7 Comments
Nov 16, 2022Liked by Cathy Reisenwitz

One nit to pick: "Herb thinks it's a myth that men are 'culturally favored.' Citing men's overrepresentation in early death, disease, suicide, crime, accidents, childhood emotional disorders, alcoholism, and drug addiction. I guess we'll ignore men's advantages in diagnosis and medical research."

Isn't it true that breast cancer research gets significantly better funding than prostate cancer research? More fundamentally, doesn't the discrepancy in men's and women's life expectancy and all-cause mortality demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt that men are not "culturally favored" as recipients of health care (although they may be culturally favored in some other capacities)?

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Nov 15, 2022Liked by Cathy Reisenwitz

This brought up three memories from school I had forgotten - I absolutely loved playing jacks with the girls in my 4th grade class - I can distinctly remember a circle of us playing on the floor of the classroom instead of going outside for recess.

As best I can recall, it was 6th grade when I was set up to go on a double date (putt putt with G_____ & C____ ) with a ‘friend’ who didn’t show. We had a great time but it was definitely awkward at school. Neither girl was in the ‘popular’ set. The same young man who set me up for that (even giving me a ring for G____ to show we were going steady) beat me up on the playground later that year. Although smaller than me, I remember clearly his sitting on top of me taunting me.

I had hit a schoolmate who was making fun of me on the bus when I was in 1st grade - I knocked out his tooth and when I got home, ran away to hide in the barn I was so horrified at what I did. I have avoided conflict and physicality since then so I accepted getting beaten up 5 years later as unavoidable.

Given I have one close male friend, and a dozen close female friends, this column DEFINITELY struck a chord and got me thinking about other aspects of my personality and behavior in work, day to day responses, and in the bedroom.

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