LongIslandYid

Going back as far as I can remember, I’ve always loved writing—short stories, poetry, essays, song lyrics etc. Something always kept me putting pen to paper. Blogging, though, never quite made the list. I’ve considered it, but as a mere undergrad psychology student, I doubted anyone would care about my takes on complex topics like politics, religion, or sports. Truth is, I’ve got a lot on my mind—maybe fueling my occasional insomnia—and as a newly minted 30-year-old, it’s now or never. If one person is moved by my words, it’s worth it. Here’s my shot in the dark.

I grew up in a blue-collar family. My grandfather was a computer hardware technician when computers spanned entire walls; my dad and uncle were contractors before moving to white-collar roles in blue-collar industries. Me? I never held a drill (maybe a toy drill, but I can’t even swear to that). This isn’t directed at anyone specifically, rather, the view of manual labor being beneath the rising generation has infiltrated the cultural ethos of many parents whom themselves were blue-collar workers; their success simply meant that their children wouldn’t need to consider trades as potentially rewarding careers. I reject this view. Today’s entitlement culture, encompassed by the rising generation, fuels this stigma equally so; if work is bad in and of itself, how much worse are the “dirty jobs”?

But the trades are, in fact, empowering, offering financial stability, mobility, and meaning. I graduated from SAE Institute Miami as an audio engineer in 2020. Even in free Florida, work was scarce given the complexities of the time. Getting my car inspected before moving back to my home state of New York, I saw a former SAE classmate and carpool buddy thriving as an auto mechanic (he’d left the program early). Oh, how I wished I’d studied plumbing or HVAC—skills that thrive, even in a post-apocalyptic society. I hope the rising generation and their parents begin to see the trades as viable, meaningful careers.

Women’s health is another passion; especially how medical research sidesteps women’s hormonal complexity. Drug trials favor men because their hormones are “easier” to control, leaving women vulnerable to untested products (Hill, 2019). Take the birth control pill, the Franz Ferdinand of the 1960s sexual revolution—its shot sparked a cultural upheaval but was fired with little regard for women’s well-being, separating sex’s physical act from its spiritual depth (Hill, 2019). By halting natural hormonal cycles, the pill can alter mood, attraction, and long-term health, yet robust data regarding the long-term effects is scarce (Hill, 2019). In the Orthodox-Jewish community, which I am enthusiastically proud to be a part of, the pill is often assumed to be a given at marriage. Shouldn’t we at least have a wealth of research on what stopping a woman’s natural hormonal cycle does?

This blog won’t stop here—you’ll find takes on religion, politics, relationships, music, sports, psychology, and more. I hope you’ll spark conversations at family dinners, break rooms, or classrooms. Climb on for a wild ride. Will you take your shot in the dark?

Reference
Hill, S. E. (2019). This Is Your Brain on Birth Control: The Surprising Science of Women, Hormones, and the Law of Unintended Consequences. Avery.