One of the first stories I shared in this newsletter was about the first time I got my period:
Because we are a women-led company, its important to us to share various stories that will resonate with other women. While we know not every woman will experience having a period, it feels like an important marker that has long confused the patriarchy while being an important part of life for many of us (or for the women in our lives).
In fact, there seems to be all kinds of experiences that women endure which are completely misunderstood by those who don’t value these experiences. It is the lack of value that seems ubiquitous.
Right now, we are struggling to feed our babies as we face a major shortage baby formula all over the country. Lots of us are on edge as we await the official announcement on Roe V Wade. We regularly deal with the Pink Tax on products that are designed for us. And now, all of our white summer outfits are in danger because there is also a tampon shortage and a markup on feminine hygiene products.
Simply put, raw material shortages and supply chain problems are impacting women left and right.
Let me tell you “supply chain problem” is not what I want to hear when Im in the bathroom stall, rummaging in my purse for a tampon, fingers gathering granola dust!
Sigh.
Stories like getting my first period or the inability to continue offering our babies the formula they need, or the insanity of Roe V Wade being decided by 9 people, or deciding if the pink tax is worth it, or the rising annoyance at not being able to find the feminine hygiene products you need for your body + lifestyle- these stories are too few. We need more of them.
Right now, the vast majority of reporting on these shortages and supply issues are written in numbers. And while numbers hold a great deal of value in understanding how big a problem is- the numbers don’t always tell us how deep a problem is… stories do that.
We need more stories about the women being impacted by the socioeconomic realities of our current moment.
How does this shortage affect the people who don’t have access to menstrual products? (I am ready to form a small militia to storm news outlets. Im accepting applications for my mini story militia, if anyone is interested.) Storytelling helps us normalize peoples experiences. It helps us understand context, nuance, grit, complexity. And our lives are complex. I just wish we had all the tools available to us to tell our own stories.
Woosah...Well, we need a good laugh now, and we know just the person to introduce you to! The spotlight of the week is Angel Laketa Moore. That Chick Angel TV is a hilarious commentary on life and all its blunders from the perspective of the actress, host, comedian, and influencer. You can catch Angel on your television and movie screens, across social media, and on the four podcasts she currently hosts: Is This Going To Cause An Argument, Mommy Confessions, Hold On To Your Edges, and Here's The Thing with KevOnStage. She also hosts the tv show Crafts and Cocktails on KevOnStage Studios streaming app.
