
     Now that I got all of that nice stuff out of the way, here's what's pissing me off.
     I live in Edmonton. And in Edmonton, we don't just love hockey; we are obsessed with hockey. Not me personally, but the general consensus is that hockey is God. And we have this arena called Rexall Place. And I've been there a few times (for concerts, not hockey games, mind you) and it seems pretty swell. Big and spacious, with lots of room for lots of people. But you know, that just isn't enough for us Edmontonians. We need a fucking palace. A place of worship for this sport. This sport that started out as a fun past-time and turned into a billion dollar industry.
     Daryl Katz, the resident expert on capitalism in Edmonton, decided that we need something better than Rexall. We need a brand new million dollar arena. Woohoo. Now, I'll give Katz some credit. He likes to be called a philanthropist sometimes, so he gives away a few dollars here and there. That's really nice of him, I think, since he can afford it. But there's just something about this guy that rubs me the wrong way. I really don't like to judge people, but I can't help but question his morals. My best friend and I found his house in Edmonton around this time last year, and it's beautiful. Huge and beautiful. But I was puzzled. In his front yard, he built his kids a private rink. A big one too. But why would someone who supposedly cares about his community not let other kids play on this rink too? Why wouldn't he fund a rink for the whole neighbourhood instead of just his own children? He's got the money. Why flaunt, in your front yard, the fact that you could build a rink for other kids too, but you won't. Also, he donated an illegally large amount of money to the Progressive Conservative party (*puke*), but that's a story for another day. I digress...
     My point is, yeah, it would be fucking sweet to have a new rink for our Oilers. That would be cool. But: 1. Do we really need it? and 2. What else could we do with these millions and millions of dollars?
     1. No. We don't need it. Like I explained in the beginning of my post, Canada was founded on hockey. It's our thing, dude. If people are true hockey fans, they won't mind sitting on a wooden bench with a few extra layers of clothes on. They just like the game. It shouldn't be a big deal.
     2. A lot. We could do a lot. The last count of homeless citizens happened in 2008. There were 3,079 people without a home. Daryl Katz, there were 3,079 people without a home and you built your kids a skating rink. Daryl Katz, there are probably more than 4,000 people without a home and you're going to build the Oilers a million dollar skating rink. Homeless population > skating rinks. Battered women's shelters > skating rinks. SPCA > skating rinks. The University of Alberta's research program > skating rinks.
     That's all I have to say.