Displaying posts written by

Street Saint

who has written 59 posts for Search For Balance.

Apr
3
2010

Privileged

I have lately been doing some thinking about privilege. Privilege, by definition, is something that is taken for granted. If you are living with privilege in a particular way, it is difficult to notice just how much it impacts your life. Or I should say, it is difficult to notice what you don’t have to go through because of your privilege.

People often talk about racial privilege or gender privilege and maybe even sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status. However, I realized that these are just the tip of the iceberg. I was shocked when a friend introduced me to what she described as “fat culture” and how people don’t usually think about how overweight and obese people are marginalized by society.

It was after this realization that I decided to make a list of every privilege I know of. The way I figure it, everyone has privilege in some way or another. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with that, but I believe people should be more aware of the privilege they take advantage of. That was the intended purpose of the list. Read More…

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Mar
12
2010

Guest Post: Finding Space

Guest Post by Ben Klempner, LMSW, founder and editor of Effective Family Communication.

Trained as a social worker at the Barry University School of Social Work, in Miami Shores, Florida, Ben has worked with a large and diverse variety of peoples. His accomplishments include writing several books and helping individuals and families work through issues such as: Anger Management, Addiction Recovery, Marriage Counseling, Family Therapy, Career Counseling, Depression, Grief, Anxiety.

Click here to read the post.

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Mar
11
2010

Lesbian Scare Cancels Prom in Mississippi

An article was just published in the news today about a girl in Mississippi whose homosexuality is suspected to be the cause of the school board’s decision to cancel prom.

Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old high school senior, knew that in the Itawamba County school district in which she lived, prom dates are required to be of the opposite sex. Knowing that same-sex couples had been turned away from proms in the past, McMillen decided to approach her school’s officials to let them know that she was lesbian and that she hoped to bring her girlfriend to the prom and wear a tuxedo.

The officials told McMillen that she would not be allowed to arrive with her girlfriend, that she would not be allowed to wear a tuxedo, and that she would be asked to leave if she made other students “uncomfortable.” Read More…

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Feb
21
2010

New Publication: Coping with an Anxiety Disorder

I have just finished writing a new article on Anxiety Disorders. They are more common than you might think, which is why I thought I’d share some information about them.

Anxiety disorders include well known conditions like depression, obsessive-compulsive, and phobias; however, there are many lesser known conditions as well.

If you are interested, believe you might have an anxiety disorder, or know someone who is coping with one, I encourage you to read the article. Learning more has certainly helped me and I also included a list of resources that are available.

Click here to read the full article.

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Feb
14
2010

Love is Beautiful

Though I usually complain about my relationship status, I decided to go in a different direction. I wouldn’t be so interested in getting into a relationship if I didn’t think it was worthwhile, so I thought I’d share some of the finds I’ve collected from the great and vast internet seeing as it is Valentine’s Day.

Some of these are very pretty while others contain some of my usual cynicism. Although, all of them are enjoyable to me. I hope you like them too. Read More…

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Feb
10
2010

Guest Post: Settling Into Ourselves

Guest post by Eliza Fayle, author of Silver & Grace.

Silver & Grace is a blog dedicated to Forty Plus women. It is Eliza’s goal to build a strong community of women who support each other as they grow into themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. Click here to read the post.

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Feb
5
2010

Submit Anonymously

After having my anonymous correspondence, I have decided to amend a section to my contact page. You may now click a link on the contact page which will allow you to send me a message completely anonymously. Simply give yourself a nickname or pseudonym (or leave this blank), write a subject, and your message. Your message will then show up in my mailbox as a message from an anonymous email address. This way your identity is completely secret to me, so you can feel free to share whatever you like with me without consequence.

Here is the link to the Anonymous Contact Page. Read More…

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Feb
5
2010

Anonymous Post: Thoughts of Suicide

I have a new, but somber post to share with you all. It is on the topic of suicide.

One of my most popular articles is on depression and some of the ways to cope with the condition. Suicide is a slightly different, often more intense issue. Though the two have many similarities (depression can often lead to suicide), having thoughts of suicide should be treated as perhaps a separate string in the fabric of mental conditions. Read More…

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Jan
14
2010

Haitian Earthquake Relief

Wherever you are in the world right now, you have probably heard about the disaster that occurred in the Caribbean only days ago (January 12, 2010). A massive, 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the small country of Haiti near its capitol Port-au-Prince. The destruction is still immeasurable, but the quake left hundreds (perhaps thousands) dead, and left thousands without homes.

Also, because the quake was so close to Port-au-Prince, the most populated city in the country, not only were homes destroyed, but many governmental buildings collapsed as well including the Presidential Palace. Haiti, already one of the poorest countries in the world, needs serious help to recover from such a devastating tragedy. Read More…

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Jan
3
2010

Male vs. Female Fashion

I was recently discussing what people consider the most fashionable male image. The first thought that came to my mind is GQ Magazine. The magazine’s cover often displays images of the most “fashionable” people of the time. For further research, I decided to take a look at the GQ website. I was immediately shocked by what I saw.

On the front page of the website, they displayed promotional images for their special New Years topics. The first two were articles on the top male and female fashions of past years. I had learned once that male figures tend to be displayed with close-ups of their faces while women’s whole bodies are shown. Women, even in professional and business settings, are usually unable to avoid being represented by their bodies. This is evidence of our society’s obsession with the female body image. Read More…

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