04/04/15

Dear Uterus,

Do you remember the time when we first met? I think about it all the time. You were so tiny and young, as was I, but not yet mature.  I was an early bloomer, of course. I didn't really pay you that much attention.  I was focused on getting knowledge and managing this body. You were quiet, nestled there in the pelvis of The Body, not asleep, but just observing. Planning.

Then you woke up and you made me notice you, all slick and brazen. I couldn’t resist you, at first—I might have loved you for a moment. We bonded with hormones. You slowly started getting your own agenda, though. We fought. We sometimes didn’t speak.

I miss you sometimes, though, and what we had when we were young. Maybe one day, we can get back to what we once were.

Love,

The Brain

CEO, The Body

Manager of Emotions

It's National Poetry Writing Month

I know, I know, you're probably thinking, "Why do you care?"

I care for the same reason that I care about Lent as a non-Catholic: I care because of discipline.

Anyways, during NaPoWriMo, poets try to write 30 poems in 30 days. I have a lot of poet friends who do this. I do admit, I get kinda jelly about it because I wanna do it too. But I don't write poetry. So this year, I thought to myself, "Hey, why don't I do this too? But instead of poetry, I can write 30 Dear Uterus letters in 30 days. I can totally do this!"

Some of these letters are probably going to be really funny. Some will also probably be really bad...

So on April 1st, I started writing and it is only the 3rd so...it's not like I've gotten that far.  But here's three of them!

4/1/15

Dear Uterus,

Let’s face it: we’re at a turning point in our lives.  We’re not little 20 year olds anymore. We don’t like working more than eight hours at a time. We need more than four hours of sleep at night. Hangovers are a serious thing now.  Look, there comes a time in everyone’s life when they just learn how to first of all, take it easy, but secondly understand that they might not always get their way. They learn courtesy. They adapt to change. They find a niche in the world that adds to their own, as well as others’, livelihood. It’s usually nice.

You haven’t learned shit. In fact you’ve gotten worse. You’re like reverse wine.  At 32, you now cause more cold sweats, grating cramps and full body shutdowns than ever before. Uterus, you are getting to that age when people can’t take you anymore.

You know, when they start recommending hysterectomies.

Keep that in mind.

Best,

The Brain

CEO, The Body

Manager of Emotions 

4/2/15

Dear Uterus,

List #1 of Things That Are Your Fault Entirely:

·      You’re the feeling in my pants which alerts me that something is happening down there—something not fun—but I can’t do anything about it because I’m busy. Or my covers are too warm.

·      You’re the reason for ugly, embarrassing granny panties that I sometimes wear outside of my period. Fuck you, they’re comfortable.

·      You’re the reason why I waste at least $20 a month on Aleve and like probably hundreds of dollars on wine. Hundreds.

·      You’re the reason I can’t go swimming in the summer. Tampons don’t work. Maybe I just have a wide-set vagina.

·      Feminine hygiene products: your fault. Tampons and pads try so hard to be at least a little useful. Ask the embarrassing granny panties how that worked out.

Fuck You, Bitch,

The Brain

CEO, The Body

Manager of Emotions

04/03/15

Dear Uterus,

Did you know that, although your dysmenorrea is a literal pain, The Body has what it takes to fight back? We have the ability to make our own pain killers, basically. So when you’re trying to tear us down, we can kick your ass with beta-endorphins when we work together and exercise.

So when you hit us with your progestaglandins (those chemicals that you release during menstruation which result in cramp-causing muscle contractions) we can hit you back by using the anaglasia (pain relief) that we produce with exercise.

Just thought you’d like to know.

Best,

The Brain

CEO, The Body

Manager of Emotions

Hipster Uterus

Smoking is bad, kids. Don't be like Hipster Uterus. She's a bad influence.

New Silly Uterus Art:

...Because Why Not!

Have A Great Week!

Data Flow:

Imagine a way to control women's reproduction via remote control contraception. Women and men alike would eventually be able to control a woman's uterus and what it does in reproduction. It could be a miracle on one hand, but something extremely worrisome on the other. A miracle because women could easily control and even remember to take their birth control daily without the hassle of weekday pills. However, would be extremely worrisome because, dude...anyone could abuse this technology and if it got out of hand, it would become just another way to control women. That would be a mess...

...oh wait. They're working on that now.

Damn.

So, okay, at the end of the article, it is vaguely pointed out that "...it will be necessary to encrypt the chips to keep their (women's) wireless data flow private and secure." First of all, "data flow" is a perfect way of putting that because...*giggle*...uterine flow. But let's be serious about this (and whatever, maybe I'm being paranoid): our online/wireless data isn't ACTUALLY secure. Maybe I'm stepping ahead of myself and the subject as a whole when I say this, but I don't want my uterus literally wireless and online. What?

Also, just to put this out there if for some reason it did not come to mind with this subject: Why on earth are we still focusing on the woman as the "problem" when it comes to birth control? I know it's not because women and our bodies are easily controlled. Why is it that birth control on the man's side isn't being embraced or heavily discussed? Oh wait, I know why: culture. Around the world and throughout history it has always been culturally on the woman to coat check her fertility. The idea of a man using birth control is "less masculine"--it gives him an air of femininity, which of course is seen as negative by so many. Nobody wants to be female!!!

I think the idea of men taking charge of their own birth control is incredibly masculine and a sign of responsibility that is heavily desirable. People controlling my uterus remotely (even myself) is just super weird and something I think I do not want.

However, I'm going to stay tuned and not completely dismiss this idea. I mean, it's pretty cool that this is even happening as far as technology goes. It isn't like we're all being forced into a remote controlled contraception that will turn our uteri into zombies...yet.

Hello and Good Day Dear Uterus Followers!

So, a few interesting things to note:

A.) I have new postcards up at Charis Books and More sitting on the free counter. Because, you know...they're free!

B.) I'm doing a survey for transgendered individuals to understand their lives better, especially with a lot of transphobia coming to the surface these days. In order to avoid any sort of cultural appropriation, I've decided to do some "footwork," if you will. I've had a few participate already in the survey, but here is the survey if anyone would like to participate.

1. What does the word "transphobia" mean to you?

2. Have you ever experienced transphobia?

3. How have your friends and family reacted to your decision to come out as trans?

4. Have you ever had or still have a uterus?

5. What does having or not having a uterus mean to you?

 6. What are people's reactions to your identity?

7. What do you do to challenge people's reactions, if you do at all?

 8. How do you feel about the LGBT community?

9. Who are some trans people I should be paying attention to as far as activism and public figures go?

10. What should people know about in regards to the different forms of trans identity in the world?

You can email answers to anisa.lewis@gmail.com

C.) Fuck Hobby Lobby. Read an extremely detailed description on why here. That is all.

Have great days! I look forward to updating y'all in the future.

--Anïsa

Good Day All!

So, good things have been happening on the low here at Dear Uterus. After making a lot of decisions and headway, writing wise and art wise, Dear Uterus has been asked to do a reading on Sunday! Exciting! The tentative release date of the book is going to be in September (My Birthday Month!). I hope everyone is doing well! Peace, Anïsa