I had this crazy-ass dream last night that I was a million (maybe eight) months pregnant.

I think it has something to do with the friend who had the baby shower.  She's in a tough situation.  The pregnancy wasn't planned and her and her boyfriend have since broken up.  I don't think there's a major loss there, but it's been on my mind.  I feel for her.  When D and I started dating, I was very adamant that I wanted one child.  I think I placed a lot of emphasis on the fact that we wouldn't have a large family and maybe not enough emphasis on the fact that we would have a family.  I think he would be perfectly content to not reproduce.  He used to make jokes about coming home with puppies when my clock started ticking.

Because he was no where to be seen in my dream.  Which makes me oodles of sad.  But let me just say:  I made a beautiful preggo chick.  :)

It's sort of weird to think about one day spawning.  I was never the maternal type - I never sought out little kids and made friends or anything.  And I was actually pretty intolerant of my peers until they reached a certain maturity level.  I don't have a good relationship with any of my nieces or nephews, which I'm sort of okay with.  There's an eleven year gap between my middle brother and myself.  I was a teenager when those kids were born. So.. I'm sort of banking on the concept of "you love your own."

No smooth segue from spawning to feminism, so I'll jump in.

There's a local magazine, actually a quite nice one, called the South. It was the "Power Professional" issue.  I didn't get very far, but I got far enough to read a couple snippets from local businesswomen.  Who might be idiots.

The first lady was the CEO for a local security company.  They all had the same question:  what advice would you give, blah blah blah. The jist of her answer was all about family and the baby Jesus.  The second lady was a lawyer and her answer was, I shit you not, to apply some lipstick and "show up."

It infuriated me.  I'm all about freedom of speech.  You can say WHATEVER you want.  I support that.  Do it.  Think things.  Speak things.  But think first.  Your family may have supported you as you climbed to your position as CEO, but you did the climbing!  And, fine, baby Jesus, whatever.  But lipstick?  Really?  To be a successful and "powerful" lawyer, all I need to do is apply some Sarah Palin-esque lipsmear and show my pretty face?  Are you fucking kidding me?

Here's what would have been my response, should anyone ever deem me powerful:

Do a personal SWOT analysis.  Know your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

• Strengths: Exploit what you're good at.  Let everyone know what you are capable of doing.
• Weaknesses:  You have to know what you suck at in order to develop it.  And do develop your weaknesses!
• Opportunities: Don't be afraid to be opportunistic.  I can guarantee that everyone around you is looking out for themselves with a secondary thought for those around.  Which means, frankly, that if a better opportunity presents itself you ought to take it.
• Threats: These are purely an opportunity to be knowledgeable about your weaknesses, which, if you'd been properly introspective and mature and strong enough to tackle your shit, would be an ever diminishing list.