Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
FISH OUT OF WATER
Recently, it was the unfortunate event that my very best friend's grandmother passed away. She was 82 years, born in 1927, and an exceptionally strong-willed woman. Revered by her friends and family in the utmost of respects, her funeral came to be the subject of my "Fish out of Water" blog.
Now I have been to a funeral once before, but at the time I was very young and not especially tuned into what was actually happening. Keisha's lola's funeral is the first Filipino funeral I have ever attended. What was so interesting about it was the sharp contrast to what I have interpreted, through movies and television, as the standard funeral tone and proceedings. Full of laughter and smiling, the funeral was more of a celebration of her life than anything else.
Now for anyone who has grown up around Filipino communities or had a close Filipino friend, they would know that they LOVE to eat! No matter the occasion, whether it's a birthday, graduation, or other kind of celebration, there is always an enormous amount of food! All kinds of food are present, and they always want you to eat eat eat! This apparently also goes for funerals.
The minute I walked into the church, I was greeted by a handful of doting aunties welcoming and urging me towards the banquet in the other room. Smiling, I thanked them appreciatively and found my way to Keisha. Now the moment I saw her, I got tears in my eyes. Keisha is my closest and dearest friend, and therefore her pain is mine as well. Sharing the load in her grief and wanting to emotionally be there for her, I couldn't help my initial response of tears. Keisha however was in anything but tears. She was smiling and laughing and exclaiming in excitement at me finally arriving. Her general demeanor at the funeral was a feeling shared by everyone in attendance.
While waiting for the priest to arrive, I sat around with family members who were sharing stories and fondest memories about their lola. It was a real bonafide family affair. I was pleasantly surprised by the feel of that afternoon. In sharp contrast to a gloomy, mournful occasion, the proceedings were actually a time of joy and praise.
When the proper Catholic services began, the prayers and chants were those to be expected. Everyone sat in the pews and sang along with the prayers and hymns led by the father. After that was done, a few of the cousins went up and shared heartfelt speeches that they had prepared for the services. There were some tears, but not ones of sorrow. The underlying feeling of the entire duration of the funeral was that of joy and pride. Everyone there seemed to be very spiritual and very full of faith. Growing up in a household where my mother is Catholic and my father is Muslim, we were never forced to go to church. It was very eye opening and intriguing to be in a situation with people that were just bursting with faith and religion.
Now I have been to a funeral once before, but at the time I was very young and not especially tuned into what was actually happening. Keisha's lola's funeral is the first Filipino funeral I have ever attended. What was so interesting about it was the sharp contrast to what I have interpreted, through movies and television, as the standard funeral tone and proceedings. Full of laughter and smiling, the funeral was more of a celebration of her life than anything else.
Now for anyone who has grown up around Filipino communities or had a close Filipino friend, they would know that they LOVE to eat! No matter the occasion, whether it's a birthday, graduation, or other kind of celebration, there is always an enormous amount of food! All kinds of food are present, and they always want you to eat eat eat! This apparently also goes for funerals.
The minute I walked into the church, I was greeted by a handful of doting aunties welcoming and urging me towards the banquet in the other room. Smiling, I thanked them appreciatively and found my way to Keisha. Now the moment I saw her, I got tears in my eyes. Keisha is my closest and dearest friend, and therefore her pain is mine as well. Sharing the load in her grief and wanting to emotionally be there for her, I couldn't help my initial response of tears. Keisha however was in anything but tears. She was smiling and laughing and exclaiming in excitement at me finally arriving. Her general demeanor at the funeral was a feeling shared by everyone in attendance.
While waiting for the priest to arrive, I sat around with family members who were sharing stories and fondest memories about their lola. It was a real bonafide family affair. I was pleasantly surprised by the feel of that afternoon. In sharp contrast to a gloomy, mournful occasion, the proceedings were actually a time of joy and praise.
When the proper Catholic services began, the prayers and chants were those to be expected. Everyone sat in the pews and sang along with the prayers and hymns led by the father. After that was done, a few of the cousins went up and shared heartfelt speeches that they had prepared for the services. There were some tears, but not ones of sorrow. The underlying feeling of the entire duration of the funeral was that of joy and pride. Everyone there seemed to be very spiritual and very full of faith. Growing up in a household where my mother is Catholic and my father is Muslim, we were never forced to go to church. It was very eye opening and intriguing to be in a situation with people that were just bursting with faith and religion.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
In my humble Opinion #2
The magic pill that some say jump started the sexual revolution celebrates its 5oth birthday tomorrow. Yes that's right, tomorrow marks the 50 year birthday of "The Pill." And the kicker? It's Mother's Day. How ironic is that?
In a world where pregnancy prevention was left to condoms, the rhythm method, vinegar sponges and in some extreme cases sterilization, U.S. officials' decision to approve the world's first oral contraceptive came as a real God send for some. May 9th, 1960 was when the oral contraceptive was first approved. Elissa Stein,co-author of “Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation,” told FoxNews.com that “Birth control pills gave women control over their bodies in a way that was unimaginable before. Sexual freedom exploded as the fear of pregnancy was wiped away." This being said, many of the life threatening side effects that still pose a threat to women today were present at this time. These effects included blood clots and heart attacks and at the pill's inception 11 women died as well as over a hundred suffering from blood clots due to the extremely high dosage present in the pill at that time. Through trial and tribulation, the Pill and other pregnancy contraception's have come a long way from their humble beginnings, boasting over 40 different brands for pregnancy prevention.
