Have you ever seen the original Hollywood production of The Wizard of Oz? Well, of course you have. And if you haven’t, it’s beyond time to catch up. August 2017 marks the 78th year after the film’s release in 1939. If things go as planned, the long-awaited Wicked movie will coincide with the original's 80th anniversary in 2019. Back then, no one, including its producers and stars, thought The Wizard of Oz would amount to much. Wrong-o. For both children and adults, it became and remains, a classic. The 1900 book by L. Frank Baum has led generations to accept that everything we need to thrive lies within us from the start. The message resonates with children, teens, adults, and elders, too.
It's happened again: A woman without children has died, legally leaving a small fortune to...her pet. Although Bronx resident Ellen Frey-Wouters died in 2015 at age 88, the news that her cats Tiger and Troy would inherit only broke in August 2017. Of her $3 million estate, Ellen's will ensured that $300,000 would be used to ensure the animals would "never be caged" and always cared for with love. [This is where I have to say that I have owned, loved, and been loved by seven cats in my life. I can imagine being rich and famous. I can't imagine leaving my cat that much of my money.] Ellen was a native of The Netherlands and longtime staffer at the United Nations. She was widowed in 1989 when h
Summer is winding down, so you may start to think about your plans for the fall. And for some of us, myself included, that means settling in on a chilly autumn night and binge watching some favorite shows. And, if you’re anything like me, adding an unexpected kid to a show can really turn you off from the rest of the series. In fact, it is on the list of things that can cause a show to jump the shark. On top of all that, you probably also get frustrated when you get most of the way through a series by binge watching it, only to realize you have to wait a year for the next installment. So, here is my short list of binge-worthy NotMom series that are completely wrapped up and available for you
This article is reprinted with permission from Ms. Magazine Blog In a heart-wrenching eulogy in memory of her daughter Heather Heyer, who was mowed down by white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr., Susan Bro told mourners, “They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her.” Shortly after her murder, Heather was heinously criticized on a neo-Nazi site as a childless waste of life. Here, fellow childless and childfree women mourn Heather’s loss with the hope of magnifying her message against injustice and celebrating her heroism. Karen Malone Wright - Founder & Chief Executive, The NotMom & The NotMom Summit I can remember where I was when I heard the news th
Grief and tears followed by anger. Helplessness followed by more anger. The weekend of August 12, 2017 was rough. And as I sat at home, hearing about the events in Charlottesville through a variety of sources, what I felt most was sadness. Our country is on the brink of a new civil war that will be fought over ideology and pit rural against city and White against Black. And that is not the country I ever imagined in all my years. I heard the news that an angry young man that participated in the Unite the Right event was emboldened enough to drive his car into a crowd of counter protesters. And I heard that a young woman named Heather Heyer was killed. Heather was 32 years old and worked as a
One scary bridge and a claustrophobia-inducing tunnel allow people living in the Detroit area to explore another country as easily as their own state of Michigan. I lived there for five years, and weekends might find my friends and me in Windsor, Ontario, about half-hour drive away. Give us more time and we’d head for Toronto, or maybe London. Oh Canada, that’s where my explorations stopped, but I’ve been determined to go back and see more ofAmerica’s northern neighbor for years. Now, thanks to The NotMom Summit, I have friends to visit from Vancouver to Montreal, and apparently, there are many more Canadian NotMoms to meet. In August 2017, Statistics Canada announced census data revealing t
No matter your politics, or even where on the Earth you live, 2017 is just a little crazy. Cray, if you prefer. Not that politics–American in particular–aren’t Different with a capital D this year, or that a violent act of terrorism could blow up during your next shopping expedition. I’m adding one more slice of 2017 bizarreness that might be noticed only by those within its matrix. Someone asks, “Do you have children?” You respond, “No, I don’t.” And, when you explain that motherhood just didn’t happen for you, the other person is ASTONISHED. W.T.F. Good News: Reporters from around the globe are reaching out to me more and more as a person of note in the community of women without children.
The Internet was all a-Twitter in Summer 2017 with the BBC’s announcement that the thirteenth regeneration of the popular time-and-space traveling alien, The Doctor, will be portrayed by English actress Jodie Whittaker–the first woman to play the role in the 54-year history ofDoctor Who. When a TV series has as rich a history as Doctor Who, it wasn’t surprising that some narrow-minded fans would be less than impressed with a groundbreaking casting choice. Among claims of the BBC giving into political correctness and the disappearance of positive role models for boys, there were people who honestly lost their collective shit. But, with such a controversial move that shouldn’t be controversial
"Do you want to hold the baby?" A simple question that's not simple at all. My assumption is that for child free (by choice) women, the answer isn't difficult: No! For those of us childless by chance, it's not so easy. I always want to hold the baby. Any baby. Any age. But, as my husband reminds me time and again, doing so will mess me up for days. It's been a long, long time since anyone has asked me that question. My 60th birthday is within sight. The last infant I held was my goddaughter, and she is now almost 25. The children of my closest Momfriends are in or out of college, and it's been at least 15 years since I was at a baby shower or at the home of a new Mom. Ah, but what about the
The NotMom is a website for women; there really can be no doubt about that classification. When we were designing the NotMom Summit, we were deliberate in making it a conference for women, by women. But how could we not recognize the NotDads in our lives and the role that men without children play in changing our environment and culture about non-parenthood? That’s why we are offering a special deal for NotMoms to bring their partners to the 2017 Summit in October! Announcing: Men’s Only Events Ladies, for the cost of your registration to the NotMom Summit, you can add a NotDad Badge for your husband or partner. He can join you in Cleveland and participate in two casual NotDad Meetup events,
I am so grateful that I have been able to enjoy a good deal of international travel in my adult life, and it’s not slowing down now that I’m over 40. After approaching these trips in different ways, I have come to a simple conclusion: I don’t ever want to check luggage at an airport again. And while roll-aboards are popular and efficient, I believe the 20-something college graduates who stuff their entire lives into a backpack before heading into the unknown really do know what they’re doing. Complete Convenience I spent the better part of Summer 2017 researching backpacks before visiting Belgium and the Netherlands. With our backpacks, and only our backpacks, Matt and I easily navigated air
