One thing that I've taken away from both face-to-face and online interactions is that there's a problem when it comes to living in 2019. That sounds dramatic - and broad - so let me explain (as well as I can, at least). It's 2019. We live in a society which is multicultural, diverse and the people we come into contact with on a daily basis come from all different walks of life. Just like before, nobody on this planet is the same as you - we haven't experienced the same things, we haven't been raised in the same way, we don't have the same views, blah blah blah. That's the beauty of life. The fact that no two people are the same makes things exciting and non-repetitive.
Briefly - and extremely basically, my name is Jodie Shepherd. I'm 20 years old. I'm from a small, conservative ex-mining town in Derbyshire. I study journalism at the University of Westminster, in London. At uni, I live with four lovely but very different housemates. At home, it's myself, my younger brother and my parents. I wouldn't say we're an extremely close-knit family, but we're not distant. My Mum and I are best friends - she's the person in the world I feel like I could discuss anything with. My Dad is different - equally as loving but our worldviews are typically completely polar opposites but, again, that's what makes it interesting. Don't get me wrong, there are certain things that I can't tolerate with my Dad - some of his views are not acceptable to me; so much so that I don't even give them the time of day.
However, at the end of the day, life is unusual. It's not programmed that we all think the same things - where's the fun in that? But there are things that I don't think people should be commenting on. So why is it that certain people feel the need to comment on other people's lives, and experiences. I say this in the broadest way possible but people's way of life and the ways that they choose to live their lives, what they do, who they do it with blah blah blah - that stuff shouldn't be anybody's business but their own. I'm in the mindset that, as long as you're not hurting anyone, it doesn't matter. You do you - however that may be.
There's this article going around on the internet about 'Januhairy' - where women grow their body hair for the month in aid of raising money for charity, and encouraging women to love their natural hair. And, expectedly, there's been a fair bit of outrage - and backlash - from the movement. Some say it's great, some say it's awful and no female should have body hair. Me? DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. I think it's important, in 2019, to accept your flaws, your natural selves - all of it. It's important to be you, authentically you - in whatever form you decide that is. If you want to shave, then shave. If you don't want to shave, then don't shave. The fact that people get so visibly antagonised by something as small as a personal choice such as whether a woman shaves or not is simply baffling to me. It's honestly not that deep. It doesn't affect anyone but the individual making the decision. Get over it, people.
And another situation in which I feel the exact same way about is this whole vegan sausage roll thing. Piers Morgan - as entertaining as you may think he is - is simply a man with a platform, who wants to outrage. He wants to share these opinions - whether they're actually his opinions or not, who knows - and he wants to get people riled up. Because that's his job. It's what he's built his career off: outrage. He's going to make these ridiculous statements and overdramatise things because it gets him publicity. And I'm not helping the situation because here I am, doing exactly what he wants us to do: talking about him. Veganism, whether you agree with it or not, is a personal choice. I'm not a vegan but I don't have any problem with it either. People go vegetarian or vegan for different reasons - health, environmental reasons, animal cruelty, to try it and so on. It's absolutely nobody else's business why and whether they have chosen to go vegan. Again, if it's not hurting anyone else - which it isn't - there shouldn't be a problem with it.
And you know what? The same goes for in any situation for me. I don't care what you do with your life, who you decide you want to be, who you are, your sexual orientation, gender identity, anything. As long as you're not hurting anyone, I don't have a problem. It infuriates me that people are so invested in how others choose to live their lives. And the fact that people decide that they can make judgements and treat others badly or whatever purely because of their lifestyle choices is even worse. Of course not everyone is going to agree with how you live your life, but why publicise it? It shouldn't matter whether someone's gay, straight, trans, blonde, brunette, vegan, vegetarian, a meat-eater, grows their body hair, shaves, in a monogamous relationship, an open relationship, and so on. It literally should not matter. Does it affect you personally? Does it severely impact the way you live your life on a daily basis? No? Well then leave it alone. You do you. Live your life the way you want to, and let others do the same.
The fact that we're in 2019 and people are so closed-minded and stuck in the past is baffling. We need to adjust our worldviews and opinions to keep with the times. Times are changing, societies are changing. It's no longer acceptable to be homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, misogynist et cetera. It's 2019. It's time to get over it.
There's this article going around on the internet about 'Januhairy' - where women grow their body hair for the month in aid of raising money for charity, and encouraging women to love their natural hair. And, expectedly, there's been a fair bit of outrage - and backlash - from the movement. Some say it's great, some say it's awful and no female should have body hair. Me? DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. I think it's important, in 2019, to accept your flaws, your natural selves - all of it. It's important to be you, authentically you - in whatever form you decide that is. If you want to shave, then shave. If you don't want to shave, then don't shave. The fact that people get so visibly antagonised by something as small as a personal choice such as whether a woman shaves or not is simply baffling to me. It's honestly not that deep. It doesn't affect anyone but the individual making the decision. Get over it, people.
And another situation in which I feel the exact same way about is this whole vegan sausage roll thing. Piers Morgan - as entertaining as you may think he is - is simply a man with a platform, who wants to outrage. He wants to share these opinions - whether they're actually his opinions or not, who knows - and he wants to get people riled up. Because that's his job. It's what he's built his career off: outrage. He's going to make these ridiculous statements and overdramatise things because it gets him publicity. And I'm not helping the situation because here I am, doing exactly what he wants us to do: talking about him. Veganism, whether you agree with it or not, is a personal choice. I'm not a vegan but I don't have any problem with it either. People go vegetarian or vegan for different reasons - health, environmental reasons, animal cruelty, to try it and so on. It's absolutely nobody else's business why and whether they have chosen to go vegan. Again, if it's not hurting anyone else - which it isn't - there shouldn't be a problem with it.
And you know what? The same goes for in any situation for me. I don't care what you do with your life, who you decide you want to be, who you are, your sexual orientation, gender identity, anything. As long as you're not hurting anyone, I don't have a problem. It infuriates me that people are so invested in how others choose to live their lives. And the fact that people decide that they can make judgements and treat others badly or whatever purely because of their lifestyle choices is even worse. Of course not everyone is going to agree with how you live your life, but why publicise it? It shouldn't matter whether someone's gay, straight, trans, blonde, brunette, vegan, vegetarian, a meat-eater, grows their body hair, shaves, in a monogamous relationship, an open relationship, and so on. It literally should not matter. Does it affect you personally? Does it severely impact the way you live your life on a daily basis? No? Well then leave it alone. You do you. Live your life the way you want to, and let others do the same.
The fact that we're in 2019 and people are so closed-minded and stuck in the past is baffling. We need to adjust our worldviews and opinions to keep with the times. Times are changing, societies are changing. It's no longer acceptable to be homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, misogynist et cetera. It's 2019. It's time to get over it.
It's 22:43, on a Tuesday night. I don't know where I was going with this post. I guess I didn't have anywhere I specifically wanted to take it. I don't know if it makes sense. I don't know if it needs to make sense. I don't know if anyone will understand this post but me. No two people are the same, after all.
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