This is a prescription pill that is and has been available to women for years now. Consenting, sexually active women can engage in sexual activity without the fear or pregnancy as a result. Basically, she is in control of her own reproductive destiny if she wants it, because it is her choice. This is where it gets a little sticky. It was brought to my attention a couple years back through news articles and word of mouth that some pharmacists across the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs. The trend is a growing one that has ignited many debates over where the authority should lie. Should it lie with the pharmacist, who refuses to be a catalyst to something he or she believes to be immoral and wrong, or to the woman who has the right to fill the prescription her doctor has prescribed her.
I am completely flabbergasted as to what makes these pharmacists believe that this decision is in any way THEIR choice. I am not and never will be someone who fully promotes and supports reckless promiscuity amongst women. This being said, one thing i will always support is a woman's right to make decisions about her OWN BODY. I am a pro choice advocate in this matter as well as in regards to abortion.
I can only imagine that at least some of these pharmacists are making the mistake of confusing contraception as abortion. Engaging in sexual activity and taking contraception regularly as a means of pregnancy PREVENTION is not terminating a life.
According to an article by Rob Stein in the Washington Post, "There are pharmacists who will only give birth control pills to a woman if she's married." What the hell is this? Who gave that person the right to pick and chose who can safely participate in private affairs with her loved one..or in some cases loved ones. Sometimes, love has absolutely nothing to do with it. This does not change the fact that it is her body and her choice!! Of course, we should be teaching the young women of our generation to love and RESPECT their bodies and only engage in such sexual activity when they are mentally ready to make such an important decision. If a woman has decided to make that important choice in her life, 'preaching' the practice of safe sex with condoms and contraception to protect herself from STD's and unwanted pregnancy should be employed.
Pharmacists who are taking these ethical issues into their own hands are completely in the wrong. If i walk into a pharmacy with a prescription from my doctor for continued use of birth control, then you better damn well give it to me. If I walk in the morning after a condom broke with my partner and I need a Plan B emergency contraception, then i should be leaving with one shortly after. God forbid, if I am raped and lying in a hospital, it is the duty of the doctor taking care of me to help me make sure there will be no pregnancy as a result if i wish so. It’s not the business of doctors, nurses, or pharmacists to impose a sense of morality on the world. Some people have made the argument that if a pharmacist morally feels as if he or she cannot dispense said medications to a woman, then they should transfer them to another pharmacy. No. If you don’t want to dispense contraception, emergency contraception, or otherwise, then go into some other line of work.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,592423,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5490-2005Mar27.html
In a world where pregnancy prevention was left to condoms, the rhythm method, vinegar sponges and in some extreme cases sterilization, U.S. officials' decision to approve the world's first oral contraceptive came as a real God send for some. May 9th, 1960 was when the oral contraceptive was first approved. Elissa Stein,co-author of “Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation,” told FoxNews.com that “Birth control pills gave women control over their bodies in a way that was unimaginable before. Sexual freedom exploded as the fear of pregnancy was wiped away." This being said, many of the life threatening side effects that still pose a threat to women today were present at this time. These effects included blood clots and heart attacks and at the pill's inception 11 women died as well as over a hundred suffering from blood clots due to the extremely high dosage present in the pill at that time. Through trial and tribulation, the Pill and other pregnancy contraception's have come a long way from their humble beginnings, boasting over 40 different brands for pregnancy prevention.
This is a prescription pill that is and has been available to women for years now. Consenting, sexually active women can engage in sexual activity without the fear or pregnancy as a result. Basically, she is in control of her own reproductive destiny if she wants it, because it is her choice. This is where it gets a little sticky. It was brought to my attention a couple years back through news articles and word of mouth that some pharmacists across the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs. The trend is a growing one that has ignited many debates over where the authority should lie. Should it lie with the pharmacist, who refuses to be a catalyst to something he or she believes to be immoral and wrong, or to the woman who has the right to fill the prescription her doctor has prescribed her.
I am completely flabbergasted as to what makes these pharmacists believe that this decision is in any way THEIR choice. I am not and never will be someone who fully promotes and supports reckless promiscuity amongst women. This being said, one thing i will always support is a woman's right to make decisions about her OWN BODY. I am a pro choice advocate in this matter as well as in regards to abortion.
I can only imagine that at least some of these pharmacists are making the mistake of confusing contraception as abortion. Engaging in sexual activity and taking contraception regularly as a means of pregnancy PREVENTION is not terminating a life.
According to an article by Rob Stein in the Washington Post, "There are pharmacists who will only give birth control pills to a woman if she's married." What the hell is this? Who gave that person the right to pick and chose who can safely participate in private affairs with her loved one..or in some cases loved ones. Sometimes, love has absolutely nothing to do with it. This does not change the fact that it is her body and her choice!! Of course, we should be teaching the young women of our generation to love and RESPECT their bodies and only engage in such sexual activity when they are mentally ready to make such an important decision. If a woman has decided to make that important choice in her life, 'preaching' the practice of safe sex with condoms and contraception to protect herself from STD's and unwanted pregnancy should be employed.
Pharmacists who are taking these ethical issues into their own hands are completely in the wrong. If i walk into a pharmacy with a prescription from my doctor for continued use of birth control, then you better damn well give it to me. If I walk in the morning after a condom broke with my partner and I need a Plan B emergency contraception, then i should be leaving with one shortly after. God forbid, if I am raped and lying in a hospital, it is the duty of the doctor taking care of me to help me make sure there will be no pregnancy as a result if i wish so. It’s not the business of doctors, nurses, or pharmacists to impose a sense of morality on the world. Some people have made the argument that if a pharmacist morally feels as if he or she cannot dispense said medications to a woman, then they should transfer them to another pharmacy. No. If you don’t want to dispense contraception, emergency contraception, or otherwise, then go into some other line of work.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,592423,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5490-2005Mar27.html
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